SOAR IN THE SKY

Captain Karan Singh walked the aerobridge path with a spring in his feet. He was greeted with a warm handshake as he entered the big Jumbo airliner. This was a dream come true for Karan Singh. He had risen to be the Captain of one of the largest commercial airliner in the World. He entered the freshly prepared cockpit and welcomed his crew as they closed inside the jumbo. The plane got loaded and soon enough the ATC gave all clear to Captain Karan to roll down the plane till the far end of the runway for a take-off. Karan had been a passionate Pilot and had thousands of hours in his log book for various types of aircraft. He saw the weight sheet of the jumbo under his Command, did his trim calculations and rolled the jumbo down the tarmac. On a thumbs up RT call from the ATC, Karan throttled up the massive jet’s engines and began the run down the runway. With deft controls, Karan pulled the joystick backwards and the plane’s nose lifted for a smooth take off. His co-pilot congratulated him and the jumbo began its climb to the designated altitude. The thrust of the engines kept the plane on its course and it continued to soar in the sky. Captain Karan Singh had soared in the sky to achieve his passion- Fly a Jumbo Airliner.

         

As the plane moved, air flowing around the wings created the lift. The lift increases as the plane gathers speed. The plane takes off once there's enough lift to overtake gravity. When the plane's in the air, thrust from the engines pushes the plane forward. The Pilot in Command sets the Course and the plane moves on the designated path to reach the desired destination. Karan Singh had taken all the correct actions to get airborne in his dream-liner. He had achieved this dream with the dint of his hard work and focused approach. After all flying a plane is a passion and no passion comes to reality with a lot of hard work and focused approach. As Karan settled the plane to its designated flight path, his mind brought back the memories of his journey to this day.

         

Born in a village of a remote town, Karan was the eldest amongst his 2 other siblings. His father was a soldier with the Indian Army. Shuttling their lives between occasional stay with his father whilst on peace station postings, Karan had lived with a dream to fly an airplane. He would watch the airplanes in the sky as a young lad and chase their flight paths on the ground. His mother, though from humble rural background, noted the spark in young Karan. She would excitedly call out his name when an airplane zipped the skies above their home. The peace posting with the Army brought Karan’s father to New Delhi. This gave Karan an opportunity to see the airplanes as they took off and landed. A bright student, his passion for flying itched him to scale better results and Karan would be the leader in his class. With every success, he would look up towards the sky and plunge for another milestone.

         

The circumstances of his family and his father’s military income was meager. Time had come where a bold decision was to be taken by the family to support Karan’s dream. Karan’s younger siblings had also followed their elder brother’s path. His younger brother cleared the competitive exam of the Military School and moved on to a stable education path with limited expenses. His sister was also sharp in her studies and aimed to be a Doctor. Calculating the future of his children, Karan’s father decided to hang his Military Uniform to plough back his accumulated benefits and begin the life of a pensioner. The decision was not easy as he had to leave a life that he had begun as a young and raw recruit of 17 years of age with the Indian Army. Moving in and out of field and peace postings had not enabled the family to own a stable home other than the shared ancestral home in the remote village. The village greens had taken the shape of concrete dwellings as the nearest town emerged as the hub of a throbbing pharmaceutical industry. Karan’s father finally hung his Uniform as Karan was about to finish his graduation. The monetary benefits accrued over the years vanished in thin air as Karan signed on the dotted lines to train as a Pilot. There were tears in his eyes as he hugged his parents before catching a flight out of the country to train as a pilot. As the airplane ran down the tarmac, Karan clenched his fists to return home successful.

          

The life began a new turn for Karan’s family as his father and mother returned back to their roots to wait for the future’s turn. The Veteran had no option but to move on with a second job to support his family’s needs. Karan’s father had led a disciplined life with honesty, integrity and commitment to the Nation’s cause. The local industry had a few jobs to offer and Karan’s father had not much choices. Skills sets become a complex word for job seekers in their middle ages. There are not many takers for Veterans and exploitation of humans is rampant. As is the trend, Karan’s father joined a small Company in the town near his village in the Security Department. The Veterans have had a say in the field of unflinching Security towards the Nation and the first opportunity arises in the same field post hanging the Military Uniform. The meagre pension had to be augmented to meet the growing family demands and to meet the challenges of wavering economy. As his children toiled in their respective arenas, Karan’s father began giving his best in his second career too.

