Kerala: After a five years of pain-full efforts, Saji Thomas has build a small aircraft on his own at Kerala. The 45-year-old engineer who is speech and hearing challenged, with his talent has built a small aircraft of his own, now yearns for a full-time job.
Sajji’s spouse Maria said, in their 14 years of married life she has only seen her husband being busy tinkering with small motors machines and she dint have any clue about what he was up to.
“Initially I tried my best to dissuade him to get work as an electrician, but when I found all my efforts were in vain, I decided to support him in all his endeavours. Today the entire village (near Thodupuzha in Idukki district) is steadfastly behind him as he built a twin-seater ultralight aircraft, which has been filmed by the Discovery Channel,” Maria said.
Saji studied only till class 7 and has always been hooked on to electrical gadgets and their repairs. “The first thing he built was the frame of a helicopter. He got in touch with (former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi, seeking money to buy an engine for it. It did not materialise because Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated (In May 1991). Then his interest shifted to building an aircraft and after five years of hard work, he fitted the small aircraft with the engine of a two-wheeler.
Later it was given to a college nearby and they still use it to teach their students,” the proud wife said.
She said he then began work on this now successful two-seater and sourced all the materials from Bangalore.”After a marathon five years of work, last year in April, it was taken to a private airline academy in Ambasamudram near Madurai.
Since this aircraft has no license nor does Saji have a license to fly aircraft, he could fly it for a few minutes there. Later the chief instructor, a retired air force officer, also flew it for a few minutes. The aircraft flew only at a height of 20 feet as the rules are very strict,” added Maria.
Today the couple, who has a 13-year-old son Joshua, is still hoping for the government support. “We see the present programme of Discovery Channel which has filmed his efforts as an eye-opener and it is expected to be aired soon. Our only wish is my husband gets a stable monthly job as by now he has sold a portion of our land to complete this aircraft.
