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Sanket Sharma
Author: websupport
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Sarthak Singhal
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Vinayak Agarwal
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Yuvraj Pal
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Sarthak Singhal
“Did you just?.. Did I really..? No way I didn’t fly? But, I did. Didn’t I? I think I really did!”
This here is the inside of my head as the realisation of having successfully landed an aircraft crept into my conscious mind. ‘Unreal’ is the only word that comes close to expressing it. Breathtaking is the word that would sum up the experience while still airborne!
A lot went into making this moment possible and I have the utmost gratitude to the school, my family and my fellow pilots who kept me and each other sane through this global paradigm shift.
We landed in South Africa to do our flying training on 14 March 2020. Full of excitement and enthusiasm little did we know that upon reaching we’d be put into quarantine. We crawled out a week later, thrilled to commence our training, only to see the entire country transition into a state of lockdown for two whole months which felt like eternity to be honest! I remember thinking to myself that day, “Hah, this is definitely not going as planned!”
Anyway, like they say everything happens for a reason, well, so did this. These two months gave us time to get to know each other, while getting comfortable and familiar with the school. The lockdown turned out to not be that bad. I actually ended up getting so used to it, that I dreaded the lockdown being lifted and having to get my life back into a schedule!
Soon came the 1st of June and operations finally began! Heart thumping, exhilarated and very much over-dressed, I had my first flight on 04 June 2020. A date that’s gonna be tough to forget. But, I’m not going to lie, thirty minutes into my flight, I honestly got a little bored! It’s not all fancy and glamorous as most people think it is. At least, not at this stage. Then came my second flight, and my pompous thoughts were put to an end. I mean it really changed me. My instructor let me take off and I couldn’t believe my eyes as I did. Before I knew it, I was in the air and quite literally even cloud 9 felt like a tiny blimp as I looked out the windscreen! It felt like all the months spent studying in Ground School and waiting in lockdown paid off. I was finally flying an aircraft and it was cathartic to experience that!
Even though at times I have to wake up super early in the morning or even skip meals for a flight, I realise it’s all part and parcel of being a pilot. The world from above is just too beautiful to look at and that for me, makes it all worth it.
Name: Sarthak Singhal
Batch name: Spitfires
Batch number: 1910
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Vishisht Chadha
“I think the main objective of life is to be happy, so I’ve chosen a career and a hobby that gives me happiness. I believe a person does a few things to make a living, and some things that make them feel alive, in my case, i find contentment in both of them.
For me, the ablility to play music is a blessing, an escape from the ordinary, and a support in the tough times. I feel i’m lucky enough to be able to do what i love, and would like to thank my parents and insight aviation for giving me the opportunities to fulfil my dreams.”
Name: Vishisht Chadha
Batch Name: Hurricanes
Batch no.: 1912
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Chirag Bhasin
LOCKDOWN & MY DREAM
We all grow up having a dream, dream to become a doctor, an Engineer, a Soldier etc, and perhaps mine was to become a Pilot, a profession many dream of but not many get into, and I consider myself a very lucky lad to have initiated a career as an Airline Pilot with IndiGo in collaboration with Insight Flyer and 43 Air School.
Oh, and yes I’m a engineering third year drop out, I always wanted to fly and hence as soon as things got right I decided not to give 2 more years to Engineering and proceeded towards my dream to fly.
But what Epic story does not have ups and downs, and hence a few days before we had to leave for 43 Air School, Port Alfred, South Africa, came in COVID-19, a nightmare in disguise, house arrest for everybody, flight ops shut down all over the world and hence I realised I had a couple months or so to myself to enhance my skills and learn new ones, besides keeping myself in sync with the CPL subjects as there are regular tests and classes we attend, thanks to Insight Flyer.
