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Bhubaneswar, Aug 30: A pilot training centre in the city is helping out youngsters who dream to fly, literally.
“I was only 10 the first time I travelled in an airplane. By the time the flight landed, I had made up my mind to become a pilot,” said 19-year-old Kaneez Fatima, a trainee pilot. Giving wings to her dreams is Government Aviation Training Institute (Gati), Bhubaneswar.
Gati was formed in 1946 for the ground training of the country’s commercial pilots. It was then known as the Orissa Flying Club, which was merged with the Orissa Government Aviation Department in 1974. However, Gati stopped functioning in 2005 due to lack of instructors and remained defunct till 2008. In 2009, Gati resumed its operations with three batches per year. The course lasts between 18 and 24 months.
Fatima, who has come all the way from Leh, learnt about Gati from the internet and got in touch with the institute. She said: “I applied for a scholarship since the training involves a lot of money. If I become a pilot, I’ll be the second woman from Leh to achieve the feat,” said Fatima.
Bidyashree Satapathy, the only girl student of first batch of Gati 2009, said: “I could not have taken up this profession had it not been for my father’s support. Unless one has a strong financial and moral back-up, it is difficult to pursue flying as the course fee is around Rs 22 lakh.”
In spite of the huge amount of money involved, many youngsters are drawn to the profession. The first batch of Gati started with only three students, after which it has only witnessed a surge in the number of application from the second batch onwards. At present there are 108 students including 14 girls from almost every part of the country. Twenty-one students belonging to SC/ST categories are here on national scholarships.
But scholarships or not, there are others who believe in aiming for the sky, literally, no matter what that involves. Twenty-year-old Harshit Malhotra from Chandigrah is one such aspirant. “My parents sold our house to ensure that money was no obstacle for my career. The bank loan was not enough to cover the course fees,” said Harshit. “Not only is there respect and honour in this profession, it also entails a lot of responsibility,” he added.
Rishi Badode gave up a career in animation because he wanted to fly. “I realised my true calling was in becoming a pilot,” said Rishi. Captain M.S. Mander, flight instructor in-charge, said: “With the Indian economy on the boom, aviation sector, the fastest mode of transport, is bound to come up. Youngsters are getting attracted to this profession.”
