News Desk |
Muhammad Fayyaz of Pak Pattan who was arrested by Police for flying a self-made aircraft has now been given recognition by Pakistan Air Force.
Two representatives of Pakistan Air Force made two visits to inspect the plane and a commander of a nearby air base issued him a certificate that praised his “passion and dexterity” in creating a “mini basic principle.”
Fayyaz got arrested by Police when he flew his aircraft for test fly blocking the road to be used as runway using the airspace of Pakistan without permission from Civil Aviation Authority. Police made the arrest on the grounds of safety and security regarding the experiment as potential safety threat.
Fayyaz in his interview to a foreign media outlet stated, “I felt as though I had committed one of the worst acts in the world, as though I am the worst person in Pakistan,” he explained, adding: “I had been locked up with criminals.”
Read more: Fakhr-e-Alam calls out PM Khan for release of Fayyaz
The Police had also confiscated his airplane which was made with his savings and a bank loan of Rs.50,000. Fayyaz constructed the plane from spare parts from one thing and another, taking the tires off of a rickshaw and making the wings from scrap metal.
Background
Muhammad Fayyaz is a popcorn seller and a security guard by profession in Arifwala district. He was arrested after he conducted a trial of his plane at an open field. According to the claims made by Fayyaz, his plane can fly up to 1000 feet.
Officer Zafar Iqbal explained: “The plane was returned to him as a goodwill gesture. Should he obtain a flying license or permit, he is free to fly the plane.”
Fayyaz in the interview informed he had a passion to join the Pakistan Air Force since childhood but his father’s early demise forced him to drop out of school and do odd jobs to feed his mother and five younger siblings.
He added that he acquired information to construct a plane by watching the episodes of the National Geographic’s program “Air Crash Investigation” for insight into thrust, air pressure, torque, and propulsion, online blueprints, and airplane models.
Read more: The Pakistani popcorn seller who built his own plane
The homemade plane has gained popularity among people and people have been travelling from far and wide to feast their eyes on the marvel. His family was worried about him from the start as his mother Mumtaz Bibi said, “I kept telling him to stop. I kept telling him to concentrate on his family and work, he was being crazy over nothing. But he didn’t listen to a single word.”