Up in the air

Bangalore: In a crisp white shirt bearing three stripes on the shoulders, a contrasting pair of trousers ironed religiously the previous night and a tie clasp that pompously flaunts the symbol of his airline, he walks into Bangalore airport at five am everyday. He is one of those people who can’t afford to miss even a single flight. However habituated he is to the custom of waking up as early as 2.30 am to reach the far-flung airport an hour before the first flight of the day, Alex still makes sure that his wristwatch reads sharp 15 minutes into the future. “Pilots are supposed to be punctual people,” he asserts.
For a pilot, contrary to belief, the day is not always in the air. Preparations start on the ground, right from the time he wakes up in the morning and the moment he switches off his bedside lamp, that’s when he realises he is through with his duty for the day.
As soon as he steps into the airport, Alex, like any other passenger, checks in his baggage and goes through the security gates, before moving to the dispatch section where pilots wait before they take the skies. “We undergo a medical check up before the first flight we take everyday,” notes Alex. A random alcohol test is also carried out.
It’s in the dispatch room that he is briefed by the airlines on the weather conditions, the number of passengers and the route. “The worst time to fly in the country is during the monsoon,” he says. But that’s when experience and training come in. “And that’s why there are two pilots in a plane — a first officer and a captain. Two sets of hands are better than one. Mistakes are dangerous.
So we double and even triple check whatever we do. We are responsible for the life of the passengers,” he explains.
07/04/10 Ponnu Elizabeth Mathew/ExpressBuzz