As the lockdown started, it threw everyone off gaurd including me, after the online classes I used to do a 100 pushups each day, and play Cricket on the terrace with my father, this went on for quite a while, alongside which I made an attempt to notch up my social media reach gaining followers on Instagram and some subscribers on my youtube channel named Chirag Bhasin, I happen to write Rap music, record and perform it and put up such videos on both the platforms, also some funny and some really informative videos, leaving no corner untouched, hoping to leave for Flight Training soon, I’ll be looking to give out Aviation related valuable content as a Student Cadet Pilot to the ones aspiring to be one.
Home workouts are a regular part of my routine, though nothing can beat workout quality at a gym, all this might sound too inspiring and productive but I’ve my just Netflix & Chill days as well, playing board games with family and PUBG at night with the guys never gets old.
This lockdown and self-solation has taught us a new way of life, unlock 1.0 is underway and people are back out, working hard to compensate for months lost, and I’m here waiting, along with several fellow Insight Flyers waiting to fly out to SA.
Staying calm and patient is the key here and that’s what has been keeping us sane, and well that is a important trait for a good pilot, so I guess we’re on the right track, and now Safety on Ground is as important as Safety in Air, so Stay safe and cherish this time of life.
Name: Chirag Bhasin
Batch name: Hurricanes
Batch number: 1912
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Himanshu Thakur
Lockdown effects on Preparation for IndiGo Cadet Program
We all are aware that this lockdown has kept the world on hold and if we talk specifically about Aviation it is completely in a stand still situation which could end up for a while. Ever wondered what these aviation chaps are upto? How all the pilots/crew/cadets surviving without flying?
Well this article will mostly talk about cadets and it might help you if you are planning on entering the aviation industry. I am a cadet under the IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program with Insight Aviation and yet to clear my DGCA exams, so you would be pretty much sure about where most of my time is invested.
To be honest I believe you get frustrated studying the same subject over 6 months without knowing when you actually will get the chance to write an exam on it so you eventually give up on it and start investing your time somewhere else, which is actually a good thing. However this can lead to completely getting distracted from the main goal, so I would suggest keep revising the topic once a while along with whatever you are upto.
I have been doing a lot of thinking and research about what Aviation will look like post this Covid 19 situation and I realised that it could be demotiving because obviously it is human nature thinking pessimistically regarding any situation. Also all the captains/aviation experts we listen to are all assuming and are not very sure about it. Therefore, I gave up on it and picked up stuff which could motivate me towards my goal.
Eventually I ended up watching aviation movies and more about aviation. And what if we cannot fly practically right now at least we can enjoy it virtually, so I picked up my PS3 and enjoyed my time with H.A.W.X., Ace Combat, Air Conflicts and you know the best one is when you get to fly it while doing all the monkey tricks in GTA V (I literally performed a reverse landing there), tried all those idiotic ideas which we can’t in the real cockpit.
Also I took up some digital marketing courses on udemy and gained some skills in that field. Got various ideas for my instagram profile, created content for the same by performing image editing, managed to boost my engagement and eventually increasing my digital presence from 400 followers to 2600. I actually enjoyed my time doing this stuff and managed to work for a few brands and earn vouchers.
Well that would be pretty much all I have been upto. You can check out my edited pictures and travel stories which I post, few of them are attached below. I would love to hear your lockdown story as well and for any further aviation discussion. You can find me on Instagram (@travel_with_thakur) or write to me on 14.thakur@gmail.com I would end this with requesting you all to stay positive and keep your hopes high. And do listen to our Prime Minister
Stay Home Stay Safe !
Name: Himanshu Thakur
Batch name: Hurricanes
Batch number: 1912
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Tanvi Verma
Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest – well, that is a choice. We need to look at the good side of the coin and walk away from the negativity.
Lockdown period is certainly the period that I would like to keep the memory of those activities which I aspired most in my life and did them during this period. I always wanted to do all these activities but the social bondage and the hurly burly city life forbade me to do.
Now that I have had time lately I made the most of it spending time with my parents, family and the loved one by not only doing all that made us laugh and enjoy but relive the memorable moments we used to have in our childhood thus proving the fact that happiness is not the absence of problems, it is the ability to deal with them.
