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karatecatman


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Legendary pilot
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Tata, Kooka, Mathen. They made India proud 
June 3 2006 16:58 IST
INDIAN EXPRESS
T J S George

The animosity between Indira Gandhi and her aunt, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, is one of the open secrets of the Nehru family. Apparently Vijayalakshmi's snobbish contempt for the unsophisticated Kamala, Indira's mother, was not the only reason. As personalities the two women were poles apart.

An unexpected detail from an unexpected source throws light on this difference. Indira Gandhi, after she had become Minister for Information in the 1960s, was found travelling to foreign countries in Air-India's economy class. More than once, Air-India's fabled Captain K.M.Mathen, would go up to her and invite her to take a seat in the first class section. Indira would smile and say: "Thank you, Captain. I prefer sitting here. I feel quite comfortable."

But Captain Mathen had no kind words for Vijayalakshmi Pandit. She was of course a frequent traveller but a seat in the first class section was never enough for her. According to the Captain, she always demanded special facilities in her first class seat.

Apparently, in Mathen's days passengers could take their pet dogs along with them on their seats, something unthinkable today. On one flight, an American passenger's dog was annoying the passenger in the next seat. Polite requests by the crew made no difference because the American was a well-known aviation leader with industrial interests in Bangalore.

Finally the Captain was informed. Mathen quietly approached the American. But the American was the first to speak. "Before you point a finger," he said, "let me remind you who I am. I have dinners with your chief J.R.D."

Captain Mathen replied. "In all humility may I remind you that I have breakfast with Mr.Tata." With that the American was tamed and his dog was leashed with the Stewardess in charge.

Captain Matt Mathen is the subject of a small biographical booklet, "Million Mile Pilot" written by his friend Jaiboy Joseph and published by a London publisher who specialises in informative "quick-read" books. It recalls a past which alas, is lost to us. Mathen and Captain Vishwanathan were the legendary pilots of Air-India in its early years, the period when Bobby Kooka and J.R.D. himself completed the legend from the management side. What a glorious era that was and what a glorious airline Air-India was then.

Mindless policies that followed nationalisation turned Air-India into another bureaucratic government department. In the hands of muddling ministers like Gulam Nabi Azad and C.M.Ibrahim, it plumbed newer and newer depths of disgrace, becoming known as an airline where Indians were treated as third class citizens and where even white men, despite the lavish services extended to them, complained too often about lack of on-board cleanliness. That reputation is still there because bureaucracy is still there.

For the first time Praful Patel has brought to civil aviation a badly-needed face lift. He has the panache required of an aviation minister. But Air-India will be saved only if it is freed from IAS types who sit in administrative chairs. The babu mentality at leadership levels has turned even the "competitively priced" Air-India Express into an avaricious airline that squeezes passengers when the rush season begins. Usually it's the impecunious Gulf passengers who are badly hit. But the "national airline" couldn't care less.

Perhaps final and complete de-nationalisation -- which would mean professionals replacing IASwallas -- may give Air-India a bit of the glamour it enjoyed in the forties and the fifties. But only a bit of it. For the likes of JRD and Kooka and Mathen won't be found again.

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vivekman


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A nice article. Very true that Air India has really deteriorated with time. A delay of 35-40 min is regarded as "normal" by AI staff.


And the lesser said about the on-board cleanliness, the better.



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the_380


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Quoting


A nice article. Very true that Air India has really deteriorated with time. A delay of 35-40 min is regarded as "normal" by AI staff.


35-40 mins is less a pilot of AI who joined spice told me that a delay of 1 hr was usual if flights were on time then there was "something wrong"



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karatecatman


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AI pilot joining Spice?


 



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the_380


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yes 2-3 of them did (Air-India Exp) but later they were back to IX

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karatecatman


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AI Express!


There were lots who went from Air Sahara to AIExp and then back. Hit the flight schedules.


 



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HAWK21M


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If the Delay is Technical,its Ok as long as the PAX are briefed & taken care of.


regds


MEL



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vivekman


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Most of the delays these days are due to aircraft shortage and tighter turnarounds.

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the_380


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...and airport delays in places like BOM and DEL

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Bhargavi


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Flight delays are the most normal thing to happen. One of the important reasons is lack of infrastructure. Single runway in Indian condition and also the equipement upgradation at ATC tower is a recdnt happening.


Long way to work towards decreasing flight delays.


Somebody said time is precious- howmuch in case of flight delays?


 



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VictorTango


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Bhargavi wrote:

 Somebody said time is precious- howmuch in case of flight delays?  

Like a BOM-Pune 1/2 hour flight getting delayed by 4 hours, when you can get to Pune by road in less than 3 hrs.


It's kills to work at the airport in a situation like this.


BTW Bhargavi ...Welcome onboard..


Olly



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Bhargavi


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thanks Olly for the welcome note.


That's the paradox of high flying :)



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