Ex-PAF employee claims manufacturing ultra-light helicopter

PESHAWAR: A former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) employee is claiming that he has succeeded in manufacturing an ultra-light helicopter. Qazi Sajjad Ahmad, hailing from Landi Arbab village in Peshawar, said he was the first Muslim to have achieved this milestone.

“Pakistan could be in possession of advanced helicopter-manufacturing technology if the government assisted me,” he opined.

Talking to The News, he claimed he could manufacture advanced helicopters that could be used in rescue operations in natural calamities during inclement weather conditions.

The 57-year old Qazi Sajjad has done matriculation and has been gliding since 1978.

He said he studied about the manufacturing of helicopters and wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in 2005 to extend him financial assistance to accomplish the task.

He said the letter was referred to the Ministry of Defence that called him for an interview. "The authorities promised to release Rs1 million for my project, but not a single penny was given to me. I sold my house in Landi Arbab to purchase the parts for helicopter.

“I assembled the parts and successfully demonstrated a flight in my village," he recalled. "Since the first helicopter was heavy and it didn't have a powerful engine so I prepared another aircraft with a powerful engine. I flew it successfully," he said.

Qazi Sajjad, who is a licence-holder pilot, has also prepared a glider aircraft and handed it over to the PAF.

He said he produced two glider aircraft that are parked at the PAF Academy in Risalpur.

He said he retired from the PAF as chief warrant officer.Qazi Sajjad said the Saudi government offered him job as glider pilot and he served in Saudi Royal Guard for three years.

He claimed he also trained pilots in Saudi Arabia.He said his son Qazi Ajmal was subsequently offered the job and he was now serving in Saudi Arabia.

It may be recalled that Qazi Sajjad's two brothers Qazi Tufail Ahmad and Qazi Farhad received presidential awards. Qazi Farhad died when his plane crashed during the Jashn-e-Sarhad festival.As for Qazi Tufail, he succeeded in flying an aircraft at high altitude during the annual Shandur festival.