          

Time flew by even as struggles continued. Finally, Karan got back with his flying certification and commenced his life as a trainee pilot. The sacrifices of his father and the reason for taking a pre-mature retirement to arrange funds for his training were not lost on Karan. His vow to do better than the best was more firm now and he followed his dream with unflinching passion. His time to repay back to his parents had begun. As Karan climbed to the designated altitude and shaped the plane’s course to its destination, his mind ran the entire flurry of life as it gone by for him. He had not forgotten his father’s sacrifice and his ever smiling mother who willingly relocated every time the Nation invoked the call of duty. The passion of soaring the sky in turn meant that each one of the family members had to soar in the sky to achieve Karan’s aim. Karan felt tears building up as his plane cruised using the thrust of its powerful engines and the various parts responding to the massive thrust. Inside the cabin, all was stable and calm whilst outside the temperatures plummeted many notches below dead zero.

         

It is not easy to soar in the sky and behind every successful human there are many unsung humans. These unsung humans pay a heavy price to ensure that the passions of the individual are scaled successfully. How many get their due rewards when the individual they have strived for soars in the sky? Not many would be able to recall that they were ever thanked by those humans who climbed upon big shoulders to scale their aims. The corollary is also true- it is not easy to sacrifice one’s life to support someone else’s dreams. Both the sides of the coin reflect one message- It requires guts to reach the glory. The supporter and the supported both end up reaching the peak of their respective destinations, one who gains touches Zenith and the one who sacrifices touches Nadir. The gap between the two needs a bridge and that is where the sky kisser has to help the broad shoulders which launched the journey.

         

Many a soldiers of this country head to become Veterans at an early date and time in their lives for various reasons. They launch many a lives by standing tall and offering their broad shoulders. The Flag soars as high as the pole takes it. Sky is the limit and we must take care of those who launched us to soar in the sky. The Veterans need you more than ever before. They have been the Flag bearers of the Nation and end up sacrificing over and over again for various facets of their lives. The Nation will soar the sky, all that we need is to honor the sacrifice for the Nation.

RUST- THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE

         Young Lieutenant Prasad was headed for Mumbai after his Engineering Specialization Course at the Naval Engineering Base. He had been posted onboard the mighty Aircraft Carrier of the Indian Navy called INS Vikrant. At the end of course party, Prasad had received kind pearls of wisdom from the Training Captain. The Training Captain had a flowing white beard and spoke with passion to Prasad. After all, he had also been a young Engineer onboard the same ship. “Do not let the machines catch Rust, Prasad”, was his final advice to the young Naval Engineer. The day moved on and Prasad was now excitedly looking forward to joining the mighty Carrier.

    The taxi drove inside the historic Lion Gate of the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai and soon stopped at the check post of the Vikrant Jetty. The crisp salute from the Sentry and Lieutenant Prasad commenced his walk up the gangway of the Indian Navy’s pride. A ship of the majestic class- Vikrant’s keel (backbone) was manufactured in Nov 43. That’s right, during WWII. When the war got over, in May 45, she was 75% complete. She was then launched (into water) by Sep 45, but not commissioned as she was no longer needed.   And there she lay, a forlorn hull tied alongside at River Tyne, until India evinced interest in having an Aircraft Carrier (in Jan 57!) for our fledgling Navy. The yard workers at Belfast finally had some work on their hands. They put their skills into improving and completing the leviathan, whose blueprints were 15 years old. Finally in Mar 61, she was commissioned as INS Vikrant. When Prasad walked up the gangway, she was entering into her last Commission and her name Vikrant was embossed all over the Indian Navy. Many a new born of that era proudly shared the mighty ship’s name as it was her unique honour to become the first floating airport of the India. “So?” She was not a ‘second hand’ ship as some believed. Oh no Siree! She was first rate- the Indian Navy’s pride. She remained so, even after INS Viraat came on the scene.

