Join thousands of students achieving their dreams with expert-led courses.
Join free and unlock everything on EasyShiksha.
Takes less than 3 seconds โ no password needed
Please enter a valid email address.
Checking your emailโฆ
Almost done โ just verify your number so we can send course updates and certificates.
Used only for verification & updates
Incorrect OTP. Please try again.
Takes less than 10 seconds
Please select your country.
Please select your state.
โI had waited 10 years to achieve my dream. I did not want to keep postponing it,โ says 30-year-old Haizil Jebi from Kerala. His journey towards becoming a pilot has been full of challenges. Twenty engineering backlogs, financial struggles, the loss of his father during the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated career setbacks tested his determination.
Yet, he kept going, working as a Zomato delivery partner, mathematics teacher, truck driver and bus driver while searching for a way to fulfil his dream. Born into a middle-class family in Kodungallur, Keralaโs Thrissur district, Jebi believed education and a well-paying job could improve his familyโs circumstances. After unsuccessful attempts to join the Indian Armed Forces, he explored other career paths, but his dream of becoming a pilot never faded.
Financial constraints kept that dream on hold for years. At 29, however, Jebi decided he could no longer wait. He travelled to the Philippines to enrol at Fast Aviation Academy Inc. and begin pilot training, taking a crucial step towards fulfilling the ambition he had nurtured since his teenage years.
Growing up in a joint family, Jebi watched his parents struggle to provide for their three children. His father worked abroad as a typist, while his mother was a homemaker. He recalls experiencing discrimination among relatives, an experience that shaped his childhood and his understanding of financial independence.
An introvert, Jebi also struggled to initiate conversations and build relationships.
โWe grew up understanding the circumstances around us. The only way to overcome everything was to study hard and get into a well-paid job,โ he recalls. At the time, Jebi saw education as a means of achieving financial stability. However, he had yet to discover a career that genuinely interested him.
Until Class 10, Jebi had no particular career ambition. That changed when a friend introduced him to Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and the opportunities available in aviation.
He began researching the field and watching planes with growing curiosity. For the first time, he could imagine a future in a particular profession.
However, his family did not support the choice, partly because of the influence of relatives. He eventually gave up the idea of pursuing Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and enrolled in Electronics and Communication Engineering at the College of Engineering Munnar in Kerala.
Although he enjoyed friendships and campus life, he struggled academically because the course did not interest him.
โI was not interested in the course, and I started failing my exams,โ he explains. He eventually accumulated 20 backlogs during his engineering degree. While working towards clearing them, he continued wondering whether he could find another route into aviation.
A friend later suggested that Jebi explore opportunities in the Indian Armed Forces as an engineering graduate, including the possibility of becoming a pilot. He cleared his backlogs and graduated six months later than usual.
While waiting for his results, he joined Zomato as a delivery partner in Kochi to earn an income. The job allowed him to explore the city and interact with people from different backgrounds.
โZomato gave me a good experience. I got to meet different people, see different places and learn my way around the city. It also helped me manage my life to some extent,โ he says.
He eventually moved to Bengaluru to work as a mathematics teacher at Byju's. Alongside his job, he continued preparing for Indian Armed Forces selection interviews, hoping to find a route into the cockpit. However, his plans were disrupted when his father's health deteriorated.
Jebi's father suffered a cardiac arrest in Dubai and slipped into a coma during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions and disruptions to medical services complicated efforts to bring him home.
โAs the eldest son, I had to face everything and keep quiet. We took care of my father at home and managed the expenses with my salary,โ he recalls.
His father died in June 2021 and the loss added to his family responsibilities as he tried to rebuild his career.
Despite the personal turmoil, Jebi continued attending selection interviews for the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Army. He cleared some stages but did not make the final merit lists.
His professional life took another hit when Byju's laid off employees, including him, amid the company's difficulties.
At 27, he was approaching the age limit for some of the opportunities he had been pursuing. With those options narrowing, he took up different jobs to earn a living, including work as a truck driver, bus driver and office staff member.
The uncertainty brought financial pressure, debt and sleepless nights. Jebi also recalls feeling betrayed by people he had trusted and believing that recommendations sometimes mattered more than merit.
With his plans to join the Armed Forces becoming increasingly difficult, he began exploring other routes into the aviation sector.
Important Announcement EasyShiksha has officially launched the Online Internship Program โAb India Sikhega Ghar Seโ
Returning to college for another engineering degree did not seem practical to Jebi. It would require another four to five years of study, followed by further training.
Pilot training offered a more direct route towards the profession he wanted to pursue. With guidance from mentors, he began exploring the requirements and working out how to finance the course.
โI had waited 10 years to achieve my dream. I did not want to keep postponing it,โ he says.
The biggest obstacle was money. Years of temporary jobs had left him without enough savings to fund pilot training independently, making an education loan essential.
To finance his training, Jebi approached several banks for an education loan. The process was frustrating, and he says one bank held his documents for around a year and a half.
He eventually secured an education loan from Union Bank, enabling him to travel to the Philippines and begin pilot training. After years of trying to find a viable route into aviation, he had finally taken a significant step towards becoming a pilot.
Adjusting to life in the Philippines was initially difficult. The unfamiliar environment, lifestyle and training routine required time to get used to.
Jebi says the experience has also changed him beyond the classroom. He has noticed improvements in his grooming, communication, lifestyle and personality, and has become more comfortable interacting with people and adapting to new situations.
For someone who once struggled to initiate conversations, these changes have been an important part of his journey.
However, completing training and securing an airline position remain separate milestones. Jebi says he still has a long way to go before reaching his goal.
Looking back, Jebi says patience and self-belief have helped him navigate years of uncertainty. โI replied to everyone through my actions instead of arguing with them,โ he adds.
He chose to focus on his work rather than spend time trying to prove himself to others. The guidance of his mentors and the education loan that enabled him to begin training also played important roles in moving his plans forward.
From a modest home in Kodungallur to an aviation academy in the Philippines, Jebi's journey has taken him through academic setbacks, family loss, multiple jobs and years of financial uncertainty.
Although he has yet to reach an airline cockpit, he has taken a significant step towards the dream he first imagined as a teenager.
His message to others facing setbacks is simple: โKeep going, everyone. Do your best and be patient. It will come to you one day.โ For Jebi, the journey is far from over. But after years of searching for a way into aviation, he is finally moving towards the career he has long wanted.
Source Click here More News Click here
Credentials
Discover thousands of colleges and courses, enhance skills with online courses and internships, explore career alternatives, and stay updated with the latest educational news..
Gain high-quality, filtered student leads, prominent homepage ads, top search ranking, and a separate website. Let us actively enhance your brand awareness.
Download EasyShiksha Mobile Apps from Android Play Store, Apple App Store, Amazon App Store, and Jio STB.
1 million+ย learned on the EasyShiksha App
Trusted by Standards & Global Compliance Frameworks
Built under internationally recognized standards for quality, information security, educational excellence and business continuity.
ISO 9001:2015 | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | ISO 21001:2018 | ISO 22301:2019 | DPIIT Recognized Startup | MSME Registered
