Flying

Flying
Posted on June 7, 2011 

I was very fond of flying.
I could have ended up as a good Flying Officer (not a fighter pilot) and I had all the right ingredients but I came close to it.

The day my father took a flight to India on good old Air Ceylon (Avro, I believe) and watched the the take off from the Air Control Tower, I new I was going to fly a lot.
I never told anybody especially my father (he would have never allowed me) but did my own survey and found that it was humanly possible for me to break in without a big connection.
I gave up that idea.
However, even though I did biology I made it a point to offer applied mathematics (I was very good in my mathematics and in fact I beat all the maths students from my biology class) and mathematics, in case one day fortune favours me.

Then of course moment I passed out and confirmed in service I applied for Volunteer Air force but I was not enlisted.

I had all the qualifications including physical and sports and was sure of getting enlisted.
When final selection came guy who was almost one foot short was selected and I was not even called for the interview.
Then when I did my own search and I found that somebody had a hand in not forwarding  my application to the board.

Not only that somebody was enlisted without maths and applied mathematics (he was unceremoniously thrown out later after having being in Uniform for many years). I do not know who instigated his fall but I made a decision I will chuck the Government Service moment I finish my compulsory service, which I did with my father’s vehement protest.

That decision I always cherish and three months after the compulsory service I left the service for good saying myself I will never join it again.
I had been in service I would have ended up in a regrettable high post where corrupt practices are the norm.

The cost of my first flight to UK one way was less than Rs.4000/= and luckily for me  by then my brother who scooted off before me without a red cent in his hand was very well settled abroad and not married too.
It took another almost five years for me to get all the training in accident and emergency service to qualify to become a flying doctor (before I changed my course radically to enter academic sphere) and my last job abroad had a quota of flying doctor and doctor for horse racing (I liked horse racing more than flying) if I was not otherwise engaged officially.

But before that I have flown from Northern Hemisphere to Southern Hemisphere on my own money and I never got a free ticket or a free ride but I never could qualify as a frequent flyer like most of the Arabs and American CEOs.

What could not dream here in spite all qualifications I could do it in a foreign country down under.

Funnily enough now I hate flying mainly because of the pricing of the tickets which has not come down in spite of stock market crisis and fall.
 

I always flew on my own money and never ever taken a red cent (I am entitled) from government coffers unlike our MP who go on entourage (rather pilgrimage) and make a mess out of our foreign affairs.

That is something my family is very proud of.
 

It is  shame to fly on public money and that is a norm today.