Defence News
Captain Amol Yadav builds indigenous aircraft on terrace, names it after PM Modi, CM Fadnavis
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted a registration certificate to Captain Amol Yadav’s indigenously made aircraft, the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s office said today.
Captain Amol Yadav is a senior pilot with a private airline. He had manufactured the 6-seater aircraft in 2011 on the terrace of his house at Charkop and has since then been pursuing DGCA for registration to conduct trials.
Amol Yadav had received an official document of registration from DGCA. After inspection of the 6-seater aircraft, DGCA will issue a certificate of flying. Receiving the registration document was an emotional moment for Amol Yadav.
“My family and my friends have always stood beside me for this project,” Amol Yadav said who named his homemade aircraft after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Whenever I was in need of money for research, my family came in with great support. My mother had kept her ‘mangal sutra’ as mortgage so that I can buy engine for my first aeroplane. Now we are making a new 19-seater plane for which my brother has kept his flat as mortgage,” Amol said.
It was Maharashtra CM Fadnavis who backed him and his project when Amol displayed his aircraft during 2016’s Make in India exhibition in Mumbai. It was on the Chief Minister’s request that PM Narendra Modi himself intervened to ensure that Amol Yadav could finally stop going around in circles with the aviation regulator and a few days ago, Amol received his certification from DGCA.
A release issued by the CMO said that Amol met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today to express his gratitude for personally taking up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The DGCA has provided a registration certificate to pilot Amol Yadav,” the statement said. It noted that Amol built his prototype plane on the rooftop of his house in 2011. “The aircraft was displayed during the Make in India week in Mumbai. Amol, through his company, will build aircr
aft manufacturing industry in Maharashtra,” the release stated. Praising Amol Yadav’s efforts CMO tweeted, “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!” As a sign of gratitude towards CM Fadnavis and PM Modi for their help, Amol has dedicated his aircraft’s registration to them. The registered name of the aircraft is VT-NMD or Victor Tango Narendra Modi Devendra.
In view of his vision and a strong desire to make aircraft in the country, the state government extended full cooperation to Amol’s company. As Amol was facing obstacles in getting his prototype aircraft registered with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Fadnavis wrote to Modi and also discussed the issue with the prime minister, the CMO said
Amol’s first 6-seater aircraft is an indigenous design which he and his team worked upon for more than 11 years. But engine and tyres were brought from abroad. For this plane, Amol and his team spent crores coming all out of their own pockets.
Amol and his team are still looking for genuine investors who will encourage them in research and development of their next project. DGCA, CONNECTIVITY AND OTHER PROJECTS On being asked why it took more than a decade to get the clearance from DGCA, Amol alleges that the DGCA not only sat on his application for years but also changed old rules that would have allowed him to fly the aircraft.
But it was his relentless campaign that forced authority to change the rules. Amol feels that district connectivity can be improved with help of small aircraft. It will reduce the burden over road traffic. “There are over 300 airstrips in India which Britishers made and used.
We are still maintaining them but not using it. As we don’t have small aircraft. If we encourage small aircraft we can connect to small districts easily.” said Amol. Amol and his team is working on new project of a 19-seater aircraft. They are making this again at the same rooftop and intend to complete within 4-5 months this time.
