The pandemic was undoubtedly a difficult time for many, but some even used it to their advantage and picked up new DIY hobbies and challenges. Take, for instance, Ashok Aliseril Thamarakshan, a Kerala man settled in the UK, who took the opportunity to complete his dream of owning a private plane by actually building one!
Ashok took 18 months to build the four-seater aeroplane, a Sling TSI that has been named 'G-Diya', after Ashok's youngest daughter, Diya.
A mechanical engineer by profession, Ashok currently works with Ford Motor Company. He holds a professional pilot's license and has been flying 2 -seater planes since 2018. But he always wanted to travel with his family, which was difficult since 4-seater planes are rare and expensive.
So, he found a better and cheaper alternative and decided to build it on his own. And during the pandemic, with spare time and money on his hand, he decided to build his own aircraft. The plane cost a total of Rs 1.8 crore and the construction was overlooked by UK Civil Aviation authorities.
Ashok and his family have already travelled to many countries in Europe including Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic and he now wishes that the Indian government too provides permission for home-made aircraft so he can come to visit his home. Ashok is the son of former MLA A V Thamarakshan.
The airfcraft can travel at a maximum speed of 200 kmph and requires 20 litres of fuel per hour. Ashok bought the assembly kit from a Johannesburg-based company called Sling Aircraft.
(With inputs from NDTV and Times Now).
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)