Those two phrases when put together raise a lot of eyebrows.
A pilot is supposed to be this hotshot macho man in a uniform, manning a plane
like a, well, man. So when people hear my career choice, they are skeptic.
That sometimes makes ME skeptic. Is it possible to fly? Can I
really be one of those who sit in a cockpit and have that air of confidence
around them? During my interview, I was told that 80% of the people who join
the flying academy are boys. So was my gender going to pull me down from
achieving or even dreaming my dream?
Hell no.
It’s a challenge to go up against the society norms. “You’re
supposed to have a family and take care of the house and be a literally down to
earth person.” Well, I would accept and abide by this if my brother does too. If
he can fly, so can I. Simple as that.
I have heard a lot of people taunting pilot aspirants, “you
must be filthy rich, that’s why you’re going to fly”, “you must suck at
studies, that’s why you aren’t taking up something more challenging”, “you must
not be ambitious at all” and on and on it goes. I would like to break some of
these prejudices.
Someone who is filthy rich can take up any career option he
or she likes, just like someone who is not so filthy rich can. Education is an investment
to an extent and a flying school is a SCHOOL which means it is a part of one’s
education. And if you think that someone who is dumb in school can easily
become a pilot, you’re highly mistaken. We need to give exams before we get our
license and to renew our license every few months, we need to give those exams
again. It’s a continuous study. We are fit and healthy people because we
control an aircraft which flies 30 thousand feet above the ground. We are
responsible for the 100-200 people on board and we take that responsibility very
seriously.
Talking about ambition, sometimes travelling can be one’s
ambition. Earning money is another. Sure, we may not get famous but does
everybody in any job get fame so easily? No. a pilot’s job is as ambitious as a
banker’s job- aim is to earn good money and live life happily.
Yet at times, we need motivation to keep going. It’s
challenging to not know what to expect. Every flight is the same yet different.
Weather conditions, the aircraft itself, the air traffic controller…there are
so many factors and so many people who contribute to a safe flight. We are
trained to manage the worst; we are trained to be calm and patient. We are
trained to be spontaneous and make quick yet well calculated decisions. It’s
scary to have that much pressure. And we are trained to not buckle in that kind
of pressure.
Like any other field, the more knowledge you have, the safer
you feel. So gaining knowledge is a first. Watching Air Crash Investigations
episodes on YouTube or reading From the Ground Up by Sandy Macdonald are just a
few ways by which a student can know more and more about flying. Experience on
the other hand, just like in any other field, counts the most. Keeping oneself
updated about aviation news and reading aviation novels like those by Glenn
Meade and Ronan Ray also keeps one hooked. A pilot is not supposed to build a
plane. But without a pilot, an airplane engineer’s job is a waste. The world
needs some kickass fearless people who are ready to take up challenges and fly
into the unknown (not literally; today we have almost the entire airspace
mapped. But you get my point)
Watching a crew walk by the long queues of passengers is a sight
I would always look at with awe. It’s evident in the way they speak that they
know what they’re doing and they are well prepared. There is something so
awesome about their uniform and the epaulettes on their shoulders. There is
something so utterly sexy about the way they carry themselves.
A dream is an illusion of the sub conscious mind for some
people. But for some others, a dream is what keeps them alive and going. And my
dream? My dream is to fly, over the rainbow so high!
