Indian-origin man builds a 4-seater airplane in his garden
Ashok Aliseril, a mechanical engineer from Essex, England, has constructed a four-seater Sling TSi aircraft in his backyard which took him about 18 months. The plane was built with the intention of flying his family around the UK. Aliseril's wife, Abhilasha, assisted him with some of the more challenging aspects of the build. Despite facing setbacks due to COVID-19 restrictions, Aliseril remained undeterred and converted his garden shed into a workspace for this project.
Aliseril calls his airplane 'G-Diya'
According to reports, Aliseril calls his Sling TSi "G-Diya," named after his younger daughter Diya. It is 7.175 meters long and 2.45 meters tall. The airplane works on a single engine and the man has spent about a crore in the aircraft's production. Additionally, Aliseril is planning to fly in G-Diya with his family around the US and UK since both the countries allow home-built plane operations.
He ordered the aircraft kit from South Africa amid pandemic
Aliseril ordered the aircraft kit from Sling Aircraft, a South African company, in early 2020. However, by the time it arrived, the UK was already under lockdown due to the pandemic. Despite his colleagues' inability to assist because of these restrictions, Aliseril continued with his project. He noted that while his professional background was beneficial, it was his home improvement experience that proved most useful during the build process.
Meticulous construction process and shared ownership
The construction process was lengthy and meticulous, with Aliseril building the tail and wings during summer 2020, and the fuselage later that year. Each stage of the project required approval from an inspector from the Light Aircraft Association before proceeding to the next task. The aircraft was approved for its first flight in January 2022 after several test flights. Aliseril shares ownership of the plane with three other pilots, creating a communal flying experience.
Journey from first flight to building own plane
Aliseril's interest in flying sparked when he moved near an airfield over a decade ago. His first flying experience was a 30-minute flight gifted by his wife, leading him to take flying lessons and earn his private pilot's license in 2019. As his family grew, he found the two-seater planes typically available for private hire unsuitable, prompting him to consider buying or building his own plane. After researching self-assembly aircraft kits, Aliseril chose the four-seater plane from Sling Aircraft.
Test flight and long-term maintenance plan
Aliseril flew to Sling Aircraft's factory in Johannesburg in January 2020 for a test flight and was so impressed that he decided to purchase the kit. He reasoned that building a plane himself would allow him to gain a better understanding of the aircraft for easier long-term maintenance. The Light Aircraft Association, under approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), monitored the project.
In 2017, a Mumbaikar built a plane on his terrace
In 2017, Captain Amol Yadav from Mumbai built a six-seater passenger aircraft called TAC-003 on his residential building's rooftop in Charkop, Kandivali. His 19-person joint family lived in a five-story building without an elevator, so they had to carry factory lathes, compressors, welding equipment, and an imported 180 kg (396 lb) engine up the steep stairs to the top. It's the first home-built passenger plane made in India and has already taken to the skies.
