Meltdown grounds aspiring pilots' plan to hit pay dirt

Mumbai: Twenty-year-old Akshay Mishra was set to fly high after graduating from an Australian pilot training academy and procuring an Indian
commercial pilot’s licence to back it up. But, three months down the line, he is busy preparing to sell ad spots at cricket grounds for the ongoing India-versus-England series.
Aspiring pilot Mishra ended up as a sales representative in an advertising firm after a seemingly endless wait for things to improve. “But I couldn’t wait any longer and sit idle at home waiting for times to change,” the youngster said. “I have been waiting for almost three months to get a call. But I don’t expect it any time soon,” he added.
The sheen of an airline job seems to have faded with many young pilots trying to cope with the “what-to-do-next” question. Some like Mishra (his name has been changed) are considering alternative career choices but many are going back to books to secure a degree. “I am enjoying my stint in advertising for now. But I will go for a proper degree, which will hold me in good stead in the long run,” Mishra said.
Many of his friends who have not got a job because of lack of qualifications-most joined pilot-training academies abroad right after Std XII-are now turning to books. The turmoil in the aviation industry seems to have wakened them up to the need for traditional degrees.
But there are others who are now looking forward to specialising in aviation itself. They are looking out for courses like a BSc in aviation offered by Mumbai University. A Delhi-based trainee, who missed his chance to enrol in the current batch because of his Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) licence exam, is waiting for the next batch.
21/10/08 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India