Journalism of Courage
He retired as the deputy director,Higher Education,Maharashtra state only to get into the shoes of a student again. An example of sheer self-confidence and the urge to pursue a childhood passion. Meet 61-year-old Laxman Kokate who is the oldest gliding pilot being trained at the Gliding Centre,Pune under the Director General of Civil Aviation. He flew solo for the first time on January 25.
Kokate always harboured a secret dream of becoming a pilot someday. He was in the education department of the Indian Air Force from 1974 to 1994. I would fly to places for duty but could never sit on the pilot’s seat until now, says Kokate who left the Indian Air Force to explore other fields of work. Kokate was chosen as a class one officer in the Higher Education department of the government of Maharashtra. I registered myself with the Pune Gliding Centre a week after my retirement in 2009, Kokate adds.
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.