Kite flying is a kind of recreation that I wanted to do and that I used to do when I was a child. Not only my parents, especially my mom, enjoyed watching me do that but themselves participated and proved yet again that age is just a number and we are never too old to live life to the fullest, enjoying every moment. Another cherishing moment of this lockdown was enjoying that evening tea and hearing my father say, every day without fail “Karo voh jo mann ko bhaye, par usse pehle ek cup chai”. We donates tend to have a very different level of excitedness’ for the summers not because of the vacations and ice-creams but for “litchi” and since the very day I came back home I have eagerly been waiting to see the trees full of this amazing fruit.
The cherry on the cake was the presence of my four legged bag of happiness “GRACY”. Trust me, she is the best and sometimes the most irritating alarm clock I can ever have. Apart from being a best buddy, a total saviour from mom’s scolding, she is very caring and loving. Every morning, Gracy is outside my room’s door with a ball, barking till the moment I come out. Even my father seemed to have brushed his football skills with her.
Being born and brought up in the hills has always proved an asset for me. Cycling and trekking have been a part of my life since the beginning ang going back into nature’s lap soothens my soul unfolding the beauty of the world. Apart from that I enjoy working out, pushing my boundaries and this time I worked more on improving my flexibility. Dancing is another hobby and that is what makes me the happiest. Along with my friends, we recreated those school memories and danced our hearts out together a couple of times. A bit of origami and painting along with the studies and all the online classes kept me away from boredom and busy.
I along with all my fellow Insight Flyers are waiting eagerly to fly out to SA and live our dreams, but I would say that we should enjoy this time while it lasts. The world has slowed so we can rediscover ourselves. The key is to stay calm, keep ourselves well equipped with what we really wanted to do all this while and stay connected with each other, sharing our joys and sorrows and having each others’ back because
“If we stay positive in a negative situation, we win.”
Name: Tanvi Verma
Batch name: Hurricanes
Batch number: 1912
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Vivek Vashist
Hello everyone, hope everyone is doing great and safe. This pandemic forced everyone of us to limit ourself just to the boundaries of our home. No movies, no going out with friends, no night outs, no trips, with everything banned seems very difficult to live with such restrictions which we never even thought of. Week one of lockdown went in excitement of witnessing the thing which has never happened in the history, then week two went out of curiosity what will happen next, but as the spread of virus kept on increasing a feeling of fear started developing, how largely will it impact our city, then state then country and then the whole world. Uncertainty of future started bothering, what will happen to my career and dream of becoming an airline pilot, whether i will be able to pursue it or not which i had started with Insight Aviation, will aviation industry be able to hold up it’s pace back, so there were many questions also their are still many but it has been realised that it’s not about just me or my family or my friends, the whole world is the victim of this difficult time. So living with this tension was not an option or the way to come out of it,so i started looking for the opportunities which this idle time had brought to me, so i started to think about what i can do apart from studies which could be productive as well as can pass my time well, i discovered my old desire of learning guitar, which i always wanted to but could not make it happen due to lack of time. So i ordered a guitar from Amazon, which was delivered with no such restrictions as my city was in green zone. So i started learning it online and now i can say that i have gained a bit knowledge and confidence of it that if i continue learning then i will definitely learn it soon. Also i used to cook earlier too but this lockdown gave me opportunity to polish my cooking skills more, and i have learnt many things from desserts to chinese, which i think will help me when i will go to 43 Air School in South Africa for my flying. Apart from these i have also gained the knowledge of parenting, i have a 9 months old nephew Agastya Vashisht, with whom i have developed a very good bond of affection, who now doesn’t sleep in someone else’s arms than mine, which i would have definitely missed if this lockdown had not been imposed.
So this lockdown not only brought tension and fear but also few good habits in me. I know this can delay my career but cannot ruin my career or hopes of flying high. Hard times will go and we will again see happy faces all around. Wish you all great health and strength.
Stay safe, stay home.
Name: Vivek Vashist
Batch name: Hurricanes
Batch number: 1912