Among the several pilots who participated in the Vande Bharat mission that began in May 2020, one among them was Laxmi Joshi. The mission was introduced to evacuate Indians stranded abroad following the coronavirus-related restrictions imposed by all countries.
When she was eight-years-old, Joshi travelled via air for the first time. Since then, she wanted to become a pilot. For her dream to be successful, she worked hard and ensured that her vision comes true.
Recently, Joshi spoke to Humans of Bombay (HoB) about her childhood dream, the training she had to take up to become a pilot and finally how she flew three flights a month amid the peak of the pandemic to rescue Indians stranded abroad.
During her interaction with HoB, the young pilot revealed that her father took a loan so that she could prove herself someday. After two years of hard work and determination, Joshi got her pilot licence. “My dreams had gotten wings, I was ecstatic! Soon after, I landed a job with Air India, the national carrier,” she recollected her best moment.
On recalling how her father was one of her biggest cheerleaders, Joshi stated that whenever any relative enquired about his daughter and her dream, her dad would proudly say that Laxmi was born to fly.
When she was selected for this mission, Joshi’s parents were initially worried but after being explained on how important the mission was, they finally agreed, Joshi said. As part of the rescue mission, her first flight was to Shanghai in China.
As soon as the flight landed in India, all rescued passengers gave the crew a standing ovation. A little girl walked up to Joshi and said she wanted to be like her. She later expressed this moment to her parents saying “The sky’s the limit”.
Following her first flight of the mission, Joshi flew three rescue flights a month. It was getting tough and difficult every time they flew but the thought to help out Indians, kept her mind and body going.
Now, when the pandemic is in its third wave, Joshi stated that the Vande Bharat mission is still active. In the coming weeks, Joshi will soon fly to New Jersey’s Newark city to bring home Indians.
Ever since her story got posted on HoB, Joshi has collected a heap of praise and appreciation from fans around the world.
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