Lieutenant Prasad had a spring in his walk as he crossed a mile inside the alleyways of the Carrier to present his credentials to the Engineering Officer and the Commanding Officer. The firm handshake began the bonhomie and the Ship’s Captain welcomed him to the Carrier. A great deal belongs onboard a Carrier to the Engineers- both Electrical and Mechanical. In spite of her age, INS Vikrant was living only for the punch she was still capable of delivering- ‘from the air’. She could carry 18-20 planes and helicopters. The Sea Harrier ‘Jumpjets’ were jet fighters capable of extending the fleet’s opeartions envelope. The Sea King Anti-Submarine Helicopters, were force multipliers in their anti-shipping role also. The small Chetak Helicopters were workhorses when it came to small hops of personnel and ‘Search And Rescue’ or SAR. This was force projection in it’s rawest form. There were numerous ‘SPRINGEX’ (anti-surface) and ‘SMASHEX’ (anti-submarine) exercises that would be conducted ‘somewhere in the Arabian Sea. INS Vikrant would have Destroyers, Frigates and Patrol vessels in a formation around her, with submarines, and IAF strike aircraft against her. She was the ‘Blue force’ and sometimes the ‘Red force’. At all times, SHE was the straight flush or the prize target - depending on which side you were. “That’s what you get, when you are the Prima Donna, the spotlight is always on you”, was the parting dialogue of the Carrier’s Commanding Officer to young Prasad. The challenge was to keep the machines of the Carrier- Rust Free.

Rust is another name for iron oxide, which occurs when iron or an alloy that contains iron, like steel, is exposed to oxygen and moisture for a long period of time. Over time, the oxygen combines with the metal at an atomic level, forming a new compound called an oxide and weakening the bonds of the metal itself. Although some people refer to rust generally as "oxidation," that term is much more general; although rust forms when iron undergoes oxidation, not all oxidation forms rust. Only iron or alloys that contain iron can rust, but other metals can corrode in similar ways. The main catalyst for the rusting process is water. Iron or steel structures might appear to be solid, but water molecules can penetrate the microscopic pits and cracks in any exposed metal. The hydrogen atoms present in water molecules can combine with other elements to form acids, which will eventually cause more metal to be exposed. On board any moving vehicle, the Rust becomes the biggest enemy of its eventual efficiency. If the rust can be kept at its bay, the moving machineries do perform to their optimal efficiency. A similar phenomenon happens in the humans too.  Part of the metabolic process in all cells generates a certain number of free radicals: substances with a strong tendency to tightly bind to other molecules in ways that corrupt or destroy them. Most of these free radicals contain oxygen, a highly reactive element the body uses to make energy. Once a molecule has been oxidized, the damage steadily spreads as unpaired electrons snag and corrupt other proteins. Research suggests that oxidation may be the major force behind aging.

The last Commission had begun and Carrier had to sail out. 24 hrs prior to the sailing, the boilers had to light up. As the fuel burned and gave off heat, steam was produced. The steam valves overhead would then be ‘slightly cracked open’ and the entire steam piping would be allowed to gradually be filled with steam and heat up. One by one, the thin drain tubes emanating from the overhead steam pipes, would be opened, to let out water that had condensed from the previous sailing. The engine room would look like ‘Dante’s inferno’ with hot water and clouds of steam billowing from the drains. The duty personnel, not to waste anything, would then take an Aluminium Kettle with milk powder, sugar and tea in it and make expresso tea! After sipping the first cuppa’, all four boilers would be ‘connected up’ to stabilise, and the rest of the equipment would be started. Young Prasad was amidst the thick of the action.

All engineers had their hands full, coaxing output from the 04 decades old systems on board. Majority of the systems and equipment were on the 4^th deck and below. Only the Flight Deck hydraulics was on the 2^nd deck. Most personnel were oblivious to the fascinating actions that were going on board and outside the carrier. Prasad’s duties were taking him to every nook and cranny of the vast carrier. So he was lucky enough to interact with each section and have a ‘bird’s eye view’ of what they were up to. Each one was concentrating on HIS ‘part of ship’.

Prasad used to give a deprecating snicker whenever he heard the phrase ‘Clean and brasso every inch of your part of ship’. His FFO tanks, Diesel tanks, water tight compartments, pumps, fuel lines, fire spray lines, compartment flooding lines, were dispersed all throughout the 700 foot ship. On 12 decks and 16 sections of the mighty carrier! The whole ship was now his ‘part of the ship’. He could see where the Rust began and he had to counter its origin to keep the mighty propellers to move the behemoth called Vikrant.

