If Padmapur village had had its way, Shelbi Mishra would have been just another girl who would have lost even her maiden name to matrimony. Instead, today this 25-year-old has a well-deserved addition to her name, ‘captain’, and she pilots flights of Malaysian operator Air Asia across azure expanses high above clouds. Shelbi was the youngest woman (at 21) to get a commercial pilot’s licence, in 2011, more than 400 hours of flying experience and an MBA in aviation to boot. She has also trained at Texas, USA. So, what makes this woman of mettle tick? Monalisa Patsani of Orissa POST finds out.
Where did your life’s journey begin?
I belong to Padmapur in Keonjhar district. It is one of the most beautiful places in Orissa. But it is still largely untouched by development. Our village used to have limited transportation facilities; but lately things have started changing. Earlier girls of my village had only one option after high school — marriage. But time has changed and many today have built successful careers.
What motivated you to turn to aviation? What did you do to realise your dream?
I wanted to be an astronaut like Kalpana Chawla. I was inspired by her life. At school we were shown several motivational videos of her and we participated in debates based on Kalpana’s life. These inspired me. She had studied aeronautical science and then joined ISRO as a pilot. Her ISRO experience helped her reach NASA. I also dreamt of joining ISRO just as she did and went through her profile, which motivated me to join flying school. I thought I would fly first and then pursue aeronautics. But since becoming a commercial pilot I am no longer interested in another career. I believe I was born to fly and just want to keep flying.
In Orissa girls are discouraged from taking up certain professions. What is your take on this mindset and what has your own experience been?
It is so true. I would say today there are at least these few options. Earlier we did not have even these. It is not an exclusively Oriya mentality. It afflicts India as such as a result of our culture and upbringing. Parents and families feel women should pursue only safe and secure jobs. When I was waiting for a job, my grandfather used to tell me I should have pursued engineering or medicine. There are no issues with these professions; but we need to think out of the box, too. My father served in the Indian navy and we were trained to compete with guys and fight for our own existence. This culture motivated us to give men a run for their money. I always wanted to do something different and ended up being a pilot. We women have even reached space, so I feel sky is no limit for us.
You were the first Oriya woman pilot and now you are part of Air Asia. How does it feel?
I cannot describe the feeling in words. It came with a lot of hardship, patience and faith. I am really happy that I have made my parents, society and state proud. My achievements have not only brought me happiness, but also set an example for young women to be inspired and pursue their dreams wholeheartedly.
The path to this position must have been arduous …
It has been an awesome journey. I have met people from more than 10 countries with different outlooks and learnt a lot from them. I was only 18 when I went to USA. Like all parents mine, too, were worried and scared of the profession I had chosen. But my success has restored their faith. Oriyas have developed a lot and are spread around the world. I have seen so many Rath Yatras abroad that I feel proud to be an Oriya always.
What problems have you faced in training to be a pilot?
When a person comes from a background such as mine, one faces many problems. But I was lucky to have the most supportive parents who believed in my abilities. I had a strong will and never deviated from my goal even when I was faced with failures. I had was out of a job for long following the global recession. But I never stopped, I used to work as a ground instructor at aviation college.
About future plans …
As of now I want to work hard and fly more so that I can get promoted to the next level. I want to do something for women in Orissa so that can move ahead and make a name in society. I believe educating or empowering even one woman can have a huge positive impact on the entire family.
What is your message to youngsters?
Women of Orissa have much potential and talent but these are not fruitfully harnessed. We need to change our perspectives as a society. Until and unless families support women, they can’t fulfill their desires. We have brilliant sportspersons but little scope for them. Parents and families should support girls and motivate them to dream and come out of old school thinking that only a boy can take care of them in old age. The government should also help empower women. Youngsters need to dream; only then can they achieve. There are many like myself, who have run the long mile; Nandita Das, Sona Mohapatra, Sushree Mishra and many more have achieved remarkable feats in various fields.
Has there been any memorable moment in your career as a pilot?
We learn something new every day and make mistakes too. I failed many times but learnt from these. My success is a result of those failures. One memorable incident occurred in the early days of training in USA. My friend Megha and I were flying at night over hilly terrain and got stuck at an airport due to bad weather. We waited for hours but weather remained inclement. We decided to return home anyways and while in the air lost our electrical system, which is crucial for night-time flying. We were cut off from traffic controllers and had to locate the closest airport to land. We did not lose faith in ourselves and the skills we had gained. We were able to locate an airstrip and land. Our teamwork helped us land safely. Our families appreciated our courage. I believe that in difficult situations one must calm oneself and think positively because one cannot escape if one panics.
