From HaaRoNa Baa to Team Stratos ( PART #05)
Coming back to uncle’s place (a home away from home) we reflected back at the day’s event. It was the most satisfying moment of my life. Never had I felt that sense of achievement. Our hard work had got its due and our prayers were answered. First thing we did was, being speechless laying on the couch and trying to absorb in the moment. Then we called up skanda and nishanth who had toiled day in and day out for the project, to share this moment of joy and exuberance. They were on top of the moon on hearing the news. I could sense it, being in the other part of the world. This transformation was from a zone of hope to a zone of confidence. We welcomed ourselves into it. Not keeping in mind the international call rates, we called our parents next to share our success, to share their success. If not for them we would have been in BMSCE regretting for not making it to the event. They were very happy. Lots of kisses travelled across the oceans that day. We welcomed it. Sleep was hard to come by. Now for a different reason altogether. We enjoyed each and every moment of it.
Day 05
This was the second day of the competition and was the last. With lots of confidence on our plane we set off to thunderbird airfield for the last time. The cross winds were too heavy. The wind had changed its course and we had to fly our plane in the opposite direction. Increasing the payload on the plane, fueling it up, we positioned it on the tarmac. The story of the day was different than what we had expected for. It was a queue of failures. We lost 2 important propellers. And the wind shifted the plane off its course, forcing the pilot to land the plane, only a short while after its take-off. We had two failures to take off and one crash landing. Even though it crash landed it was not much of a concern because the plane was not too high up in the air. Anyway we had one awesome flight. And it was enough for us to reflect back to the event for the rest of our lives.
While these were going on the competition routine was not disturbed, in terms of it lunch and logistics. The event was very well organized. It was a very “informally organized” event. We all enjoyed being a part of it. Good loads of thanks and regards must go to “Union Bank of India”, for having sponsored our travel and logistics. All the bits and pieces in our effort and dream came together in unison, at the right time, to help us achieve what we had.
We knew that ours was not at all a success in the competition, after having stood 31st out of the 65 teams that took part. But all the success I am talking about here is beyond the competition. It helped us get confidence. Our participation in the event, our success story was definitely an inspiration for our peers and juniors in college. After this event, the whole college is upbeat about SAE BMSCE chapter. That is a new development, on which I will talk about later.
Anyway after the competition it was time for the award ceremony. We were sitting there satisfied until then. After seeing two universities from Brazil taking away all the prizes, except for the “Best Crash Award”, we had a new thought flow across our mind as the cross winds grew stronger. I just cannot forget the moment. With the crosswinds went our chances of bagging a prize. So it was decided to come up with a winning design for the upcoming competition, next year. Although we won a RC Flight video game, worth $200! We were lucky to be picked up in the lucky draw.
There we were standing in the thunderbird airfield after the competition. All the teams had left. We had no one to come by and give a drop to uncle’s place. As Vikram anna was busy that evening and uncle was still in New York. We then requested our fellow competitor form the University of Cincinnati, a Nepali by birth, to help us get a cab. He was kind enough to call up the “Yellow Cabs” and book a drive for us to get back home. Getting back home we tried the RC transmitter set that we had won. It was fun. We then ordered pizza. This was more fun. I just loved the pizza I ate that day, with literally gallons of coke guzzling down my throat.
Day 06
Uncle was to come today in the afternoon and he did. Today was a special day. It was Hari’s birthday. Hari’s grandmother had predicted his travel across oceans to be happening on his birthday it seems. Surprisingly, the prediction came true. The celebrations though were dull. Hari was not disturbed by it in anyway. The joy of participating in the event had filled the world around us. Nothing else mattered. After a short walk down the road, it started raining heavily. We had to cut down our celebration to a “SUB” at the SUBWAY, a patty-less sandwich at the McDonald’s restaurant and a bagel. As we rushed to the uncle’s place (home by then), uncle was there back from New York. He then took us to an English bar. As he and aki drank four bottles of Heineken beer, hari, amruth and I stuck to French Fries and a game of pool. After we came back, we got a taste of India through the flavours in the lemon rice that uncle had cooked for us to the dinner. It was fantastic!
Day 07
The last day in America, was not spent well. We got up late. Uncle left for his work, zooming in his BMW sports car. Sleeping and packing for half the day, the day seemed very normal again. Uncle came back early from the work and he took us to Wall Mart for a bit of shopping. We did shop. I took a T-shirt and a cargo shorts, a cap, and another shirt and lots of chocolate. It was time for us to leave. Amruth decided to stay back and have a trip across America. He had all his relations living here, it was not a problem. Bidding adieu to what was one of the greatest times we had ever had and in the excitement of reaching home with the success behind we left towards George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston. It was another brilliant drive. As we reached the airport, we all thanked uncle for helping us in such a large way. Wishing Amruth to have a time of his life, aki, hari and I boarded the Qatar airways (Boeing-737) towards India. With lots of memories to share we took to the air. Sleep was one thing we wanted to enjoy during this travel. It was hard to come by though. The expected turbulence had set in and the travel was not so smooth. The 16 hour flight was not good. With in flight entertainment giving good company, turbulence didn’t matter much. And after taking the connecting flight at Doha and after a last four hour journey, there we were at 3:30 am (local time), in the Bangalore International Airport, back home.
