"Roger. Monitored. Will comply with your instructions."

Nothing extraordinary about the conversation between the air traffic control tower and the pilot, except that in this case, it is a wife manning the ATC console and directing her husband at the controls of an AN-32 transport aircraft.

For three couples posted at No. 12 Wing here, life is in a different track altogether -- be it controlling a multitude of aircraft, or whizzing through the air at twice the speed of sound, or traversing the world's highest mountain ranges to maintain forward posts.

For Flying Officers Nageshwar Rao from No. 48 Squadron and Sri Sudha an ATC officer at No. 12 Wing here, it was childhood friendship blossoming into life partnership. "He had still not passed out from the Academy, when he boldly approached my father and told him that we wanted to get married. Though initially taken aback, my father later agreed," says Sudha.

While it is Rao's first posting after getting his commission, Sudha had earlier been posted to Jamnagar. "Our marriage was actually pre-poned because the telephone bills were getting out of hand," Sudha quips. Incidentally, Sudha, though a year younger than her husband, is a year senior to him in service. She opted for an Air Force career "because Nageshwar had also joined the service".

"Its actually a nice feeling," says Rao on his wife telling him when and how to take off or bring his aircraft down. "To me it's like a big welcome-back message, especially when you come back after several days of flying," he adds.

Hailing from Hyderabad, the young couple like travelling and eating out. "We have tried out each and every eating joint in Chandigarh," Rao adds.

For Flight Lieutenants D. K. Suresh and Anisha, professionalism revolves around traversing the length and breadth of the country on logistics and communication missions. Both are AN-32 pilots, one with No. 25 Squadron and the other with No. 48 Squadron.

"We met about five years ago when both of us were posted to the same squadron at Agra," says Anisha. "As we got together more often, we decided that we could be compatible as life partners," she adds. Suresh is from Tamil Nadu, while Anisha is a Punjabi, a fact which she says had resulted in initial opposition from her father when Suresh had proposed to her.

They have flown sorties together, the first one being to Bhuj, but Air Force rules however prohibit them to be in the cockpit together now. "Not only are we in different squadrons now, but spouses and course-mates are not encouraged to fly together as it reduces professionalism," says Suresh.

Blessed with 30-months-old daughter, Anisha, who also happens to be the first women pilot to be posted to the Chandigarh Air Force Station, says that most of their spare time is spent with her.

The officers say it's actually helpful in many ways when both husband and wife are in the Air Force. "Being in the same service makes us understand each other's commitments precisely, which is not possible in any other circumstance," says Rao.

"If one of us goes missing in the middle of the night, the other knows exactly why it has happened and where one is. Moreover, if we have to discuss issues, we each know what the other is talking about," adds Suresh.

With variable flight schedules or duty hours, one problem, however, is that of timing mix-matching. "At times we do not meet for the whole day," saysSudha.