Andhra Pradesh-born pilot is flying high with PPEs to fight COVID-19

HYDERABAD: Only a few lights glow in some houses in the area near Wuhan. The region looks ghostly from the Boeing 747 in the middle of the night, as Dr V Vijay flies the aircraft preparing to land in an airport which is eerily quiet for weeks thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic which originated from China, and has claimed 257K lives, affecting 3.66 M people across the globe. 

The 54-year-old Indian-American pilot flies the plane to the cities of Zhengzhou, Changsha, Beijing, and Shanghai. But he and his fellow pilots don’t stay over there nor do they come out of the plane. Meanwhile, other than the four pilots, a mechanic and loadmaster also travel in the plane to load the cargo with PPEs from the destination airport and ensure that the same is balanced properly. "The time to fly to China is restricted from 11 pm to 2 am," says Vijay, who is not just a trained pilot but also a practising cardiologist in New York. 

The cargo consists of PPEs, ventilator parts, testing kits among other required materials. Born at Madanapalle in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, the cardiologist-pilot flies cargo flights for the Sky Lease Cargo, an airline based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

So, how did he begin flying cargo flights? “I started it two and a half years ago because I wanted to fly the Boeing 747 jumbo jet," he says.

But why Boeing 747? He says, "In the 70s, 80s, and 90s it transported millions across the globe and was called 'The queen of the Skies'. Its transcontinental and transoceanic nature appealed to me a lot." At the same time, he’s also a qualified heart surgeon.

So how does he balance both the professions that really demand extreme attention? He chuckles during the telephonic interview and informs, "Since I fly cargo, I do it from the first of the month till 18th and from 19th to 21st I devote my time to the medical work i.e., of heart surgery."

But since the situation in New York City is grim is he also on the front lines taking care of Covid-19 patients? "Yes, I am. I work at The Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC. And doctors from all specialisation areas are dedicating their time and service to the pandemic patients. And so am I," he informs. 

He studied medicine at Sai Venkateswara Medical College, Tirupati way back in 1988. While he was studying at Hyderabad Public School and was a young student of Class II, his teacher wrote on his report card that he would be a pilot one day. He comes from a family of doctors. 

He settled down in the USA in 1989 and received his training from Central Jersey Regional Airport and in 1994 he started flying. During these turbulent times when the world is gripped with the pandemic fear he’s not only flying to China with other pilots, but also to Japan and Malaysia.

Malaysia is known for its rubber plantations and is the world’s largest supplier of surgical gloves. "Each flight carries 130 tonnes of medical supplies per flight," he informs. Ever since the restrictions were placed, he’s flown the planes 14 times to these countries. From Japan, they bring respirators to be used in ICUs.

"These ventilators are complex and are in short supply these days. We fly to Japan during the daytime. Other than work, I noticed one interesting thing over there that there were no signs of people wearing masks or gloves. It’s because people are really disciplined that way," he observes.

And how are the pilots chosen for flying cargo planes during this world health crisis?

The pilots were chosen based on their experience by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which regulates the selection of the air cargo companies, their track records, and the availability of Boeing 747 to fly essential medical supplies. Other than maintaining strict discipline and guidelines, the pilots also have to wear PPE while flying. And then there are certain food regulations.

"Two pilots can’t eat the same food nor can they eat at the same time. It’s from the select vendors that our meals are purchased," signs off this COVID-19 warrior before being called to an emergency duty to fly again. 

The writer can be contacted at saima@newindianexpress

Twitter: @Sfreen