Rahul Pillai

First Officer at Tamarind Sky Airways | Airbus A320 | Chennai

I'm a Chennai-based first officer flying the Airbus A320 with Tamarind Sky Airways. I started on regional turboprops, where short sectors taught me to prepare carefully and keep communication clear. My roster moves around, so I keep a few routines steady: swimming when conditions allow, cooking the Kerala dishes my grandmother taught me, and taking the telescope out on clear nights. I like doing things properly, without making too much noise about it.

Operate domestic scheduled services from a Chennai base. Responsibilities include flight preparation, monitoring aircraft systems, and coordinating with the captain and cabin crew. Moved to the A320 after three years on regional turboprops.

Flew regional services across southern India. Built experience in short-sector operations, changing weather conditions, and working with small station teams.

Airbus A320 Operations, Crew Resource Management, Flight Planning, Instrument Flying, Standard Operating Procedures, Weather Interpretation, Threat and Error Management, Operational Communication

English, Malayalam, Tamil — conversational

A junior colleague asked what changed most when I moved from the ATR to the A320. There were plenty of technical differences, of course. But the useful habits carried over: prepare before the briefing, say when something is unclear, and don't let familiarity replace a check. I still find that a quiet, unhurried briefing sets the tone for the flight. Clear communication doesn't need to be elaborate.

My days off don't always fall on weekends. It took me a while to stop treating a Tuesday off as somehow less useful than a Sunday. These days, I make a small plan and leave some room around it. Buy vegetables, cook lunch, get proper rest. Working an irregular roster has made me appreciate ordinary routines more, not less.

A good question during a briefing can save everyone from carrying the same assumption into the flight. I appreciate colleagues who are comfortable asking for a clarification, whether they've been flying for six months or twenty years. It's something I try to practise myself. Experience helps, but it doesn't make a second look unnecessary.

Three years on regional turboprops gave me a lasting appreciation for the people working at smaller stations. On a short turnaround, you notice how much depends on clear handovers between crews, ground staff, and dispatch. Different aircraft now, same lesson: the flight deck is only one part of the operation. A thank-you at the end of a busy sector is a small thing worth remembering.