Jest a minute, captain

BANGALORE: Death. It is a reality that stalks the fighter pilot every time he climbs into a cockpit. Humour. It is a panacea that keeps him flying, regardless. Flying planes beyond sound barriers is a high-risk vocation. Making them dive, spin, roll and glide in complex formations, is flirting with disaster. But, if you have the skills of these men, you can even take time out to see the funny side of it all.
“Humour is the hallmark of every fighter pilot apart from mental toughness and alertness,� says Wg Cdr N.S.Jamwal of Su-30MKI squadron. Even self-imposed rules like light-food and abstinence from liquor prior to mission time are followed vigorously.
Most pilots admitted that superstition and supersonic speeds don’t race together. But it is the heady mix of jokes during breaks that keeps them going on missions impossible. As Sqn Ldr N.N. Sinha put is: “Pilots don’t look up to skies after a sortie like Saurav Ganguly does after hitting a six. We date with death but it’s the mission that matters to us.�
Most pilots have a nickname like Sqn Ldr Monty, who dished out a memorable crew-room joke, saying humour is part of pilot’s life. “How does the pilot respond to a base call asking: What’s your height now? The answer: Just 5 ft, 6 inches Sir!�
Flt Lt Gourav Tripathi (Trips), the youngest of the Su-30 lot member went on a solo down memory lane to pick the most memorable joke. Having failed in his mission, Trips said: “Most of the humour is related to the calls given in the air. We enjoy it.�
Another pilot said flying is the safest job in the world. “It’s safer than driving in Delhi or Mumbai,� Sqn Ldr A. Srivastav (Ashu) said breaking into the discussion.
Air Commodore Rajesh Lal who trains youg pilots at HQ Training Command says humour fills into areas where you need cushioning. “If you ask any pilot he will admit that humour helps in better bonding,� Lal said, while Wg Cdr Rajesh Kumar who dates the Mirages added: “Bonding helps while flying, because the survivability of one depends on the other. If someone makes a minor error, then we force him to sign up for some blank beers.�
And that’s the ‘spirit’ of flying!