A flashback...

Yah, so once again it happened...

It was the month of December and my posting as a Central Marketing Manager at HO, Bangalore was going to be responsible for my Golden Quadrilateral. For my next assignment, I was to travel to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, in ten days. And it was really exciting.

Due to the time lines, my itinerary was made in such a manner that I had to catch the early morning flight every other day. It was a chilled Delhi morning when I had to catch a 6 o’clock flight. And I hated doing that. But what to do, no other options!! Never mind, I reached the airport and checked-in around 5 o’clock.

One hour was left and I had a wonderfully huge Delhi Airport to explore. I started checking it out. Very huge entrance, having two big elephant sculptures at a distant place, multiple counters for number of Airlines. Distinctive dress coded staff was in the service for the travelers. Round about 25 security check-ins to deal with at a rush time, and another huge waiting area. Food-court, cafe shops, lounge bars, shopping space and what not. After all it was all-awaited T3.

After getting tired of roaming here and there, my eyes got stuck on a relaxation chair, facing towards the glass wall of the airport building in such a manner that you can see the movements of aircrafts just while stretching your legs on the seat. And so did I. I was very amused, like a child. And that very moment my mind took me back to the days when I used travel with my father, my family. I, and might be everyone, used to walk besides him holding his hand. Looking at to every new thing I used to ask him about and every time with the same affectionate manner he used to explain those things to me. For my each and every 'childish question' he had a satisfactory answer. Even in my school, if I was unable to understand something, back to home he would have the time to answer.

It was only few minutes, but I could travel the years in the past. And suddenly I heard ‘Beeping’ voice coming from the nearby chair. The other person in the chair had set in the pre-fixed alarm to wake him up. But, to me, it was very much like an alarm to get me back to the present. It reminded me about the alarm I used to switch off to avoid going to the school. And on asking by my mother, the same excuse every time – “Ma, alarm didn’t ring only! L” I distinctively remember the efforts my mother used to make to wake me up for the school and similar effort from my side to avoid her giving numerous amount of excuses!!

Now, at this moment the incident was looking like the irony. Earlier my mother had all the worries that I would sleep long hours and miss the school next day and now I’m unable to sleep in the night worrying about missing the flight next morning!!

My experiences with the Flight of Good Times

Imagine, you are flying at the height of 20K ft above the sea level and suddenly you realise that pilot is not in his seat!! Or, you’re being held responsible for the delay in flight...

It was almost two months I’ve been to my home after I started my job. I was quite excited to be at home for a weekend before moving onto my next stint at a far more distance. I was in Delhi, and was to catch a flight to Ahmedabad at 9.40 p.m. It was a Friday.

The feelings had a mix of emotions. Going back to home for the first time after getting onto job, I was feeling joyous. My best friend, with whom I had a big fight some time back, was going to the US for three years on the same night and probably I was to miss the chance to see her and say a good bye for the last time. I was a bit tensed. I learned, the flight I was to board, a friend of mine was a Pilot in that flight. I was excited. And lastly, the flight got delayed! I got frustrated. And it got delayed again, and again, twice. I got pissed off.

Anyway, finally I was on the bus in the bus along with some 30 odd people who were similarly aggravated on the situation taking us to the aircraft. And then, I could see the real beauty. I could see the Airport building illuminated with white lights and the rest of the airport was tinkling orange bulbs in the symmetry with each others. The bus was driving to the aircraft making some one recognizable pattern. Who’s concerned!!

Getting down from the bus near by the aircraft I saw my friend, A Pilot, welcoming me. I had already started have a Good Time!! I noticed that there are two staircases attached to the craft on the left hand side at both the ends. I checked out my boarding card, seat number 28C. And so I decided to climb on from the rear staircase.

I was seeing my pilot friend after a long time. We met. We talked. We shared our present state of affairs in a very short while. And it was the time when we realise we’re the only two left to board the craft. So taking a promise from him to take me for a round in Cockpit, I rushed back to the rear staircase. I climbed on, found my seat and got settled.

Did you find anything missing? No? Neither did me.

It was almost 10 minutes past Estimated Departure Time. And, this airline is very much known for its time punctuality. Meanwhile, there was a request from my co-passenger to exchange the seat 28B with her. Respecting to the lady’s age, I immediately agreed.

Finally I saw a guy, wearing one of those florescent coloured shirt, rushing towards the rear rows looking for something in particular. 25, 26, 27, 28; 28C.

“Ma’am may I look at to your ticket?” The guy asked.

And I realised the whole plot. To have a check on, for the purpose of security, whether the passenger has boarded the aircraft after leaving airport building, the flight attendant has to collect the counter part of the boarding pass. And because I was the last person to get on board, from the rear staircase, I was missed to get it done. Therefore they were short of one counter, which they could finally found out locating me inside the aircraft!!

After touching down at Ahmedabad airport, as per the promise, I was taken for a round to the Cockpit. The other pilot made me understand so many switches and gear s which I found too complicated to understand comparing it to my car. (I know, how dumb. But, we generally compare the things to the one which we own. What-eh-ver...)

While coming out I narrated the whole incidence to my pilot friend. And he suddenly burst into laughter. On asking him the reason he simply said, “There’s been a delay of 13 minutes logged in the register onto your name!!!”

...


The months passed and once again I was travelling with the same airline from Bangalore to Hyderabad. It was a smaller aircraft, an ATR. A pleasant morning and the flight was almost full. The flight took off. And the airhostess announced the pilot’s name. Guess what, he was one of my friends, once again. (You may say that this is the advantage of having only one friend as a pilot. And you would be known to many of them!!)

To say a Hi, I send my business to him with the help of an airhostess. She came back with a notification saying he’d meet me after a while.

It was almost twenty thousand feet above the sea level. I was enjoying the experience looking at to the clouds way beneath us. And there was my friend. Everyone was looking at him, and me, with a sceptical look. We chat for a while. And he left.

The rest of the flight was normal as usual, till the time I came out till conveyer belt looking for my luggage. He was in his fifties. Half of his hairs were gray. It looked like he would no longer be able to hold this question to himself. And finally he asked.

“Is it okay if A Pilot abandons his seat during the course of flight, at this height??”