Winged Dreams

As a little boy Shyamal dreamed of flying those magnificent flying machines that take to the skies so gracefully! He would imagine sitting in the cockpit and charting a safe course over land and sea not just for himself but for many others. As he grew up life threw up many challenges not least being disdain from teachers who never understood him. While his father loved Shyamal dearly he harbored a strong desire for him to join the family business.

Throughout his childhood and well into his eventful adolescence Shyamal kept his dream alive. Every time academic pressures threatened to overwhelm him he would retreat into a private world in which he vusialized flying aircraft of all kinds. The boring accountancy classes were the perfect runway from which his fertile imagination took off! Since his heart was in the cockpit and not in the ledger books he neither did well in his BCom exams nor did he succumb to familial pressure to join the well-established business.

The family held intense discussions with Shyamal about his career. Through it all his mother was a refuge of unconditional love and encouragement. As a friend and mentor to the family for over 25 years I was naturally concerned about the imbroglio. At one particular meeting I could see the tension eating into the vitals of the family. But I could also see the passion for flying that was consuming Shyamal.

Having observed him for years while he was growing up I also knew that Shyamal’s motor skills, hand-eye coordination, powers of observation and ability to act decisively made him a natural as a flyer. I also realized that he nurtured a mortal fear of being grounded, in a chair, behind a desk. That was a recipe for disaster!

Shyamal was destined to fly! I was convinced that if he pursued a career in flying Shyamal would metamorphose from an unhappy, brash young man with a devil-may-care attitude into a responsible, mature, super-dependable, balanced, happy and successful professional. I was convinced that this young man was born to fly! Fortunately, that was exactly what I was able to encourage the family to realize too. And so, Shyamal spread his wings!

The transformation was not only amazing; it was as dramatic as it was unbelievable! And, awe-inspiring! Within 2 years, a young man who was academically disinterested during his school and college years studied, mastered and passed literally with flying colours every exam that he needed to take in maths, physics, chemistry, principles of flight, navigation and what have you! From rookie to qualified commercial pilot in 24 months!

While he was at the Baroda Flying Club I ran into Shyamal at the Baroda Airport; that was when I shared my dream with him. I said to him, “ Shyamal, one day, soon, you will fly a state-of-art Boeing 737 as Commander and I will be onboard as a proud passenger.” On 25^th July 2012 that dream was fulfilled when I flew Jetairways 9W 2103 from Mumbai to Kochi with Captain Shyamal Asher in command. I’ll never be happier or prouder during a flight! 

It just proves that if we keep our dreams alive with focus, determination, perseverance and fearlessness the dream is bound to become reality!

Thank you Capt Shyamal Asher for inspiring me!