Her Family Said It Was Too Expensive For Them To Afford – Lady Shares How She Fulfilled Her Childhood Dream Of Becoming A Pilot

“I’ve always wanted to be a lot of things – a cardiologist, an athlete, a professional badminton player, a journalist, joining the army – it was all under my radar.

But being a pilot was not just one of those dreams. It was something bigger; something special.
But during the 10th grade, when I was seriously considering this, my family and I realised that it was too expensive for us to afford.

I had to give up that childhood dream of mine. I went to college and found myself in a world of new interests. I joined pageants and was first runner-up at ‘Miss Hyderabad 2014’!

Afterward, I took the corporate route and was happy.
But then at 24, I met a friend of mine – he was a pilot and came to me right after a flight – he was still in his uniform. I looked at him and I will never forget the feeling I had! Something in me reignited! I told him, ‘I wish I could be a pilot.’ He just said, ‘What’s stopping you?’

The thought raced through my mind for a while thereafter. I told myself, ‘If I clear the first exam, I’ll think about it.’ I studied and worked hard – I continued modeling so I could pay for my license. And before I knew it, I’d cleared all the exams. I wondered – ‘Am I really doing this?’ By this time, I’d been working for a few years and had enough money to pursue my long-lost dream.

So, I enrolled in an academy for my commercial pilot license. Initially, I was taken aback. A lot of my classmates were 18 year-olds fresh out of school. And there I was, trying to change the entire trajectory of my career! But to my surprise, they helped me fit right in. They never made me feel old. In fact, my best friend there was Isha – an 18-year-old.

Through those three years, I learnt how much easier your life gets when people stand by you. My family has been a pillar of support throughout. Photographers would be kind enough to align shoots in a way that I could study.

And my flight instructors would make sure I could find the time to work.
Once I got my license and my aircraft specialization training was over, I saw that there was an opening in my dream company.

I applied and got in immediately! I just couldn’t believe it! I could see the happiness on my parents’ faces. All our efforts had finally paid off!

I still remember my first flight as an operating crew. As I walked into the flight deck, I knew that this is where I was meant to be. We flew from Bangalore to Delhi and the incredible pilots then honoured me with the three stripes on my shoulder. It felt so surreal!

My dream and my new life welcomed me with open arms. From my first flight, I’ve loved every minute of flying. And today, while I’m still the girl who wants to be so much more, I couldn’t be more grateful for all the tiny pieces that fell right into place to complete the puzzle that made me who I am today!”

Written by: Kristi Mazumdar

Source: Humans of Bombay

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com