Chapter 1: Flashback

Welcome to Air Dash, where adventures meet the horizon and dreams take flight. 

Step into the world of unparalleled luxury and seamless travel with the sky. 

Our dedicated and friendly crew is here to ensure your journey is nothing short of extraordinary. 

Relax in our spacious cabins and indulge in delicious meals, crafted to tantalise your taste buds.

Embrace a view from above like never before, as Air Dash takes you on an unforgettable journey. 

Reach for the skies with Air Dash… where dreams take flight. 

Carl Richard Friedman

CEO, Air Dash

"Bullocks, the skies are beautiful cause we're working our asses off overtime. Remind me why I'm still here waiting in the Skywest Lounge for some kid to show up."

"Sir…?"

"Who the hell did you call… well, I'll be damned"

"Myself Ri-Ri-Rishab, sir. Rishab Harikumar. It's an h-h-h-honour to be flying with you, today"

"You're half an hour late, the flight's supposed to be boarding in 20 minutes" 

"Sorry sir, there was a little de-de-de-delay.."

"Don't sorry my ass, man. Air Dash has an on time policy or you're out of the company. You feel me ?" 

"Yes.. si-sir.."

"Don't call me, sir. Let's move"

I had never met him prior to that. My mentor, Captain Rick Jonas, was a former pilot who was well-known for responding quickly to emergencies while flying. Along with several significant exploits while serving as an avionics engineer in the New Brunworth Air Force, his notable achievement involved landing a commercial jet utilising only the front landing gear after traction control was lost while descending on a private airstrip in Rudensberg. He was described to me by my peers at Horizon as frequently tough and retaining many of his military attributes, making him challenging to deal with but too valuable to lose. 

My name is Rishab Harikumar, by the way. I am an Indian who was raised in New Brunworth and graduated from UBT (University of Brunworth Tech) with a degree in aeronautical engineering. I spent five years as a project engineer at Horizon Aerosystems while saving money for the piloting course at Aerofly Academy, one of the top flying schools in the country. Even though it didn't seem to matter that I graduated from UBT, they still requested an interview, which made me anxious because I had a stutter, something Horizon was gracious enough to forgive when I was hired but also cautioned me to get fixed. Even though I had excellent grades and a strong resume, my parents always worried that my stutter would make it difficult for me to live a fulfilling life. Fortunately for me, however, people seemed to accept me for who I was rather than criticise me for my flaws. Papa would disagree, however, and we would argue. 

I remember waiting outside the screening room of AeroFly, nervous and cold, attempting to correct my speech when a tall gentleman walked up to me.

"Is there anything I can get you, sir ?"

He was a security guard at the entrance and noticed me dripple with sweat as I waited for my turn.

"Oh, I- I'm f-f-fi-fine, th-th-thank you. Just…. ne-ne-nervous"

"You're here for the interview ?"

"Y-yeah"

"Don't worry, you got it. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know"

He smiled and walked away.

I felt good about myself instantly until the receptionist decided to spoil the moment by announcing my name over the PA system. 

"Mr. Rishab, please proceed to room 303" 

Once again, I started to feel anxious walking down the corridor to Room 303. 

What if they don't pick me ? Will my stutter be the reason for that ? Will I be embarrassed ? I should probably cancel the appointment and walk away. I want to go but I don't want to go. What is wrong with me ? It's too late. It's too late to walk away now. 

"May I c-co-come in, sir ?"

"Yes"

All I could feel were butterflies in my stomach as I waited for permission to be seated. 

"Please sit" 

My heart rate came down, but my hands were wet. 

"How are you feeling today ?"

"G-g-go-good, sir"

"I understand that you have a bit of a stutter" 

This was it. I knew there'd be no possibility of making it into AeroFly but at least, I wasn't asked to leave the room just yet so maybe there was hope ? Probably 3 % or 5 % ? I don't know, the chances looked slim. 

"You have a pretty impressive résume. Mind if you tell me why you want to join the academy ?" 

