Two brothers from Peshawar make Pakistan’s ‘first’ ultralight helicopter

Two brothers from Peshawar, Qazi Sajjad Ahmed and Qazi Tufail Ahmed have built Pakistan’s ‘first’ ultralight helicopter.

The two brothers, who belong to Landhi Arbab, a village on the outskirts of the provincial capital, have demonstrated its capability through a successful lift-off.

Talking to a private news outlet, Qazi Sajjad Ahmed said, “I had watched a James Bond film in 1978, which inspired me to design an ultralight aircraft.” 

“In 2005, I had submitted a request to the [then] prime minister for financial assistance for accomplishing the feat, which was forwarded to the Pakistan Army. I received a letter from the ministry of defense production and was subsequently interviewed by a major.”

Sajjad told that the helicopter has been built at a cost of over Rs 1.5 million and can fly up to 6,000 feet. 

He further said that it can also be used for aerial spraying. While the government acquired special aircraft from Turkey to spray pesticides on locust-infested areas, his helicopter can do so at a cheaper cost.

The aircraft has been registered with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA). Tufail, who is a professional pilot, has requested for government support to bring further improvements to their aircraft.