Pooja Jain

Commercial Pilot.Traveller.Dancer.Music Lover.Avid Reader.Writer.Strong Headed. Optimistic.Loyal.Unbiased.

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

Perfectly describes the Feeling of Flying!!

[Bryan Griffin @FatPereNoel]

Airline pilots and drugs. I din't wana do it.
“Response from Grok (built by xAI)”

I think this is a raw, honest, and deeply concerning personal account of how mental health can collide with one of the highest-stakes jobs on the planet.First off, respect for putting it out there. OCD is brutal — intrusive thoughts and compulsions that feel like they’re hijacking your own body.
Living with that while sitting in the right-hand seat of a 747, responsible for hundreds of lives, must have been absolute hell. The fact that you eventually stood yourself down in 1981 rather than risk it shows real integrity, even if it cost you your career.That said, the core question you open with — “Should an airline pilot take mind-altering drugs?” — has a clear answer from a safety perspective: No. Not when the drugs are benzodiazepines like Serepax (oxazepam). Those are sedatives. They slow reaction times, impair judgment, and reduce situational awareness — exactly the opposite of what a pilot needs on takeoff or in an emergency.
The court documents from your 2010 case (Griffin v Qantas Airways Ltd) confirm you were taking it to manage the anxiety, and your flying performance declined. That’s not a criticism of you personally; it’s just the medical and aviation reality.
https://t.co/NWqSHIGOtx
Modern regulators (CASA in Australia, FAA elsewhere) treat benzos as a hard no for active pilots for very good reason.The bigger issue your story highlights is how the system failed you and the passengers you flew with between late 1979 and 1981. Multiple Qantas doctors cleared you to keep flying despite repeated reports of compulsions to shut down engines — including on takeoff. The court ultimately found that continuing to fly aggravated and made chronic your condition. Dr Phillips’ opinion (quoted in the judgment) was blunt: you were not suitable to continue as a pilot after the symptoms developed. The airline’s decision to keep you in the seat wasn’t compassionate; it was reckless. You shouldn’t have been put in the position of having to “sit on your hand” or self-medicate just to get through a flight. You winning the workers’ comp case in 2010 was the right outcome. It established that Qantas contributed to the worsening of your condition and owed you compensation for the lost earnings and medical costs. That precedent mattered.The part about the loss-of-licence insurance is especially frustrating — the very clearance that let you keep flying (and worsened things) was later used against your insurance claim. Classic catch-22. And the radio silence from the airline now, decades later? Not surprising legally, but it still stings when someone just wants acknowledgment.Bottom line: Your experience is a cautionary tale about mental health in aviation. The 1980s approach (“he’ll be fine, just keep flying”) was dangerous. Today the industry is better (though still imperfect) at grounding pilots early and offering support without career-ending stigma — because one unreported or mismanaged case is one too many. You did the responsible thing by eventually stepping away. The fact that you had to fight the airline in court to get any justice after they’d cleared you is the real indictment here.If you’re sharing this to raise awareness about how airlines and regulators handle pilot mental health, or to push for better loss-of-licence protections, I get it. The story stands on its own as evidence that the old way wasn’t good enough.

[Flying Lukha @udtalukha]

Worrying trend in Indian aviation; Pilots and crew are flying despite being sick fearing pay cut or adverse reaction from company, exposing others to their infection and the same cascading outcome.

[liminal @Liminal1988]

An open letter to the tired ones:

[THE SKIN DOCTOR @theskindoctor13]

Why does Nirmala Sitharaman get criticism when the economy has performed well under her despite COVID and other setbacks?

Answer: Taxpayers are the backbone of the economy. When the economy is doing great, some relief should come back to them also. But instead, you get more taxes. Despite paying income tax, whatever is left for savings, you have to pay tax on that too.

For instance, capital gains tax applies to profits from investments in stocks, real estate, or other assets. Interest earned on savings and fixed deposits is also taxed. Even long-term investments for the future, such as retirement funds or mutual funds, are not exempt. These policies discourage savings and investments, which are crucial for personal financial growth and economic stability.

Then watching your hard-earned money milked through taxes to fund freebies and welfare schemes, especially for those who don't give a damn about this country, is frustrating.

If things are going so great, give some relief to us too. But no, all we get is 'that smirk'.

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

People who think ola/uber users are rich; Nope, we are just people who have no cash! Ever!🙄

[thangameyyyyy @tamiliantraasda]

I don't want to hustle. I want to be soft and love what I do and have a life outside of work. I want to be present enough to listen to my loved ones and not tell them I'm sorry I underslept.
Why is this such a suffocatingly impossible wish to have, for anyone. How did we get here

[Stephanie @airport_girl]

Why are you a pilot?
Wrong answers only.

[PilotsTogether @PilotsTogether]

It’s #TimeToTalk day, the nation’s biggest #mentalhealth conversation.

Here at PilotsTogether, we’re doing our bit with a text-based service for pilots - just text us here if you need to talk 👇🏻

#WePilots #aviation #wellbeing

[The Joker @trend_nosig]

"Don't be a minimum guy."

Just because all you need to become a Pilot is a 10+2, doesn't mean you just do that.

Do a degree, do two, maybe even a PhD. Doesn't need to be Science. A decent campus is a melting pot of talent & culture which no flying school or TRTO can replace.

[Perfect Tennis @perfecttennisuk]

I have 3 copies of the new 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. It went on sale today in English & is the most comprehensive bio on Federer.

1 retweet = 1 entry
1 like = 1 entry

Winners will be drawn at random. Ends tomorrow at 20:00 GMT.

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

Have you ever been caught up in your thoughts....like if you do this, its gonna make me think that...so you start changing your ways, detaching yourself from a lot of things in life!

[Nivedita Bhasin @nivedita_bhasin]

Time for some statistics.
Time saved=1hr/flight=7.2T #FuelSavings=1500T/year
1T=3.17T of CO2
4sectors( two flights)/weekX52=208 sectors/year
7.2X3.17x208=4747T of Carbon emissions less per year !!
#GreenerPlanet #CleanerPlanet
#SFOBLR #Polar @airindiain
@flySFO @BLRAirport

[Nivedita Bhasin @nivedita_bhasin]

This is how we fly👇🏼
N to the North Pole , then home South ✈️🇮🇳

[Radhika Gupta @iRadhikaGupta]

The most beautiful merger, of two magical songs. Done by two amazing gentlemen, their way!

[Fünny Sidę Ūp @PreetiPhalke]

One day at a time baby

I can't handle stupid in bulk

[Vineeta Singh 🇮🇳 @biharigurl]

Jab Equality chaiye toh GENTS only seat kyun nahi hota 😒 wo bhi thak jaate hai 😟

[Priyanka Arora @captain_speakin]

"My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind” #MannkaRadio

[Flight Notes 🛩🚀🛸 @FlightNotes]

One of the most valuable questions in aviation: "What will I do when this avionics component/iPad/engine/weather forecast/fuel availability/landing gear/other pilot/whatever else fails to perform as expected?"

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

@pranaymjain 😅😜

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

If someone asks me ‘what is the one thing in life you lost that you want back now?’ I would say ‘my ability to sleep anywhere, anytime!’

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

@spinbirdman Yess i am good....i hope you are doing good!

[Pooja Jain @poodsweet]

Reason to love twitter!