Pilot Tapesh
Hi Everyone!
The story starts in a backward village in the state of Haryana, India. Born into a rural family, life wasn't all that easy at first. My parents shifted to New Delhi soon after I was born and we started our lives from scratch, living in the most unimaginable of conditions in the 1990s. However, my father soon joined Jet Airways, which was a major airline in India. As he was a part of flight operations, I have spent the better part of my life meeting pilots, and that's where the love for aviation started.
I studied to get into an engineering colleges, under pressure from relatives and family, but eventually realised that engineering isn't my thing. I found the courage to tell my parents and talked them into having me admitted to a flying school. Having been declared something of a failure for not scoring well in school and for dropping the engineering classes, I had everything to prove when I reached my flying school. And so I did, finishing all my exams in the first attempt and completing my CPL training in just 11 months.
The experience at the flying school was beautiful, with me doing great with the flying lessons and the theoretical exams! And doing a few things not meant to be done!
The only issues I faced were because of the fact that people thought I was filled to the brim with bad attitude, which was nothing more than me being an introvert.
Soon after I got my flying license, Jet Airways came out with vacancies for First officers on the B737. It was my chance to shine, and I worked my heart out for it. Having topped the whole selection process, I started my career in 2013 on the B737. I was with Jet Airways till 2019, until the airline shut operations. I left Jet as a Captain on the B737 and am currently flying the A320 with AirAsia as a commander. I've flown over 4500 hours by now.
With Corona putting the immediate future plans in jeopardy, I'm only looking to get back on the B737, the airplane being very close to my heart. With the situation improving over time, I'd love to fly the B787! Also, looking to take my YouTube channel, which is also all about aviation, to new heights!
I'd tell my younger self to worry less about what people say and think about Tapesh. I'd tell him how people's mindset is limited by their own experiences and their judgement of his life doesn't count. What matters is what little Tapesh and the people who love him think of him, not the whole wide world. Also, I'd tell him to stop being a shy little boy and open up to the world.