My blogs

About me

Industry	Transportation
Occupation	Pilot
Location	Bangalore, India
Introduction	Born in Tanzania in 1956. In 1965 moved back to India. A National Science Talent scholar. Followed my B.Sc in Physics with a Master's from IIT Madras. Quit to join the IAF in 1975. Spent 29 years as a fighter pilot. Flew the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27 and the Sea Harrier. Six years in TACDE (The IAF's Top Gun school) as directing staff (DS). Exciting 'no holds barred' fighter flying. Also was an air combat instructor with the Indian Navy on the Sea Harrier. Served on both INS Viraat and Vikrant in INAS 300. Then three years in Air HQ, a year as an instructor in the Staff College at Coonoor and a tenure as Research Fellow at the IDSA. Left the Air Force in Oct 2005. Presently flying with Jet Airways. Married to Shobha, who used to teach Economics in Carmel Convent Chanakyapuri. Daughter Tanika, 23, an industrial designer, now working with Axiom in Bangalore.
Interests	Reading - practically anything, except bestsellers. Go for the classics from Chaucer to Ben Okri. Also love poetry, war poetry WW I - Wilfred Owen, Edward Thomas etc. Also like Frost and Whitman and Faiz Ahmed Faiz (in translation - can't read Urdu unfortunately). Sports - used to play serious football. Now squash and cycling. Got yself a new Bianchi road bike. You'll see an old man pedalling hard around Bangalore - that's me. Recreational maths and puzzles. Bore the hell out of anyone who shows the mildest interest. Writing - whatever comes into my head.
Favorite movies	Kurosawa's Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) and Ran, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, Gone with the Wind, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, Graveyard of the Fireflies (anime)
Favorite music	Flamenco - Jonathan Linstead, Behzad, Oscar Lopez, Juan Martin, Govi, Ottmar Liebert, Armik etc., classical - Mozart, Vivaldo, Rodrigo, world music - Habib Koite, Boubacar Traore, Keita, N'dour, Amadou & Miriam etc, Khaled, Diana Krall, Michael Buble
Favorite books	Too many to list. I read anything