DUTY

DUTY, the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force.
Usage: "we must instill a sense of duty in our children".


This was my father's weapon of choice when he told me that the last 2 years of my life spent working towards a career as an Airline Pilot were so that I could "have my fun for a year or two but eventually get into business".


I've always known that I would become a Pilot. I have been obsessed with flying since I was 5 years old. 90% of my time outdoors was spent gazing into the wild blue spotting Airplanes wondering how high they were flying, how fast they were going and what the view was like from the cockpit. The fact that my mother did marketing for the aviation magazine "Flight International" and got free copies of the mags only fed my obsession.

Fast forward 14 years and there I was, fresh out of A-Levels( which I hated) and behind the controls of a Cessna 152. I mean sure it was no Concorde but it flew. From the minute the wheels left the ground I was hooked. I've never done any hard drugs before but I recognized addiction. Flying an aircraft all by yourself (after learning to overcome the airsickness) is one of the most beautiful experiences very few people get to experience.

Another 2 years fly by(no pun intended) and there I was, 2 stripes on each shoulder and a smile on my face, knocking off my ATPL exams and looking for a job. Everything seemed to be going according to the plan I had formed when I was 12, Until...


It's December the 14th and I am home for some of the Australian summer.(That's right people, television is a lie! December means winter for only the northern hemisphere while the southern hemisphere hits temperatures of up to 45 degress celcius! Santa on this side of the world is a strange man board shorts, thongs and a singlet who's sleigh is really a cart towed by kangaroos). I'm sitting with my dad after coming home and out of nowhere he goes, in Hindi, " What are you going to do as A pilot? There's not much money for a lot of years of your life..." I go on to tell him that it's been my dream for ages, which he already knows. That's when the word pops up. Duty." It is your DUTY to work for and maybe one day take over the company." He goes on to tell me the story about how Mukesh Ambani got called on by his father IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS MBA COURSE to come back and take charge of the family business. Mukesh Ambani went on to make about 10 times more than his then 2 billion.

Some things my father said in his drunken stupor really hit me though. The first being, " Son, as a Pilot, all you'll do is fly people around, and lose years of your life in the air(some people have total flying times of around 25000 hours, equivalent to about 3 years spent in the air, away from their families and friends) but work for and manage businesses and you employ people, and feed their families. You help economies grow and what you leave behind becomes your legacy." Now the reason this hit me is because about a year and a half ago, I had deecided that I somehow wanted to help Asia. I wanted to help it grow and make it a better place. I wanted to help bring out it's full potential and help as many people as possible because, god knows that the world we live in needs all the help it can get and if you have the ability to make a difference no matter how small, you shouldn't hold back. And the reason I want to help Asia in particular is simply because I am Asian.

The second thing my father said that really hit me was, " Don't you ever think you were meant for something bigger? Why build a hut when you're capable of a Taj Mahal?"(Yes, I know, he is extremely Indian, It's because of people like him that the word is an adjective as much as it is a nationality) Now this really got me thinking... I'm the kind of person who always pushes to see how far he can take something.(which, needless to say, has gotten me into heaps of shit but also won me quite a few things). Just like with life, in rock climbing when you encounter this one hold out of arm's reach and there's no other way to get to it but to leap? At that moment we have 2 choices. A, not leap, stay where we are, get fatigued and eventually fall off, Or B, leap and maybe accomplish something.

After typing all this out, I realize something. Not all weapons were designed for destruction. It also appears that I have come to a decision.

I can always fly recreationally, it's more fun than pushing buttons and monitoring systems in big jets. Looks likeI'm going to university!

And though I carry with me a heavy heart and suitcases of sorrow, my spirit shall not be broken.

I dont even know what to call this...

