How I Almost Gave Up on My Pilot Dream – and Why I’m Glad I Didn’t

How I Almost Gave Up on My Pilot Dream – and Why I’m Glad I Didn’t

A brutally honest and inspiring story of how one aspiring pilot from a small village overcame deception, deportation, and despair to finally earn his wings.

By Capt. Tomar Awdhesh

When I began my journey into aviation more than 15 years ago, I was sold a dream: “Just do your training, pass a few exams, and you’ll be in the cockpit in no time.”

And I believed it—like many do. I started seeing the dream with my eyes wide open in daylight. Everything seemed just a matter of a few months. But hang on...

1. The Fake Package Trap

I come from a humble, lower-middle-class background. For my family, just arranging the quoted pilot training fee took almost one and a half years.

Coming from a remote village, I didn’t have the exposure or awareness to question things— How could I know I was being manipulated?

The harsh truth revealed itself quickly: The real cost of pilot training turned out to be almost double what was promised.

Soon, I was stuck—mid-training, in a foreign country, with no funds left. Training was paused. I had no safety net. My family back home was under extreme mental and emotional pressure.

Imagine this: Your son is stranded in another country, stuck halfway through his dream, unsure if he will ever return as a pilot—or return as a failure.

There was a moment I clearly remember... I was ready to come back to India without finishing the training. That moment almost broke me.

2. Medical Nightmare: The Stone That Stalled My Sky

Just when I thought finances were my biggest hurdle, another challenge appeared—from within my own body.

During my Class 1 medical, doctors discovered a previously undetected kidney stone. It wasn’t life-threatening. It wasn’t even painful. But in aviation, even a small health issue can ground your dreams—sometimes for months.

What followed was a prolonged delay. Multiple scans. Re-certifications. Endless follow-ups.

To every aspiring pilot reading this— 👉 Get your Class 1 and Class 2 medicals done before you pay a single rupee to any flying school. 👉 Be honest. Don’t try to hide anything. This is not a one-time clearance—it’s a lifelong requirement. A hidden issue today can become a career stopper tomorrow.

3. Cholera & Deportation: The Day My Dream Died—Almost

After overcoming the financial struggle and clearing medicals, I finally set foot in Serbia to begin my flying training. It felt like I was finally airborne—mentally and emotionally.

But fate had other plans.

A few months into training, I fell seriously ill. The diagnosis? Cholera.

Now here’s the twist—Serbia has a strict immigration rule. They do not allow international students to continue if diagnosed with certain infectious diseases like cholera.

Despite recovering quickly, I was asked to leave the country.

No appeal. No second chance. Just one email—and my dream came crashing down.

I was deported.

I returned to India completely shattered. Years of effort. All the money my family had scraped together. Everything was slipping through my hands.

I had no certificates. No license. Just a bag full of shattered hope—and a haunting silence inside me asking: “Was this the end?”

4. Restart & A Fresh Beginning: Flying Through the Darkness

After coming back to India, months passed in silence. No training. No hope. No direction. I was slowly sinking into depression—and I wouldn’t hide that. When you’ve given everything and still come back empty-handed, it shakes your very identity.

But something inside me kept whispering: “You were born to fly. Don’t stop here.”

I picked up the phone. Reached out to people. Knocked on doors. Faced rejections. But I didn’t stop.

But I was no longer naive. This time, I knew the terrain. I had scars. And that made me dangerous.

📰 5. Fake News & Killer Propaganda: The Dream That Was Sold

Back when I was preparing for this journey, it was loudly propagated— “There are thousands of pilot jobs waiting. Airlines are desperate. You just need a CPL.”

And I believed it. Like many of us did.

But that narrative was a trap.

A well-packaged dream sold by people who had everything to gain from your belief—and nothing to lose if you failed.

The harshest truth hit me after I completed my training and returned to India.

There wasn’t a flood of jobs. There wasn’t even a trickle. For years, there were zero openings for fresh CPL holders in India.

Imagine standing on the other side of your biggest struggle… License in hand. Flight hours logged. Training complete. And no airline willing to even accept your resume.

What made it worse? The same people who sold us this dream—disappeared. No placement. No support. Just silence.

6. The Phase of Unemployment: My Greatest Test Yet

And then came the darkest phase of all— The phase of waiting. The phase of unemployment.

No training. No interviews. No income. Just me—and the weight of unfulfilled expectations.

By now, my parents had exhausted everything they had—emotionally and financially. They had nothing more to give, and rightly so. I was gently told: "You need to look after yourself now. Find a way to survive."

Those words hit harder than any rejection.

And so began the true test of my resilience. No uniform. No aircraft. No clear path. Only the dream… still burning inside me.

But that chapter— the story of how I survived when survival itself became the goal— is one I’ll save for another day.

7. Type Rating & Finally, the Cockpit

After years of struggle, survival jobs, and silent prayers—I finally got the call I had been waiting for.

A real airline job. A seat in the cockpit. Something that had remained a distant, fading dream for years… was now real.

But just when I thought I had made it, another wall appeared.

The airline required self-funded type rating— ₹26 lakh or more. Not a stipend. Not a loan. A demand.

Forget 26 lakhs—I didn’t even have 26 rupees to spare. My bank account was empty. My options were worse. And once again, my journey seemed to stall at the gate.

But This Time, I Wasn’t Alone

During my long phase of struggle and survival, I had built something priceless— Friendships. Brotherhood. Loyalty.

And it was these very friends who came forward. Not to console me. But to invest in me. Believe in me. Push me forward.

They stood by me—not for returns, not for credit—but simply because they believed: "You were meant to fly. And we’ll help you get there."

They arranged the funds. They gave me a runway again. And I took off.

Final Message to Aspiring Pilots:

What you see today is a captain in uniform. But what you don’t see is the silent war I fought to earn these stripes. Not just in simulators or airspace… But in hostel rooms, embassy queues, empty bank accounts, and sleepless nights.

I’m not sharing this story for sympathy— I’m sharing it so that the next time you see a young pilot struggling, you don’t judge them— you guide them.

📢 CALL TO ACTION

If you don’t want to face what I faced— Don’t walk this journey alone.

✅ Ask the right questions.

✅ Complete your medicals first.

✅ Don’t fall for fake job promises.

✅ Find mentors, not marketers.

And if you ever feel stuck—reach out. Because no pilot makes it alone.

✈️ If my story inspired you, share it with someone who’s just starting their journey. Let’s make aviation a place of truth—not just dreams.