The last Commission of the Ship is as nostalgic as its First Commission. Mighty Vikrant had received orders for its one last sailing. All over the floating airport, the personnel had come on board and taken their ‘watch stations’. There were Air Handlers, Cooks, Divers, Engineering Mechanics, Electrical Mechanics, Navigators, Gunners, Pharmacists, Radio Operators, Storekeepers, Shipwrights and Writers. One hour before, ‘Check ship for Sea & Action’ on the main broadcast was sounded. One by one, the guns, the communication sets, radars, the engines and ‘Main Switch Board’ were tested- ‘Checked and found correct Sir’. INS Vikrant was now ready to set sail. The activity now shifted to the harbour where other ships would also be taking action. It was an emotional moment as the mighty Carrier waited one last time for the Fleet ships to move out. The Minesweepers moved first, checking that the channel was clear of threats, with their sonar gear and minesweeping cutters. One by one, all the Destroyers and Frigates casted off, and moved outside Mumbai Harbour and waited. INS Vikrant was the last to cast off, with a couple of tugs standby to pull and push the leviathan. Crisp Naval salutes were being exchanged and moist eyes from the Dockyard personnel bade farewell to the ship- a Jewel in the Navy’s Fleet. Once she was outside Mumbai harbour, the fleet ships formed a screen around her and the Fleet sailed to higher seas. The machinery on-board each of these ships were gleaming and rust free.

Some 5 miles out at sea, the huge ‘Sea King’ Helicopters from the ‘Harpoon’ squadron landed on her flight deck- while she was ‘facing into the wind’ to recover them. After recovery, the fleet set course to Goa, where the Sea Harrier Jump jets, the ‘White tigers’ embarked on the carrier. Mighty Vikrant was now battle ready for all exercises! Well-oiled and greased, her boilers were churning out steam to keep the mission powered up. Young Prasad, by now, was a backbone of the mighty Carrier’s Boiler Room Department. His inquisitive spirit and lean physique helped him to reach each and every nook and corner of the Engine Rooms. His vibrant team ensured that the Ship met all its missions with élan and ease. Vikrant gave the Navy the strength to sleep restfully and to dream. All throughout the sleepless nights, with constant watches and duties, the rushed meals, the blaring of the action alarm at odd times, Prasad always erupted into a quick smile as he heard the roar of a plane taking off from the flight deck, and the vibration could be felt right down to the fourth deck where he stood his ground.

Somehow, that bustling activity and whine of engines on the flight deck made every bead of sweat, every missed meal, and every lost minute of sleep- worth it. So for every ‘Ops time’, Prasad had a simple saying “I’m loving it.” He had kept his Ship rust free and his machines moved when he desired. Keeping the machinery rust free keeps the humans in control of the proceedings. As the Carrier met the last sortie with precision, Prasad wondered as to what will happen when the boilers are shut down for one last time. Will rust take over this mighty platform and engulf it into its chemistry’s eruptions? He knew that at the end of the sailing, he was getting transferred to INS Viraat- the Second Aircraft Carrier of the Indian Navy. The pains of maintaining a rust free environment paid dividends when Vikrant took the centre stage in the Fleet formation. The greased overalls of the engineering mechanics and their tools were all over on the testimonials of Vikrant’s accomplishments at sea.

Vikrant turned inside the harbour and shut down its boilers for the last time. The old warhorse was being devoid of power as one by one its systems shut down never to power up again. She had finally come to rest at the orders of her human masters. The life of mighty Vikrant is something similar to a human’s life too. We end up getting powered each day to accomplish life’s missions. The energy levels inside the humans vary and adrenaline has to be pumped before a mission is met. The humans also need to keep themselves rust free if they have to perform and achieve the aims. The attitude of young Lieutenant Prasad is a helpful catalyst to keep the rust at bay in human minds and physiology. Who does not have pains and glitches? Mighty Vikrant had many, but it was human ingenuity which kept it going beyond her age. If humans can do it for the machines, then they can do the same for themselves too. Biology is more complicated than humans can anticipate. The fight should be to keep the cells Rust free. After all, the life does not stop even when the rust catches on, life is a beautiful game and continues even with rust firmly in control of the human temple. All that humans need is to keep the free radicals under check and fight the rust. Keep the Rust at bay, fight on and let the mind and body be in coordination. Let the young Lieutenant Prasad attitude in you keep charging at life and keep rust at bay. Do not forget, Rust- Is the Beginning of a New Life.  Recollect for every ‘Ops time’, Prasad had a simple saying “I’m loving it”. Keep the sleeves rolled up and keep loving every moment of life till the Master decides otherwise. Cheers to life, with or without rust- let us face it and enjoy its music. So, will you shed the Rust?