Mumbai Boy Aryan Kasbekar, Age 10yrs a 5th Grader, from Khar, became India’s youngest paragliding pilot to fly solo.
Aryan got his Paragliding Flight Training from Templepilots, a Paragliding School & Club based in Kamshet. It took Aryan all of four days to achieve his first solo flight from a 350 ft high hill by the beautiful Pavana Lakeside Flying Site. Aryan soared in the sky for a bit, his flight lasted over 10 minutes & in his own words he experienced a higher level of happiness.
He did a perfect soft landing on his feet to be received & applauded by a big group of trainee & hobby Paragliding pilots who were all greatly impressed by his feat. Aryan impressed his Instructors by his positive attitude, determination, courage, curiosity & passion to want to fly.
Here is a full conversation between of Avi, Aryan and Anita after creating history.
Interview
- Avi : ok so what was your feeling when you took off like? you know first time you got in the air all by yourself how was the feeling? when you took off today?
- Aryan : I felt very happy, another level of happy i couldn’t explain it.
- Avi : yeah it was good?
- Aryan : yeah
- Avi : so what had you decided like what will you focus on and what was your plan for the flight?
- Aryan : for the flight, i just did the three things. first i listened to the radio instructions. i kept on listening to what the instructor were teaching me while i was doing the simulator and i kept on observing other people when they were taking off and landing
- Avi : yeah
- Aryan : and after that i visualised, most of the time i was visualising which gave me ahh.. which allowed me to land and take off well and which gave me and idea how to fly solo
- Avi : ok what was the best part of the flight?
- Aryan : the best part of the flight was when i was just flying straight. Nobody was talking to me. Just relaxing, calm, sitting down well in the harness just enjoying the view of the sunset, the people doing the kiting and the mountains around
- Avi : and the lake?
- Aryan : and the lake!
- Avi : when was the first time in your life you thought that “i want to fly?”…. first time
- Aryan : ah.. that happened not long ago.. i think so just one or two months back . I felt like.. i should try this course and i want to fly . Felt like doing paragliding that time i wanted to relax myself, make my self fresh.
- Avi : because you live a very busy lifestyle ..right? because of school and stress
- Anita : classes … 1001 classes
- Avi : pressure of parents and pressure of teachers and stress in classes so you wanted to something to make you relax
- Aryan : yeah
- Avi : so you are relaxed now ?
- Aryan : when the wind blew on my face i felt even more relaxed because the school had made my.. myself more temper… it reduced my temper (laughs)
- Aryan : so what did you think of my flight ?
- Avi : i couldn’t believe myself that you are up there in the sky and you are flying by yourself . I felt like wow, what a cool dude he is.. (laughs). i was really proud of you.
- Avi : what are the qualities you have found in yourself new? that made you successfully complete your course.. i think you have passed your written exams .. have you ? how much did you score?
- Aryan : 82
- Avi : So the passing mark is?
- Aryan : 80
- Avi : so you just about kinda managed haan, very nice (smiles) but your flight was fantastic and you landed on your feet so..
- Avi : so what do you think like that really made you achieve this?
- Aryan : i felt .. all because of listening, observation and visualisation and i kept on observing others and learning from the instructors and properly understanding what to do and how to do it actually made me achieve this.
- Avi : what are your thoughts on the instructors? you will like to mention some instructors who taught you the skills the technique
- Aryan: mostly..vikas sir taught me everything and my grand father helped me too. He is also almost an instructor and he taught a few things . He taught me how to hold the brakes and not to bend forward but later on vikas sir taught me that how to sit properly and you also taught me
- Avi : i also taught you few things
- Aryan : yeah and ganpat sir took my test and he was checking if i knew everything and if i was capable of doing solo flight
- Avi : alright
- Aryan : the first time when i did launch like i was about to take off from the hill the wind was too strong it was even dark like 6 o’ clock or 7 o’ clock and i couldn’t see anything so.. we cancelled the flight and the next day we started .
- Avi : alright
- Aryan : i would like to thank my grand parents .. i mean grand father , you and maushi (anita )and my parents especially my parents for allowing me to come to the course .
- Avi : now that you done your solo flight you think your parents will allow i mean first off all would you like to fly more? and your parents would allow you to fly more?
- Aryan : 50 percent chance they will allow me to fly .
- Avi : would you like to fly more?
- Aryan : yes i would love to fly more.
- Anita : do you think you have become more fearless? because of this experience
- Aryan : yes i have become more fearless .
- Anita : you feel that you have something, not many boys of your age have done . Actually i think anyone of your age has done and you found something that was brave in you?
- Aryan : yeah
- Anita : isn’t that beautiful?
- Aryan : yeah
- Aryan : it is very nice feeling .
- Anita : you feel like you can do anything now?
- Aryan : not anything but yeah i can fly that we now as i showed my capability right now.
- Anita : I am very proud of you…and yeah it was very emotional for me..and i am extremely proud of you extremely …
- Avi : alright nice talking to you aryan, all the best
