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Aviation

Why Do Pilots Collapse Mid-Air So Regularly?

On two successive days this week, two pilots collapsed and died.   One of them was a friend and a former colleague, and both were much younger.   One was travelling as a passenger and the other was about to operate a flight.   My heart goes out to their families for their sudden and …

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Who is the First Indian Pilot?  

In my previous post, paying tributes to JRD Tata on his birth anniversary, I posed this question, and replied, “If you think it is Mr. JRD Tata, you are only partly right.” After that, many people texted and called me, asserting that Tata was indeed the first Indian pilot, because that’s what the internet says. …

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JRD Tata and the Indian Air Force

Who was the first Indian pilot? Did you say Mr. JRD Tata? Well, you’re only partly right. He was the first civilian pilot of Indian origin. Here’s his Commercial Pilot’s Licence. Don’t miss the licence number next to the date. It is CPL No. 1. For the record, when I got my CPL in 2004 …

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Phew! In Defence of Poor Pilots

Someone recently tweeted pilots’ salaries in an airline. That tweet began with a ‘phew,’ so I will list out the realities of a pilot’s life, just a few! I didn’t say the realities of a pilot’s job, because it’s not just a job; it’s an interesting lifestyle, but not a cakewalk.  It requires commitment, consistency, …

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China Air Crash: Separating Facts from Fake News

A Boeing 737-800 of China Eastern Airlines crashed yesterday, baffling a lot of real as well as self-styled ‘experts.’ The confusion was not helped by fake videos and pictures doing the rounds on the social media, being picked up even by prestigious news outlets. I’ve been flying Boeing 737 for almost two decades, which is …

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Operation Ganga – Rescue from Ukraine: A Pilot’s Personal Perspective

You’re a pilot. A lady pilot. Your husband is a software engineer, in a booming multinational, in the management, at a high level. He works 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, and often works from home. Which is good, because your daughter is only 4 years old. And your timings are odd. Early morning one …

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Bell Bottom – A Tale Without a Bottom

You may have read my review ‘Bhuj – The Pride of India is But a Ride of Hysteria.’ I wrote that as a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force. And now I write this as a current commercial pilot in an airline, flying the Boeing 737NG, the latest version of the hijacked airplane …

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‘Bhuj – The Pride of India’ is But a Ride of Hysteria!

I was a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force and have done two tenures in Bhuj. Having spent five years flying over and driving around Kutch, I was keen to relive the happy memories of my days in the IAF and in Kutch. I must confess, the movie brought tears to my eyes. Tears …

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In Defence of Air Power

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) recently said, “…the Air Force continues to remain a supporting arm, just as Artillery or Engineers support the combatants within the Army…” I retired from the IAF full 18 years ago, and to borrow from Harry Belafonte, “No one wants my opinion anywhere, any time, on any subject, about …

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भाग्यासी काय उणे रे…

आपण बरेचदा म्हणत असतो की माझ्याकडे पैसे नाहीत, किंवा पुरेसं शिक्षण नाही, किंवा मी खेड्यात जन्मलो, किंवा नशिबानं साथ दिली नाही म्हणून मला हवं तेवढं मोठं होता आलं नाही. बरोबर? तर ऐका राईट बंधूंची कहाणी. आपणा सगळ्यांना माहित आहे कि जगात विमान उडवणारे ते पहिले. पण त्यामागचे कष्ट आणि जिद्द किती जणांना ठावूक आहेत? ओर्विल …

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