Aviation is glamorous - it may be because it is mostly above ground level! Having grown up in Air Force camps before marriage and then transferring to a civil aviation life, the whirr of the engines, the thrill of seeing men in uniform, the access and availability of high-tech machines continued to enthrall me. So, as usual, when the 2021 Dubai Air Show beckoned, I was agog.

This time though, I invited my childhood friend Anu. Anu and I go back two generations. Our fathers did engineering together and shared vivid hostel memories. Later on, they joined the Indian Air Force, served the nation, and built anecdotes. They retained their comradeship as we grew up.

We accompanied our dads to watch the night sorties, daytime flying of various aircraft, flying displays, and any exciting event with fighters and transport planes. . It was not uncommon for us to wake up to the mighty jets breaking the sound barrier or sleep to the sounds of a stealth aircraft passing over our camps.

Dubai Air Show is a bi-yearly event. Arvind would always get me passes to watch the event, knowing my penchant for aircraft. This year it was extra special due to the company of Anuradha, who shared my enthusiasm and excitement.

The moment we parked our car and entered the Show, the first flypast whizzed by. Oh my! Was that a thrilling moment?

We were transported to our young days of living in the Air-force camps. We went around happily towards all the static aircraft on display. We took the opportunity to walk inside transport planes and imagined ourselves to be young women in Air-force who are off on a mission.

The mean, lean, hungry looks of the military aircraft were a great attraction. Leaning by the walls of the tarmac, we watched and cheered the pilots who performed the aerial sorties. From Nosedives to vertical lifts, splits, turns, weaves, it held us spellbound.

My most cherished memories from my childhood are those spent in Air-Force stations. I am grateful to have my childhood friend Anuradha with whom I can relive those days.