Pakistan popcorn seller builds his own plane using online videos

Screengrab from the video

A Pakistani popcorn seller turned into a local star after he built a plane from scratch by watching videos and tutorials available online. He built his own aircraft from unconventional materials like road cutter which is used as an engine and wheels borrowed from an Autorickshaw.

Muhammad Fayyaz had a dream of building and flying an aircraft. In order to realize his dream, Fayyaz invested all his saving from selling popcorn and working as a security guard. He even sold his family property and took a 50,000 Pakistani rupee loan from a micro-finance NGO.

While talking to news Agency AFP, Fayyaz said that he learned to build his flying machine only by watching TV clips and observing blueprints online. He also revealed that he landed into trouble in April for attempting to fly the small aircraft that he had built. Local police had arrested him last month for flying his makeshift aircraft. His small aircraft was also taken into custody by the police.

However, the 32-year-old popcorn seller was released when the Pakistan Air Force commended his efforts calling it passion and dexterity. A commander of a nearby base also issued him a certificate. So far representatives from the Pakistan Air Force have made two visits to his place to inspect the aircraft, which they described it as a "mini basic aeroplane", said Saamna TV.

Fayyaz, hailing from Tabur in central Punjab province, told The Telegraph that he is now raising money and seeking donations to rebuild his aircraft. He hopes to be fly his machine in a couple of months.

"I am reassembling my plane and hopefully will be able to do it in a couple of months," he said.

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