NITN | @notintownlive | 29 Jul 2022, 05:50 am
G-Diya
Image Cr: FB/Ashok Aliserii
London: Ashok Thamarakshan, a mechanical engineer hailing from Kerala, built a four-seater airplane during the covid-induced lockdown to travel the world with his family.
Ashok was always enthusiastic about planes and wanted to have one after shifting to the UK as an employee for Ford.
"After I reached the UK and got settled there, I became passionate about buying an aircraft.I got a pilot licence and started searching for airplanes. That was when I realized it would cost me around Rs 5 to 6 crore,” The New Indian Express (TNIE) cited Ashok as saying.
People across many nations have started building small airplanes, he said.
The automobile engineer brought the parts of his plane from South Africa, avionics material from the US, and engine from Austria.
Due to Covid19, his company had halted its operations, therefore, giving ample time to Ashok to live his passion for steelbirds, as per media reports.
“Initially, I decided to build a two-seater plane. However, for a family trip with my wife and two kids, I required a four-seater aircraft. So, I made it instead,” TNIE cited Thamarakshan as saying.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority watched over his work that cost Rs 1.8 crores at every stage and also conducted flying tests, according to media reports.
Permission to fly was given in Feb, he said as per The New Indian Express report.
The flight carries the name G-Diya. Diya is his daughter's first name while G refers to the country code.
Uptill now, Ashok has toured Germany, France, Austria and Czech Republic with his family, as per media reports.
- Newly launched booking site QuietHotelRooms.com helps travellers sleep better
- Air Canada to begin operations after flight attendants decide to end strike
- Kolkata gets its first direct Metro to airport; PM Modi set to open 3 game changing routes on Aug 22
- Air Canada flights remain grounded as striking union defies order to resume work
- Uber introduces Intercity Motorhomes as it expands to 3,000 routes in India
- High Commission issues advisory for Indians travelling to Malaysia
- Grand Egyptian Museum to open its doors on Nov1
- Aadhaar OTP now mandatory for online Tatkal train bookings
- PM Modi to launch Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line, new Vande Bharat Express
- IndiGo slapped with heavy fine for providing ‘unhygienic, dirty seat’ to passenger
Air New Zealand has announced plans to host a live inflight concert, ‘SYNTHONY in the Sky’, on Dec 4 aboard Flight NZ1331 from Auckland to Sydney.
Qatar Airways will move its New York operations to The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in 2026. As part of the relocation, the airline plans to open a 15,000-square-foot lounge, its first dedicated facility in both New York City and the United States.
All Air Canada planes remained grounded late Saturday despite the Canadian government intervening to end a strike called by cabin crew members that resulted in hundreds of flights being cancelled and triggered chaos, media reports said.