It's probably like learning to drive a car on the streets of Bangalore. If the controls in the car aren't intimidating enough, the traffic will scare the wits out of you. That's the way it goes when learning to fly a plane. At first it was the controls and flight instruments inside the plane. Then it was the conscious thought that there are other planes flying very close to you and you have to look out all the time. Driving lessons cost INR 2,500/- for 15 hours, and that's about all you need to get a license. Flying lessons cost INR 500,000/- for 70 hours, and that only gets you a Private Pilot License (PPL). Initially it all seems so difficult. Gradually your confidence builds. And then one day, you're comfortable doing that. It's only now that I can say that I am comfortable flying a plane, and it's not as tough as I felt it to be this far.

I would like to acknowledge and thank all those of you who have supported me so far. Even those of you who have spoken to Mom or Dad, they have told me. And to me, it counts. It sure gets lonely here, and when Mom tells me one of you asked after me, it makes me feel very good. Thank you so much. I am ever so grateful. I can only hope that you will continue to give me your blessings and wishes.
The good news is that I managed to get myself to the minimum standards for a PPL flight test. The test is booked for Wednesday 11-OCT-2006 at noon. The test will last about 5 hours. At the end, and if everything goes well, I will be a Private Pilot. And Raj is standing here asking me who my first passenger will be? That's something I've not thought about really. I'll chew over it.

So the last 2 weeks went well. There was a lot more flying with Alistair, and he gave me the recommendation for the flight test. At home, cooking activities have slowed down, and reading has taken slightly higher priority. My roommate Salti got a Hyundai Accent, and he's been driving all over the region. And I get to move around sometimes. Yesterday we went to Fruiticana, the very famous Indian grocery chain here, and picked up a bunch of desi snacks. There's something I hadn't seen in India - barbeque flavored baked corn. It's like masala bhutta, but baked. It's large corn, crispy, and spicy. Irresistible. I also found bhel puri mixture. So that was 2 kilos of corn snacks and a kilo of bhel puri. And what I saw next, I couldn't resist. Jalebis! Life is good. Then I saw this movie Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. I tell you, this was the tear jerker of the year. Or maybe it's just me. This Johar guy, who made the movie, he should get a kick in his backside. Or maybe it's just me. My life is scarred, and this one really pinched me. Powerful, rocking dialogues. Check out this one: "They say that time heals all wounds. But wounds from relationships only get deeper with time. Only get deeper." Yeah, I guess, it's just me.

Next week should be rather exciting. There's Thanksgiving dinner on Monday. Then there's the flight test on Wednesday. And if all goes well, a big party on Friday!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAAA. I'm also going to buy a second-hand airband transceiver. This will be my emergency backup radio, if a situation arises when the radio in the aircraft goes dead. YES, that can happen. And you know what, the radio is your lifeline. It's a good idea to have a backup.

Cheers
Mayur Poddar