I looked out of the window. It’s still dark outside. Got to get ready. I could not sleep the whole night in excitement. Thought I would manage a quick nap during flight.
The phone rang.. its 4 am and the cab has reached the main gate. In few minutes I found myself whizzing towards the airport.
A surprise was waiting for me. When I reached the check-in counter, I found that my seat has been upgraded to Première class. I moved into the Jet Airways Première lounge, grabbed a cup of tea and a toast while waiting for the boarding call.
It’s not too long back that I had received a call from Jet Airways about my selection to "My Most Enriching Experience with Jet Airways" contest (as part of their social media engagement) and won a chance to “Explore the World Of Aircraft Maintenance!” including a visit to the cockpit of a Boeing 737 aircraft, witnessing actual take offs and landings and understanding the science that makes such heavy carriers fly in air!
After a while, an attendant at the lounge informed me that my flight is ready for boarding and I proceeded towards the aircraft. It was indeed a great experience flying with Jet Airways, as always. The flight attendants gave all the passengers individual attention and not to forget the delectable cuisine served on board.
As I reached Mumbai, officials from Jet Airways were waiting to welcome us. I met with other winners who had flown down to Mumbai for the event. We were all escorted to the Jet Airways Hangar located about 6kms from the domestic terminal. Soon after registration, we were taken inside the hanger. The first glimpse of the facility made butterflies run inside me. I saw a Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 undergoing maintenance.
We all assembled at the seminar hall for a brief infotainment session. Jet Airways engineering experts guided us with rich insights and information on the history of aviation followed by aircraft maintenance and operations through audio visual presentations. We also witnessed how an aircraft engine works as well as different types of landing and take offs by aircrafts. I never knew that some aircrafts can even move backwards!
After the session we were taken to the hanger to have an exclusive view of the fascinating world of aircraft maintenance with a tour of the engine, structure, wheel & brake and seat shop.We were also given a chance to explore the aircraft interiors, engines, cargo hold and landing gear as well as a glimpse of the Black Box. Large commercial aircraft are required to carry two separate black boxes or flight recorders – a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and a Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The black boxes are typically located towards the tail of an aircraft. Flight recorders are also fitted with a battery-powered sonar transducer to aid in underwater recovery (look for the shiny cylinder attached to the front of the recorder).
And finally, each of us was given an opportunity to visit the cockpit of a stationary Boeing 737 aircraft and learn first-hand by its technology, instruments and various features. Our session was coming to an end while we walked towards the Cafeteria for lunch.
The lunch had more exciting things than just the food. Apart from the appetizing foodstuffs, we had something more to tickle our brains. There were on-spot quiz and anagrams to solve. The lucky winners made their way to envying gifts. However, no one left the place unhappy. There were lots of goodies and mementos for each one of us to carry back home.
We were escorted back to the airport and we flew back to our respective home cities with another premiere class treatment. While I closed my eyes to get a small nap, I got a flashback of the eventful day that I just spent.. a day filled with an enriching experience to the fascinating world of aircrafts.. Something that I will cherish long after this tour ends.
~ Bhaskar Dutta
