u/CAPT_SMB

Shot this today — a Cessna, the tricolour, and a perfect August sky

Hidden inside one of the world's busiest cities is an active airfield that is often described as India's first civil aviation airport.

Juhu Aerodrome was established in 1928 Four vears later, JRD Tata landed here after flving from Karachi via Ahmedabad inaugurating India's first air service

Nearly a century later, aircraft are still departing from the same historic airfield

This was our view rolling for takeoff

I’ve been lucky enough to fly out of Juhu for years. Taking people up for sky tours from a runway this historic still feels special.

The propeller is doing its best to hide the answer, but there are enough clues in the frame.

I’ve flown with a lot of aspiring pilots, and this is something I keep noticing.

Many students spend one or two years studying aviation and preparing for exams before they have ever properly seen a cockpit or spent time around the aircraft they are learning about.

Some of them can explain a theoretical concept or textbook definition much better than I can.

But put that same instrument in front of them, and they may not know which one it is—or how the theory connects to what they are actually seeing.

That is not a lack of intelligence or effort. Most of them are extremely serious.

They have simply been given theory without enough real-world context.

So I’m genuinely curious: before committing to aviation, had you spent meaningful time around an aircraft? If not, what helped you decide this career was right for you—Instagram, YouTube, family, an academy, or something else?

Disclosure: We run aviaiton experiences in Mumbai and this post comes from what I have repeatedly seen personally. We are trying to understand students’ perspectives so we can improve the experience rather than build it on our own assumptions.