3 years back, we had thought of taking some children to the airport for a visit on the occasion of Children’s Day. We picked some children from some poor households in villages around the airport and took the necessary permission for the visit.
Taking 20 children with us, we went to the airport by 10 a.m. in the morning. The terminal operations staff had received the children with so much warmth and took them all around the airport. They showed us in detail all the formalities that need to be done right from the moment a passenger arrives at the airport to the time he boards the flight.
As we had already taken permission from the security department to take the children in to the areas where only international passengers are permitted, the children were able to move freely around the airport.
This visit had even more additional specialties. The Aviation Academy is also situated in the airport campus. There is also one aircraft maintenance facility. We had taken permissions beforehand to take the children to these two spots as well. Not only did the Aviation Academy Director invite the children personally to the academy but also made them sit in the training classes for pilots in the academy. They explained to the children about the principles on which the aircraft is able to fly in the sky.
Children were also made to take turns in the aero plane simulator beside trainee pilots and were shown the nitty gritties of how to fly the aero plane.
What an experience it was! From taking off, making a landing, flying in the sky, children were able to experience all of those things as though they were doing it on their own.
Next, we went to the aircraft maintenance facility. As the aero planes that have come for repair and maintenance are parked here, there is loads of security. Because we had sent all the documents including identity proof of children and had received permission, we were directly taken to the hangers where aero planes were parked. The CEO had given orders to the staff to not restrict the children and to show and explain to them everything. Dividing the children into small teams, the engineers there had taken them inside the aero planes parked there and showed them the inside of the aero plane. Children were even allowed to go inside the restricted cockpit area and told how the pilots fly the planes.
After trying to catch up with the children running like little Usian Bolts around the hanger, I sat down due to exhaustion. An engineer sitting beside me said that he was really happy seeing the children with so much enthusiasm but added that he also had a doubt: “Wouldn’t all of this raise their aspirations? They would start dreaming big dreams. Their parents are very poor. If they couldn’t afford to provide higher education to the children, wouldn’t the children be disappointed and bitter?”
“True! Whether we showed them this or not, children tend to dream big. But, the will to actually realize those dreams will get stronger through these kinds of programs. Children with strong will and favourable situations would surely make their dreams come true. Maybe it might not be possible for some of the children there. Still, those children will have the once-in-a-lifetime memory of visiting the airport like this. It was a win-win situation for the children whatever way you might look at it” I told him.
‘Anyway, working in a company of a person, who in spite of coming from an ordinary, middle-class household, building international-standard airports, we should not talk so negatively about not realizing our dreams’ I laughingly added. After watching the movie ‘Akaasam Nee Haddu Ra’ (Sky is your limit), I somehow remembered this conversation. When it comes to dreaming, isn’t sky the limit for everyone?
Bharathi Kode