Baseball pitcher Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” The man clearly knew what he was saying. Mumbai-based Amol Yadav has managed to do what many of India’s largest organisations haven’t been able to do – put up a daunting fight against the Indian bureaucracy and secure his dream a license to fly.
However, his journey wasn’t easy. Captain Amol Yadav, who is working as a senior pilot with the Jet Airways, had built a six-seater aircraft on his terrace in sub-urban Kandivali in 2011. Ever since then he has been pursuing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct trials for his aircraft. Finally, after a long wait of nearly six years, his dreams have come true.
Narendra Modi Devendra plane (Photo: Twitter)
How it all began
It all began seven years ago when Amol Yadav told his family that he wanted to build a plane on the rooftop of his house in Mumbai. While the task at hand seemed impossible, Yadav did not deter and he imported welding machines, engines and compressors, BBC reported. Soon, he and his crew – consisting of an automobile mechanic and a fabricator – built an aircraft braving the harsh summer heat and torrential rainfall on his rooftop with a space of just 1,200 sqft. Yadav not only braved the extreme climatic conditions to make his dream come true but he also sold his house to build the plane which cost him nearly Rs 4 crore.
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Yadav’s plane can climb up to 3,920 metres and it can hold enough fuel to cover a distance of roughly 2,000 Km at a speed of about 342 kmph.
Modi plane (Photo: Dr Vincinte Nairo)
A plane named ‘Narendra Modi Devendra’
Yadav has dedicated his aircraft to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, whose intervention helped him cut through the bureaucratic red-tape. He has named his aircraft Victor Tango Narendra Modi Devendra (VT-NMD), NDTV reported.
Until 2015, the DGCA officials had been dragging Yadav around in circles. His proposal got a push only when he displayed his aircraft during Make In India week in Mumbai where it was chanced upon by the Maharashtra CM. Fadnavis wrote to PM Modi and discussed the matter of issuing clearances. It was only when the PMO’s office intervened that DGCA issued him the certificate.
Modi plane (Photo: Twitter/Vijay Barse)
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DGCA clearance
DGCA has given Yadav a clearance to fly his plane. A release issued by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office on November 20 said,
The DGCA has provided a registration certificate to pilot Amol Yadav. The aircraft was displayed during the Make-in-India week in Mumbai. Yadav, through his company, will build aircraft manufacturing industry in Maharashtra.
The CMO Maharashtra’s Office also shared the news on Twitter. Here’s what the tweet said:
Encouraging efforts…
Great example of @makeinindia !
Captain Amol Yadav gets certificate of registration from DGCA,meets CM @Dev_Fadnavis to thank his efforts and follow up with Hon PM @narendramodi & Government of India
It is 1st Indian private company to get this certificate! pic.twitter.com/opi6TXZqZo— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) November 20, 2017
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Future plans
After building the six-seater aeroplane, Yadav is now gearing to build a 19-seater aircraft. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Yadav has tied up with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and they would soon be manufacturing 19-seater aircrafts at a 119-acres manufacturing plant in Palghar.