"My dad w-w-wa-was a cab driver and when I was little, he'd pick me up from school and take me past Kesling In-In-International. At that ti-i-i-ime, I'd get excited watching p-p-pl-planes take off and land. So we'd wait for an hour outside the terminal gate and do a bit of plane sp-spo-spotting together and as I got older, my interest grew deeper when I started to play on the flight si-sim-simulator at home so, that's how I figured that… this is where I want to be. In the cockpit, that is" 

I nervously chuckled. 

"But you do know, this is just beyond the simulator right..?"

"Ye-e-ee-es sir, I'm fully aware"

"If you wanted to be a pilot, why'd you study engineering ?" 

"As you can say, I have a stutter and my Dad wasn't confident about the scope of being a pilot so I applied to UBT. Got in, had a great ti-ii-ime learning and here I am"

"Is piloting your dream or your father's dream ?"

"It's mine, si-i-ir. It's everything I've dreamed of since I was 8."

There was an awkward silence in the room as the interviewer glanced through my resumé in the hope of finding new questions but to my surprise, he looked at me and said:

"Thank you for coming by, you can go." 

I left the room with a range of emotions. I didn't feel as confident as I did when I left the Horizon interview, for some reason. When the security guard informed me that my interview lasted only 12 minutes, even the slightest chance was reduced to zero. He grinned and expressed optimism about my enrollment, but I secretly thought it was the last time I would ever see him. 

That night, my colleague from Horizon, Roger, invited me to the Shalkand County Tavern at Crunswick for a drink. Even if I don't drink, I'd still go to catch a breath of fresh air. 

"You had a shitty day, huh ?"

"Don't a-as-ask. All I dreamed of was being a pilot and I fucked up so here I am, standing with your glass of beer and ranting to you.."

Roger chuckled. 

"Maybe you should have it."

"I'm sorry, what ?"

"Go ahead, man. Take a shot."

"Nah, I can't do it. Ethanol kills brain cells."

"Really ?"

I nodded in disapproval, watching Roger play pool but maybe, he was right. What if a glass of beer actually did wonders in letting me forget everything ? Sure, it's still unhealthy but maybe once in a while, it wouldn't be so bad, right?

"Hey Roger"

He looked at me. 

"Cheers."

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about" Roger cheered.

Over the following half-hour, several drinks were consumed, and Roger was so drunk that he couldn't stop ranting about how his ex had cheated on him since they had a long-distance relationship and lived in two different cities. Things were fun until we realised we didn't have enough money for a Ryde and we couldn't use the car for fear of being arrested for drunk driving, leaving us with little choice but to walk home. 

Walking back was amusing because Roger was so out of control that he puked on someone's front door and we had to flee or else, we'd be caught. Since I honestly don't know how we got home, I won't tell you how we got there. All I remember was jumping into bed without a care in the world as soon as I entered the room, without changing into clean clothes or grooming myself. 

The next morning, I got a call from an unknown number claiming to be from the Academy.

"Mr. Rishab, the Academy would like to have a word with you in person, can you please drop by, today ?" 

I called Roger to cover for me at work and hurried to the Academy within an hour of waking up as my pulse raced with excitement. 

"Hi, my name is Rishab Harikumar, I got a call to be at the Academy this morning and.."

"Mr. Rishab!"

The security guard called. 

"This way please" 

My hands were wet as I followed the guard to room 303, covered in perspiration from all the running. 

"Morning, Mr. Rishab. Please have a seat."

I took a seat, waiting for the interviewer to join me. 

"Let me start by letting you know... We all agree that you are the ideal candidate for our program, but I have to acknowledge that your stutter might be a disadvantage when you enter the room for interviews with airline firms. To them, it's critical that you speak well because a pilot's duties can extend beyond simply flying the aircraft to making announcements. I hope you understand what I mean."

"Ye-ee-es sir"

"Good. Now, if you still want to be a part of our programme then, I need you to sign an agreement with the institute so that you don't hold us responsible for being considered ineligible for placements. Does that.. sound fair to you, Mr. Rishab ?" 

"Can I-uh… Can I have a minute to think ?"

"Sure"

I left the room feeling perplexed yet again. Papa was a cab driver, so I didn't think he was very smart, but I also knew he would be right if he gave me advice, even though I didn't think he was. He would always be correct in some way, no matter how many times we argued. 

