'Flying Is Like His Wife': Captain Smit Machchhar's Father To NDTV

The first emotion of the parents of hero pilot Smit Machchhar after learning of their son's heroics was "fear". Within minutes, they recovered from the initial shock and rushed to a temple. "We prayed, 'God, whatever happens, no bad news should come; please save him,'" Bhupendra Machchhar, the pilot's father, told NDTV, reminiscing about the most difficult few hours of his life.The hero pilot, who saved 174 flydubai passengers from almost certain death by staving off an axe attack from his co-pilot inside the cockpit, is recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi.Bhupendra Machchhar credits "God" for giving him the strength to show his heroism against all odds."Like any parent, the first thought that came was one of shock and fear. Immediately, we lit a lamp before God and prayed," he told NDTV Managing Editor Shiv Aroor."No one is specifically trained for this kind of situation.