ONE TIME LIFE EXPERIENCE

ONE TIME LIFE EXPERIENCE

It was three o clock in the noon , the sun was scorching bright and I got a call from my CO ”Get ready for your first flight “ I was nervous very nervous ,and a little bit scared I wont deny that ,but above all I was excited. Excited for my very first flying experience.

I gave a quick read to the instructions to be followed in air and reached my unit. I was given a flying suit and boots to wear. I quickly got ready and reached the airport along with another cadet and sir. I saw the aircraft MICROLIGHT VIRUS SW 80 and I remember the first question I asked my Co was “How are we going to fit in this little aircraft?” and he laughed and said “You’ll see yourself”.

I was nervous and excited to take off, sir wore his set of headphones and I wore mine, harness was tightened and doors were closed, checks were done, and we were ready, ready to fly. We informed the RT and lined up.  As Air Traffic Control (ATC) was giving us instructions, my heart beats rose up little bit more. We started approaching the run way and my CO asked me “Are you ready, my child?” I took a deep breath and said “Yes sir”. The moment I said yes, sir pushed the throttle, raised the speed and within few seconds we were in the air. That day I felt gravity, and were defying it.

We were 700 ft high, speed within 65-70 km, and at that moment I was literally “in the sky”. I saw birds below me flying and chirping. I saw my city below me and clouds near me. We flew between those clouds, I was watching them pass by, the moment was totally mesmerizing. I never wanted to come down and just wanted to fly, fly high and high.

Twenty minutes passed by me enjoying my ride and sir asked me “Are you having fun?” I said yes sir excitingly, he replied, “Now you’ll handle the aircraft “. My heart beat rose up again, but I was eager to handle the aircraft all by myself. I was now the in charge and joystick was in my hand. I did some maneuvers and maintained balance, that was my job, to maintain the balance, my Commanding Officer was impressed and said “I want to see you flying the fighter jets someday, I know you will.” I was honored by the words, but sadly I replied, ” Sir I am sorry But I am not eligible for that”. That day I regretted not taking up physics and math. While saying that my eyes got filled with tears because I knew how much I am going to miss this day, I was going to miss being pilot, being able to fly, I was going to miss all of that.

I knew that, this flight is my first and last flight I am ever going to pilot in. I wanted to feel each and every moment of that one-hour flight and I did. Maybe the reason behind me valuing that opportunity was that I knew its my first and last chance. I will fly again but never as a pilot, most probably I’ll never even get the chance to sit in a cockpit. Wonder if we value each and every opportunity that comes into our life like I valued mine, because that opportunity was never going to come back. It was NCC that provided me that opportunity, and I am going to cherish that forever.

 I realized that we don’t value opportunities in our life the way they should be valued, we always think we have tomorrow, but we forget how important each and every moment is, how much each and every day matters. We forget that this particular moment is never going to come back, this day will never be repeated, once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

So just give your best shot at whatever you’re doing. Enjoy every second because its never going to come back, Value the things you have because someone might be praying for those things’ day and night. Work hard for your dreams achieve your goals. Respect your opportunities then only they’ll respect you. Just remember your hard work will always pay off, if not today maybe tomorrow.

 Thank You

Bharti Sharma