Flydubai pilot Smita Machchhar’s old podcast resurfaces after mid-air emergency: ‘Focus on flying, not selfies’ | Today’s news
An old podcast featuring Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has gone viral after the flydubai Indian captain was identified as the pilot involved in the dramatic mid-air emergency on 30 September.
What has drawn fresh attention is Machchhar’s advice to young pilots in the interview: focus on flying, gaining experience and improving your skills, rather than worrying about social media appearances.
Make up with Machchhar on skills over “selfie”
In the podcast, Machchhar talked about how aspiring pilots should approach the early stages of their careers. Rather than developing a preference for a particular airline or aircraft, he advised young pilots to focus on building experience.
“And I always suggest to my kids as well; you know, not having a preference at first. No, I want to fly out of here. Like, no. Fly. The pilot is for the pilot to get those experiences and improve their skills. Not to post something online, you know. Selfies and everything. This has changed so much,” Machchhar said.
The comments received renewed attention following the flydubai emergency, with his emphasis on experience and skill development seen in the context of the crisis he subsequently faced.
“When things go wrong, you need them”
Machchhar also spoke about the role of flight attendants and their importance during emergencies.
“It’s unfortunate that people’s overall view of the crew is, but when things go wrong, you need them,” he added.
In the next part of the interview, he discussed the importance of having trained professionals on board when an in-flight emergency occurs.
“I’m not saying they’re trained to do surgery and stuff, but then they can save your life, you know?” said the 50-year-old Mumbai native.
What happened on the flydubai flight?
Machchhar was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the violent confrontation took place in the cockpit.
According to reports, Machchhar was injured during the incident but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene. The plane was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Reuters reported that Machchhar later described the incident during a video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed.
The revived podcast has since highlighted Machchhar’s earlier message: that for pilots, experience, training and the ability to improve their skills matter more than online image.