Once again, it has been about 2 months since my last post and it wasn't really a real post. Really. The past few days have really got me thinking. For quite a while now, I have been pretty ignorant. To politics, towards my education, and everything else you could possibly think of. Why? Because the world is ugly, nay, disgusting. The things people are capable of. Things like Rape, homicide, death by starvation or curable diseases, and muggings can be counted by the second. Looks like there is no hope for the human race... That we are going to destroy ourselves and every other organism unfortunate enough to be stuck on this balloon that by the looks of it, could pop at any time ,with us. Not to mention the hurt we cause to people who care about us. We lie, cheat, get divorced, find new loved ones (and if my inverted comma button was not broken, that would be in inverted commas) who are heartless to our kids and are only interested in our money, sex or both.

All this taken into account, we can not discount the more beautiful side of life. Love, the things you would do for that special someone, how you feel like you could do anything you wanted, and that all dreams come true ( As long as he/she loves you back that is, otherwise its like walking around with an ever growing hole in your chest.. ). Art, something I have a very limited understanding of. Music, performing arts, emotion, passion,humor, the list just goes on and on.

Does anyone else think it was an accident that we got this intelligent? Because if you look at every other life form known to man, their sole purpose is to reproduce. But human beings, contrary to what you people think, are not satisfied by just sex. We need a higher purpose, and refuse to believe that the only reason we are here is to make more of us and then die. Yeah, I feel extremely useful now. Which then brings me to the conclusion that we are simply here to enjoy ourselves. That our life is a gift and that we are meant to enjoy it. But wait, if that is true, what about those malnourished children in Africa slowly dying of starvation or AIDS? Is their life a gift too? How are they supposed to enjoy it? To them life is merely a sentence to be trapped in a prison of flesh to suffer immeasurable amounts of pain until, mercifully, they die. WHY ARE WE HERE!?

Sometimes I think about how easy it would be to have an instruction manual for life. It would make things a lot easier... Oh wait, hold on, there are instruction manuals for life. I will reserve my views of religion because I will probably end up insulting many.

What exactly are we looking for? Is it happiness? Enlightenment?

I am so confused right now.

To my previous post.

NOTE:
1. Pilots must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted.

2. During periods of severe sky dancing, crew and passengers must keep seatbelts fastened. Crew should wear shoulderbelts as provided.

3. Sunward climbs must not exceed the maximum permitted aircraft ceiling.

4. Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth.

5. Pilots flying through sun-split clouds under VFR conditions must comply with all applicable minimum clearances.

6. Do not perform these hundred things in front of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors.

7. Wheeling, soaring, and swinging will not be attempted except in aircraft rated for such activities and within utility class weight limits.

8. Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a major engine malfunction has occurred.

9. "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a flight emergency is imminent.

10. Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local FSS. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported by pilots.

11. Pilots flinging eager craft through footless halls of air are reminded that they alone are responsible for maintaining separation from other eager craft.

12. Should any crewmember or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, submit an irregularity report upon flight termination.

13. Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to maintain VFR minimum separations.

14. Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles should be reported to the FAA and the appropriate aircraft maintenance facility.

15. Aircraft operating in the high untresspassed sanctity of space must remain in IFR flight regardless of meteorological conditions and visibility.16. Pilots and passengers are reminded that opening doors or windows in order to touch the face of God may result in loss of cabin pressure.

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred thingsYou have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,I've chased the shouting wind along, and flungMy eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space,Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

FRIDAY NIGHT

Friday night was, I can quite safely say, one of THE MOST INSANE NIGHTS OF MY LIFE! Now Im not bragging or anything but I have seen my share of insane nights. Started out as a crap day. Friday the 13th, need I say more? I was due for my solo and all I needed to do was nail my landings. Not flying for 2 weeks because CASA were taking their time with my license didnt help at all. Needless to say, I screwed up. Everything was perfect except my flair( keeping the nose wheel off the ground for a while when you land). After an hour of crap landings, we decided to call it a session. I stormed back into the building in a really REALLY bad mood. My instructor Charles heard about what happened and walked up to me. preflight the plane he says, We;re going up to fix your landings. I nodded stormed off to get my stuff. 5 minutes later, I was preflighting my plane with a snickers bar sticking out of my face. I was going to fix my landings and nothing was going to stand in my way.

