Spreading New Wings

“Flying gives you a different kind of high altogether. On my first flight,I felt like a bird up in the sky,” he shares with a smile. Every time that he soars up in his L-23 Super Blanik glider,he views his city in a different way. “It is sheer bliss to get a glimpse of Pune from the sky with its sprawling buildings and grounds,” he adds. Nervousness was not a part of his first flight. “I made sure that I fully understood all the technicalities. Once that knowledge was in place,confidence followed automatically. Flying was always a passion for me; I never viewed it with a nervous eye,” he said.

On completing 25 flights with two hours of flying at a stretch everyday,Kokate will be a licensed pilot. “I want to fly for pleasure once I am licensed,” he says.

Kokate’s teachers,station-in-charge Captain Shailesh Charbhe and honorary instructor Srinivas Nyayapathi,are all praise about this senior enthusiast in their group. “He never complained about being grouped with the youngsters or about day-long practice sessions. He was given no special treatment despite his age and he didn’t mind this,” says Captain Charbhe. A one-to-one training is provided to the students. “We are never lenient in the cockpit,” adds Nyayapathi.

Apart from the senior-most trained pilot,the centre has also produced Ruchira Gore,the youngest pilot of the country. “I am thankful to the centre for giving people an opportunity to explore a unique field. And age should not be the limit to pursue it,” says Kokate. “To register here,one only needs to be medically fit and above 16 years of age,” says Nyayapathi.