Viral: Kerala man builds aircraft for family during lockdown, travels across Europe in it

Image Source : FACEBOOK Ashok Aliseril Thamarakshan poses with his family alongside a plane he built

A plane built by a Kerala-based man during the COVID lockdown took him and his family on a Euro trip. Ashok Aliseril Thamarakshan and his wife Abhilasha Dubey started saving money for this purpose during the first coronavirus lockdown and their efforts bore fruits when the plane they constructed took them on the ride of a lifetime. The four-seater aircraft became took Thamarakshan, his wife and their two kids across several countries in Europe and people who are coming across the family's story are praising them for their grit and hard work.

Man converts hobby into passion

Thamarakshan, a native of Alappuzha in Kerala, took nearly 18 months to build the four-seater aeroplane which was used for his Euro travel. The aircraft model Sling TSI has been named G-Diya. The name of the self-built aircraft is after the couple's younger daughter Diya, who travelled with them on it for the Euro trip. It has been revealed that Thamarakshan is an aircraft enthusiast and used to rent two-seater planes for his visits. However, as his family grew, he found the need for a four-seater aircraft.

Thamarakshan says four-seater aircrafts are hard to find

Thamarakshan shared that four-seater aircrafts are hard to find as they are not the standard anymore. For this purpose, he did a lot of research and ordered a kit at home to build the aircraft himself. As there was plenty of time on his hand during the Covid lockdown, he put it to good use and built the aircraft by ordering the required parts.

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A visit to Johannesburg led to the idea of a four-seater aircraft

Thamarakshan had chanced upon a four-seater aircraft during a visit to a Johannesburg-based company in 2018. Back then, Sling Aircraft was launching a new range of aircraft called Sling TSI and this fueled his interest in it. During the Covid lockdown, Thamarakshan invested in it and got for himself the kit to build the aircraft. It is said to have cost him Rs 1.8 crore. He termed it as his 'ambition', which has finally seen the light of the day. Thamarakshan, who has a pilot's licence, has visited Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic so far in the four-seater with his family.