We were coming in to land and everything seemed alright. Then, Plonk, landed on all 3 wheels again. F***, I mutter. Relax man, goes Charles (while we;re still rolling along). I give her full power and as I do, he very calmly explains my mistake and how I should fix it. Something he said clicked and I nodded. Coming in for the second landing all seemed well, got closer and closer to the ground and then Squeak! the sound of the back wheels hitting the tarmac first. The best feeling ever. After a couple of pretty nice landings, we taxi back to the parking bay. You tired? Charles asks. Nope, why? I reply. we are going to see if we can get you another pre-solo check. By this time all my friends, or as they call them over here, mates are at the pilot bar. It is also about an hour to sunset by now.

I preflight my 3rd plane for the day and anxiously wait at the pilot bar for my class 2 instructor. The sky was already a deep gold and I was pacing a bar filled with tipsy friends like a madman. And then, I get a phone call. Its Charles, the guy was on the ground! I rush onto the tarmac only to see a Mooney taxiing at an excruciatingly slowly. I jump into my plane and and get myself ready. Couple of minutes later the testing instructor jumps in as well. Fixed your landings? He asks. I think so I reply with a nervous smile.

After the fastest run-up I had ever done, we were airborne. Around to crosswind, downwind, base and finally onto final approach, I set the plane up for the landing. 60 knots, check, Carb heat off, check, flaps 3, check, centerline, check. As the ground got closer and closer I thought, this is it, if i screw this up, there wont be any time left to do my solo anyway. Above the ground now, leveling off, I take a deep breath, pull the power and feel the plane sink slowly. I ease back on the controls and Squeak! Touchdown. Nice landing he says. Whew... We soar off into the sky for a second one. And this time, He requests the option on downwind(option to stop, get out and release me for my solo). My heart starts pounding now. I come in on finals and Squeak! Another good landing. He makes me taxi him to the run up bay where he gets out and gives me a thumbs up. JUST FLY THE PLANE!!, he yells over the buzz of the propeller. I give him a thumbs up and he slams the door shut and jogs away.

So there I was, by myself. I will admit, my legs did shake a little bit. CALM DOWN, I told myself. At the moment, Something made me look on the roof of the Aero club building. Perfect I thought as I counted like 12 of my friends watching me, more pressure. But it sure as hell was nice to know that I had my them watching me, cheering me on. As you can tell from the video on my previous post. JULIET BRAVO X RAY CLEARED TO LINEUP, I hear on the radio just as my thoughts begin to wander. I read the clearance back and line up on the runway when I hear, Cleared for takeoff, Juliet bravo X ray. This is it, I thought, no turning back. I gave her full power and she just lunged forward without the excess weight.

When I got up to 1000 feet, I looked around and was simply awestruck. The suns head was poking just over the horizon, quite like a little kid peeping over a wall, splashing a sea of gold onto the land, river and lakes. In complete contrast, the sky was a deep blue, almost black. It was amazing. Okay, I thought, time to land this thing. Final approach. Everything looks good. CLEARED TO LAND, JULIET BRAVO X RAY. Here we go, here we go, here we go, Hold, hold!! Squeak! YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was ecstatic as I slowly taxied off the runway. Juliet Bravo X ray, congratulations on your first solo, goes ground control, and I acknowledge him. Charles, my instructor, was already waiting for me at the parking bay, I could see that typical Charlie-grin all the way from the runway. I do my checks and shut the plane down. Congratulations!, he says. He looked pretty proud at that moment.

So we walk towards the RACWA( Royal Aero Club of Western Australia) building where the class 2 instructor shakes my had and congratulates me. A photograph of me ringing the traditional bell and a couple of photographs later, we make our way to the pilot bar where I am greeted by a roar of clapping, yays and hugs. It was truly amazing. My friends are amazing. I buy all of us a round and beer never tasted so good. That, was just the beginning of my Friday the 13th.

My sunset solo

Thats me on the radio!