A serving pilot with a private carrier in India has decided to approach the US aviation agency FAA to obtain license for his indigenously built 6-seater aircraft. The pilot has been trying to get a flying permit from DGCA for his aircraft registered under experimental category.

"I have been seeking license to fly my plane since 2011. For how long should I wait? I think now it is time. My dream is to fly my 'made in India' plane in the Indian skies and if this is the route I have to take, then so be it," says Captain Amol Yadav.

Captain Amol Yadav stole the limelight during the Make in India week of February 2016 for making a 6-seater airplane indigenously on his terrace. Even though he had made this impossible task a reality way back in 2011, it was only in 2016 that he managed to grab the attention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who passed on a good word for him to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was assured of all the possible help.

In November 2017, Yadav finally managed to register his aircraft under the name VT NMD (Narendra Modi Devendra). Two months later in February 2018, the Government of Maharashtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with his company for the making of 19-seater aircrafts in several phases. The Rs 35,000 crore project was supposed to get the land allocation at Palgarh (140 km from Mumbai) and reports suggested that the massive project would create 10,000 jobs. So far so good.

After this, Captain Amol Yadav went to the DGCA to get a flying license. And that's where things became complicated. He was told that there was no provision of providing license to an aircraft registered under "experimental category". And since then all his efforts to get his aircraft on air have failed.

The pilot contends that the DGCA changed the rules for they didn't want his aircraft to fly. At present he's not getting a test flight for he has been asked by the DGCA to get a certified landing gear. But the pilot says, "An aircraft registered under experimental category doesn't need a certified landing gear. Even if I get one, it will cost me around Rs 50 lakhs and then the DGCA will cause more problems from air worthiness department."

He laments that inspite of the assurances given by the Devendra Fadnavis government, he has not been able to finalise his dream project. His family too says that they have put in everything to fund the dream.

"We mortgaged our house and all our earnings. Now we cannot wait any more. If the Indian officials don't think that this is a shame that we have to go to US for license then what can be said," says Rashmikant Yadav, elder brother of Captain Amol Yadav.

Captain Amol says that the government initiatives like Make In India mean nothing to him. He feels that the project would have benefitted many people as it would have generated a lot of employment. He also points out the government's UDAN initiative was failing because only big companies were being given the opportunity.

"Small aircrafts are needed for shorter distances. That's the future. But the government employs a Mercedes where they should have been employing a Maruti 800. The results are for everyone to see.



When India Today TV asked him what the government advertised initiatives meant to him, he said, "Show me where is the ease of doing business. It is not here."

As and when Captain decides to go ahead with the FAA plan, the name VT NMD will no longer exist. Also, after the flying tests, he will get Air Worthiness certificate from the American agency to fly. He can perhaps then come to India and seek approval to fly from DGCA. With FAA approvals at hand, he hopes his file could possibly move faster in the DGCA.