The Unknown Brother !!!

Almost 26 years back we were taken to AFA from NDA/Pune in an AN-32. In-flight, the Captain inquired if any of us were from RIMC. Those privileged once had a chance to visit the cockpit and I envied them so much.On landing at Pune I had a glance at the Captain’s name-tab. Sqn Ldr Rajesh Kumar.

After NDA and before joining BFTS I was on leave and met him in a CSD. My memory never fails and I reminded him of the historic flight with the tinge that he allowed only his school types to see the cockpit.
Anyway, eager to get the coveted pilot wings where the rejection rate is almost 40% I asked him everything that my mind fathomed. He was patient to answer them specially the silly questions. When you are 100% sure of what you want in life very badly, it shows and it touches others at a profound level.

When I joined BFTS I got busy grasping the nuances of flying and forgot all about this incident till my solo check. As I have mentioned in “Be Your Own Pilot” there was a time when I almost gave-up.
My instructor told me one sentence, “I can’t tell your brother that I gave-up on you.” I didn’t even realize whom he mentioned but it changed my mental make-up. It was only during passing out from there that I came to know that the Captain had told my instructor to never give up on me.

I do not know where is he now but I am grateful that he was there as a guiding star for me.