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A question I often ask young cadets at Chimes is – “Why did you decide to become a Pilot?”. The answer is usually a strong indicator of how that cadet’s training journey is likely to turn out, because the strongest differentiator between a great outcome and an average one is clarity of purpose, or the “why” of a decision.

There’s a fantastic TED talk on this topic by Simon Sinek called The Golden Circle. Sinek observes that we spend too much time focusing on the “how” and the “what”, with very little reflection on the “why”. And that’s where most people go wrong because in the end, it is clarity of purpose that leads to perseverance against the odds, stretch efforts and discipline, all of which go on to create great long-term outcomes in all fields of work.

A career as a commercial pilot is a challenging one. You will be spending blocks of time away from home, fighting your circadian rhythm, hopping from one city to another with your schedule largely determined by someone else. You may be flying on Sundays, national holidays or even on Diwali or New Year’s Day. You might end up missing your kid’s birthday or your anniversary as you got rostered on that day or you had to fill in for someone else who fell sick. You’ll need to work with unwavering focus and be extremely disciplined, as you’ll (literally) have the lives of a few hundred people in your hands every time you take to the air. Amidst all the glamour and financial success associated with a career as a commercial pilot, there is a lot to endure that is not quite so glamorous.

If you’re in it just for the money or the glitz or because your family pushed you into it or because “piloting is the new engineering”, you’ll struggle to succeed - or for that matter, to even complete your training. It’s no surprise that scores of young cadets drop out of CPL programs midway each year, after having burned through a lot of money.

On the bright side - if your “why” is clear, you’ll wind up living the life of your dreams in your cabin in the sky! Some positive drivers are: a passion for flying and for aviation in general, a deep desire to explore new places, and as a strong sense of pride in your role of connecting people across geographies. As a wise person rightfully said, “love what you do and you won’t have to work a day in your life”. The best pilots are those who love what they do and take great pride in their work. That love automatically drives the focus, discipline and efforts that the role entails.

So dear Cadet, before you begin this arduous journey, introspect! It won’t be easy, and you’ll need a strong “why” to anchor you during the turbulent times.

Wishing you all the best.
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Aniruddha Bose

Vice President - Operations

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