"Tell me, Rishab. It's been sometime since we spoke."

"Yeah Papa, there's… the-ther-there's something I have to tell you. I go-go-got into Aerofly, Papa. I k-k-kno-know you said to let it go but.. I couldn't s-st-stop dreaming of it when I was in college and even after joining Horizon, it kept occurring to me, more.. and more. 

I gave it a try and… I-I-got through the interview but n-no-now, they're saying that my stutter alone can't guarantee placements for me and if that happens, th-the-then I can't hold them responsible. "

"So, what is your point now ?"

"Th-they want me t-to sign an agreement."

"Oh…."

"Wh-wha-what should I do, Papa ?"

"Rishab, although I'm not sure about the employment, I will at least be content that my son enjoyed doing something out of enthusiasm because this has been his ambition. Therefore, if you believe it will make you happy, go for it."

Hearing those words, tears started to roll. 

"Th-tha-thank you, Papa"

"Go, Rishab. Spread your wings and fly"

I eagerly walked to the room when the call ended and signed the contract there. 

"Welcome to AeroFly, Mr. Rishab. Classes start at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Better not be late"

The Academy's training program began on June 15th, 2015. Classes were in session from 9 till 5 and included theory, simulations, practicals, and tests after each. 

Roger was thrilled for me even though I had quit my position at Horizon, which left him feeling a little sad. Everything went smoothly up until the practical exercises that involved takeoffs and landings

I was good at taking off correctly, but for some reason I could never land properly because I would either overshoot the runway alignment or descend with too much airspeed. Due to my tendency to stammer, the ground communication would frequently complain about radio frequency distortions each time I requested permission to take off or land. My instructors made it a point to address this issue in class by using the ongoing example of the 2008 disaster at Verna Airport involving an Azurejet and Welkin Air jumbo jet. 

For those of you who are unaware, two jumbo jet passenger planes crashed on the runway at Verna Airport on the coast of Haydon city on April 14th, 2008, causing a catastrophe that went down as one of the deadliest accidents in aviation history. When Azurejet Flight 1308 was still on the runway, Welkin Air Flight 7805 began its takeoff, running into the latter and causing an explosion that was brought on by a tragic series of circumstances and inadequate communication that claimed the lives of 548 individuals in all. 

 The aircraft used for training at the academy was known as a Skyliner. It was a general aviation aircraft that cadets used for hands-on training because it was a scaled-down replica of a commercial aircraft with a cutting-edge turboprop engine that could manage slower flight speeds and softer landings. Although flying was enjoyable, the task of controlling this aircraft was challenging sometimes. Even the smallest of the components that made up the aircraft always had the potential for something to go wrong. 

I still recall the darkest moment of my training when the Skyliner I was flying skidded off the runway and nearly crashed into the maintenance bay, hurting both the instructor and me. After a brief period of unconsciousness, I lost consciousness and couldn't recall what happened till I heard the sound of ambulances and fire engines rushing me to the Aerofly medical centre.

After a few hours, I woke up to discover Mumma crying while holding my hand and Roger comforting her from behind. She called for Papa the moment I regained consciousness and they were relieved to see me.

"What happened to me?"

"You had an accident, beta. The doctor said there's nothing to worry about and you'll be fine in a couple of days."

"What about the instructor…?

"Get some rest, beta. Don't strain yourself."

"No, I wa-wan-want to know what happened to him…"

"Beta, get some rest. We will talk later."

"Rishab, it's going to be okay, man. J-Just calm down"

"I don't get it, Roger, what's going to be okay..?"

The nurse drugged me, and I once again lost consciousness before I had a chance to ask any more questions. A few hours later, though, I heard them mumbling. 

"Hari, we cannot let him know about this… he'll be hurt"

"Sushma, if we don't tell him… the Academy will let him know at some point. He can't go through that"

"MA! PAPA! Where is the instructor !?"

Papa came close and held my hand.. 

"Your instructor… passed away, beta" 

(Indians refer to their male children in Hindi as "beta.")