Meet Varsha Nair, a remarkable pilot who came to the limelight through the movie “Soorarai Pottru.” She not only conquers the skies as a pilot but also takes flight as an influential figure on Instagram (Instagram ID: @varsha.atr), captivating her followers with her unwavering passion for aviation. Here’s her extraordinary story, witnessing her impact both in the cockpit as well as social media.

Balancing Career and Passion:
In my case, my career and my passion are the same. Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to fly. When your passion becomes your career, they go hand in hand. There’s no prioritizing one over the other. I was fortunate enough to make my passion my career.

Starting Point as an Influencer:
The idea of becoming an influencer started with the movie “Soorarai Pottru”. When people discovered that I was a pilot, their excitement to learn more about flying and piloting grew. This field is not discussed openly. That’s when I realised that I can voice out, reach out, and educate people in a domain they may not be aware of.

Challenges:
The biggest challenge of being a pilot is that there is no room for mistakes. You have to be very quick with your decision-making. It is something you have to constantly strive for and receive training for. I think that is something which I have learned in the course so far.

Memorable Experiences: An elderly lady passenger, around 80 years old, was on our flight. In the cockpit, it was just me and my captain, both of us being women. After the flight, she eagerly waited for us to come out and blessed me, expressing her pride in seeing women in India reaching new heights. That moment made my day and affirmed that everything I was doing was worthwhile.

Most cherished aviation-related experience:
It would be the first day I had my solo flight. I believe it is a moment treasured by all aviators out there. Taking your first solo flight is an incredible experience. You are given an entire aircraft just for yourself, and you take it for a spin. I will never forget that experience because I don’t think we get to fly a solo flight again in our lives. It is a memory that I will always hold dear.

Advice or encouragement to individuals pursuing aviation:
As I always say, aviation is not for the weak-hearted. I am sure that there will be failures -once, twice, or even ten times. But if you persist and keep trying, on the eleventh attempt, you’ll succeed. Nowadays, many youngsters, including myself, become frightened of failures and give up after one or two setbacks. We are not willing to persevere. That is something I truly want all of us to focus on. Work towards your goals and don’t fear failure. I am certain that there will be light ahead on the road.