Two years ago, when a 228-Dornier aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed as the first trial flight at the Kannur International Airport, it was Raghunath Nambiar, a native of Kannur, who was in the cockpit that day. On Sunday, when the airport will open for commercial operations, it will be Nambiar’s son Ashwin who will don the role of the First Officer of the first domestic flight landing in Kannur.
On Sunday, Ashwin will be piloting a GoAir flight along with Captain Brijesh Chandra Lal from New Delhi to Kannur, which will be a non-revenue flight. Hours later, he will take charge of a GoAir flight from Kannur to Bengaluru, which will be the first domestic flight taking off from the newly-inaugurated airport.
On phone from New Delhi, Ashwin said it was a proud occasion for him to be one of the first pilots to land at an airport in his hometown.
“It is a proud occasion for me and everyone else in my family. I’m a third generation pilot. My late grandfather was a pilot in the Air Force. My father, currently the Eastern Air Commander of the Indian Air Force posted in Shillong, has also been a pilot. He flew the Dornier 228 aircraft at Kannur. If my grandfather was alive, he would have been extremely proud. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
However, Ashwin following in his father’s footsteps to land an aircraft at Kannur wasn’t really coincidental. Ashwin said when he heard that GoAir was going to be one of the inaugural airlines at Kannur, he personally put in a request to his senior if he could be rostered on a flight on the inaugural day. “I was pretty sure that I was the only First Officer from Kannur who worked in GoAir. I told her that it would be a proud moment for my family if I could be put on the roster that day. Thankfully, she obliged,” he said.
09/12/18 VIshnu Varma/Indian Express
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On Sunday, Ashwin will be piloting a GoAir flight along with Captain Brijesh Chandra Lal from New Delhi to Kannur, which will be a non-revenue flight. Hours later, he will take charge of a GoAir flight from Kannur to Bengaluru, which will be the first domestic flight taking off from the newly-inaugurated airport.
On phone from New Delhi, Ashwin said it was a proud occasion for him to be one of the first pilots to land at an airport in his hometown.
“It is a proud occasion for me and everyone else in my family. I’m a third generation pilot. My late grandfather was a pilot in the Air Force. My father, currently the Eastern Air Commander of the Indian Air Force posted in Shillong, has also been a pilot. He flew the Dornier 228 aircraft at Kannur. If my grandfather was alive, he would have been extremely proud. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
However, Ashwin following in his father’s footsteps to land an aircraft at Kannur wasn’t really coincidental. Ashwin said when he heard that GoAir was going to be one of the inaugural airlines at Kannur, he personally put in a request to his senior if he could be rostered on a flight on the inaugural day. “I was pretty sure that I was the only First Officer from Kannur who worked in GoAir. I told her that it would be a proud moment for my family if I could be put on the roster that day. Thankfully, she obliged,” he said.
09/12/18 VIshnu Varma/Indian Express
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