An Indian pilot flying for flydubai has drawn wide praise after the way he handled a serious drama aboard one of the airline's flights. His composure in the cockpit is credited with keeping the situation from spiralling. Interest in the story grew once his background surfaced, because he never started out in aviation at all. His first working life was in textile engineering, a field far removed from a flight deck. He made the switch later, went through pilot training and eventually earned a seat at the controls of a commercial jet. Commentators in India have seized on that path as evidence that a mid-career change can still end at 35,000 feet. For the pilot, an ordinary working day turned into the kind of flight passengers rarely forget.