Aerosports has been a privilege of the wellheeled. That’s set to change with a new centre aiming to bring these hobbies within the common man’s reach
Shobha John | TNN Listen, everybody! There’s no limit to how high we can fly! We can dive for fish and never have to live on garbage again! –
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
in Richard Bach’s book.
In a country where aerosports is a neglected activity, enjoying the thrills of flying like Jonathan, be it in a hot-air balloon, a glider or a parachute, is easier said than done. Factors like lack of land, government initiative and infrastructure have left this sport floundering and the dreams of many, crashing. But now, a beginning has been made.
The recently inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi National Centre for Aerosports in Narnaul, Haryana—a first of its kind—hopes to restore the glory and love of flying to a generation that hasn’t seen much of it. Often, the eagerness of enthusiasts petered off, thanks to various constraints and bureaucratic hurdles. After 9/11, aerosports in India badly needed resuscitation. This seems to be it.
Rajive Gupta, a 45-year-old hot air balloon enthusiast, says that after Safdarjung airport in Delhi shut down in 2002, aerosports suffered a huge setback. “I had to go to Sohna or to The Netherlands and Australia to pursue ballooning.” All that is set to change, assures Aero Club of India (ACI) president Capt Satish Sharma. Aerosports’ decline has been saddening for ACI, established in 1927 on the lines of the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain. Then, it spawned other clubs in Karachi, Allahabad, Calcutta and Bombay.
Today, ACI has 22 flying clubs and 20 aerosport organizations under its ambit. Not all have impeccable credentials or instructors. “But this centre will become the backbone for aerosports and train trainers from all parts of India,” says Sharma. “We’ll also get corporate funding for underprivileged children.”
Land for the centre was obtained after a decade-long search. Finally, Haryana pitched in with 40 acres for an airstrip (3,000 ft) and hangar. Another 40 acres are expected. Aeromodelling, glider flying, hot air ballooning, parasailing and skydiving should become a regular activity in a year. ACI has Cessna 152s, Cessna 172 Rs with glass cockpits, simulators, gliders, etc. The times have changed, indeed. Earlier, aerosports was pursued either by well-off individuals or was tourism-oriented, says Wg Cdr Sanjay Thapar, D-G of Aerosports at ACI and president of the Indian Parachute Federation. “But with the purchasing power of Indians going up, there was a growing demand for such hobbies.” However, the charges for these hobbies are yet to be finalised, he said.
For Gupta, having such a centre close to Delhi, where he can return by evening, is a boon. For Capt Udit, 21, a pilot, it means not going abroad for his hobby.
Though the budget for this centre was Rs 82 crore, the government gave Rs 35 crore, says R C Kanda, secretary general of ACI. Thapar rues the fact that this centre is 20 years late in coming. “No one spends money on any sport, except for cricket. People think skydiving is dangerous, but it’s safer than driving a bike in Delhi.” Sharma promises to start national championships within 18 months and international ones later. As ACI is a member of the Switzerland-based Federation Aeronautique International, the sole body authorized to make and enforce rules for aviation sports, it’ll get foreign coaches, he says. This centre will enable children with aptitude to make a career in aviation and space science, says Kanu Gohain, ex-DG of civil aviation and ACI adviser. “Through its member organizations, ACI will give the expertise.”
Microlight flying too is on the anvil. This will be music for enthusiasts who were not allowed to do so due to perceived security threats. But Sharma says security agencies should take responsibility to verify their antecedents and licences and not curb this hobby. “Even after 9/11, one can do hobby flying in small planes in Washington. Why not in India?” asks Thapar.
It’s time Safdarjung airport too was opened up, they say.
Home 
