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Sky isn't the limit!

Captain Saudamini Deshmukh, Deputy General Manager, Indian, has many firsts to her credit

FLYING HIGH Captain Saudamini Deshmukh PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

On board an aircraft, how often have you paid attention to the voice of the captain announcing details about the flight? Well, next time, maybe you should. For it could be a woman in the cockpit. And that could well be Captain Saudamini Deshmukh, Deputy General Manager, Indian (formerly Indian Airlines).

Capt. Deshmukh has many firsts to her credit. She was the first woman in 1985 to become a check-pilot on a Fokker-27. Then, she went on to captain an all-woman crew on a Boeing 737 from Calcutta to Silchar in 1989. Then, in 1994, she became Captain on Airbus-A-320, and in 1995, in another first, she captained the airbus with an all-woman crew. And to top it all, she's the first woman to occupy the chair of deputy general manager (Operations). So what made the Science and General Law graduate, who had a comfortable bank job, take to the skies? "My childhood dream. I always wanted to be among the clouds," said the Captain during a snappy interview.

She continued, "Since my father could not afford it at that point, I temporarily gave up my dream and took up a bank job. When I could afford it, I started taking flying lessons at a private club. After paying Rs. 25 per hour and completing 250 hours of mandatory flying, I got my commercial pilot's licence."

Added advantage

Capt. Deshmukh landed a job with Indian Airlines in 1980 as a commercial pilot. Did she face any discrimination? Pat comes the reply, "I was never treated differently because I was a woman."

She also trained with pilots from the Ninety-Nines Inc., an international organisation of women pilots in the U.S.. "I got to live with these women and train under them.

It taught me much more than just the nitty-gritties of controlling an aircraft," she reminisces. The organisation conferred the `Achievement Award' on Capt. Deshmukh.

As for the records she has set, she says, "The first all-woman flight on the Fokker was sheer coincidence. My co-pilot was Nivedita Bhasin, the youngest pilot in civil aviation. But the Boeing flight was planned to the last detail. It was an exhilarating experience."

Explaining the difference between the two aircrafts, she says, "A Fokker is a small two-engine turbo, while a Jet is a high-powered aircraft. To fly a Boeing, I took a six-week course that included ground classes, simulator and actual flying. Once you are behind the controls, size doesn't matter."

Stiff competition

With the Indian skies opening up to private airlines, the Government outfit faced stiff competition.

What are her views on the issue? "It's a good move. Our service has improved a lot. Competition has made a difference in the way we operate. Plans are afoot to introduce flights to the U.S. and the U.K." Today, the organisation has more than 12 women piloting aircraft across various sectors.

For aspiring women pilots, she says the options are many. There are several private flying clubs across the country. There is also the Indira Gandhi Udan Academy, where one can undergo formal training.

What's that one overpowering emotion that Capt. Deshmukh experiences when she enters the cockpit and takes control of the aircraft? "Joy. Absolute Joy."

SAVITHA GAUTAM

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