Back home
I was not at all surprised to receive calls from my parents who had come to the airport to pick me up, as was the case with aki’s and hari’s parents. I just cannot put it in words how I felt walking out of the terminal as my parents eagerly reached out to me for a warm hug on that chilly night. It really was warm! I felt deeply humbled by the love and faith shown by my parents and my well wishers. If not for them, it would not have been possible for us to put in the effort to achieve what we had. I would like to thank all of them and I hope this story is an inspiration for our juniors.
Day 05
This was the second day of the competition and was the last. With lots of confidence on our plane we set off to thunderbird airfield for the last time. The cross winds were too heavy. The wind had changed its course and we had to fly our plane in the opposite direction. Increasing the payload on the plane, fueling it up, we positioned it on the tarmac. The story of the day was different than what we had expected for. It was a queue of failures. We lost 2 important propellers. And the wind shifted the plane off its course, forcing the pilot to land the plane, only a short while after its take-off. We had two failures to take off and one crash landing. Even though it crash landed it was not much of a concern because the plane was not too high up in the air. Anyway we had one awesome flight. And it was enough for us to reflect back to the event for the rest of our lives.
While these were going on the competition routine was not disturbed, in terms of it lunch and logistics. The event was very well organized. It was a very “informally organized” event. We all enjoyed being a part of it. Good loads of thanks and regards must go to “Union Bank of India”, for having sponsored our travel and logistics. All the bits and pieces in our effort and dream came together in unison, at the right time, to help us achieve what we had.
We knew that ours was not at all a success in the competition, after having stood 31st out of the 65 teams that took part. But all the success I am talking about here is beyond the competition. It helped us get confidence. Our participation in the event, our success story was definitely an inspiration for our peers and juniors in college. After this event, the whole college is upbeat about SAE BMSCE chapter. That is a new development, on which I will talk about later.
Anyway after the competition it was time for the award ceremony. We were sitting there satisfied until then. After seeing two universities from Brazil taking away all the prizes, except for the “Best Crash Award”, we had a new thought flow across our mind as the cross winds grew stronger. I just cannot forget the moment. With the crosswinds went our chances of bagging a prize. So it was decided to come up with a winning design for the upcoming competition, next year. Although we won a RC Flight video game, worth $200! We were lucky to be picked up in the lucky draw.
There we were standing in the thunderbird airfield after the competition. All the teams had left. We had no one to come by and give a drop to uncle’s place. As Vikram anna was busy that evening and uncle was still in New York. We then requested our fellow competitor form the University of Cincinnati, a Nepali by birth, to help us get a cab. He was kind enough to call up the “Yellow Cabs” and book a drive for us to get back home. Getting back home we tried the RC transmitter set that we had won. It was fun. We then ordered pizza. This was more fun. I just loved the pizza I ate that day, with literally gallons of coke guzzling down my throat.
Day 06
Uncle was to come today in the afternoon and he did. Today was a special day. It was Hari’s birthday. Hari’s grandmother had predicted his travel across oceans to be happening on his birthday it seems. Surprisingly, the prediction came true. The celebrations though were dull. Hari was not disturbed by it in anyway. The joy of participating in the event had filled the world around us. Nothing else mattered. After a short walk down the road, it started raining heavily. We had to cut down our celebration to a “SUB” at the SUBWAY, a patty-less sandwich at the McDonald’s restaurant and a bagel. As we rushed to the uncle’s place (home by then), uncle was there back from New York. He then took us to an English bar. As he and aki drank four bottles of Heineken beer, hari, amruth and I stuck to French Fries and a game of pool. After we came back, we got a taste of India through the flavours in the lemon rice that uncle had cooked for us to the dinner. It was fantastic!
Day 07
The last day in America, was not spent well. We got up late. Uncle left for his work, zooming in his BMW sports car. Sleeping and packing for half the day, the day seemed very normal again. Uncle came back early from the work and he took us to Wall Mart for a bit of shopping. We did shop. I took a T-shirt and a cargo shorts, a cap, and another shirt and lots of chocolate. It was time for us to leave. Amruth decided to stay back and have a trip across America. He had all his relations living here, it was not a problem. Bidding adieu to what was one of the greatest times we had ever had and in the excitement of reaching home with the success behind we left towards George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston. It was another brilliant drive. As we reached the airport, we all thanked uncle for helping us in such a large way. Wishing Amruth to have a time of his life, aki, hari and I boarded the Qatar airways (Boeing-737) towards India. With lots of memories to share we took to the air. Sleep was one thing we wanted to enjoy during this travel. It was hard to come by though. The expected turbulence had set in and the travel was not so smooth. The 16 hour flight was not good. With in flight entertainment giving good company, turbulence didn’t matter much. And after taking the connecting flight at Doha and after a last four hour journey, there we were at 3:30 am (local time), in the Bangalore International Airport, back home.
Back home
I was not at all surprised to receive calls from my parents who had come to the airport to pick me up, as was the case with aki’s and hari’s parents. I just cannot put it in words how I felt walking out of the terminal as my parents eagerly reached out to me for a warm hug on that chilly night. It really was warm! I felt deeply humbled by the love and faith shown by my parents and my well wishers. If not for them, it would not have been possible for us to put in the effort to achieve what we had. I would like to thank all of them and I hope this story is an inspiration for our juniors.
Comments