When seven-year-old Aditya Pawar flew his scanner at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) air show here on Saturday, the audience cheered him on, particularly for the seemingly effortless manner in which he handled his aircraft.
The scanner was assembled by his father, Abhay Pawar, in just two days. Aditya, who took to flying after he turned six, says he had spent the past year practising flying an aircraft on a simulator.
Later, it was the turn of his father, an Infosys employee, who took to the skies with a hexa quadcopter, which also he built.
Creating awarenessThe ardent aeromodeller says the objective of the air show was simply to draw people’s attention to UAVs and educate them on its capabilities.
“My quadcopter is stable even when it is just a few inches above the ground. Indian defence needs such equipment. Such a show will get people to talk about it,” he said.
Adding a note of caution, Mr. Pawar said safety must be top priority at such events.
The air show is part of a two-day national seminar and exhibition on UAV technologies organised by the Rotary Club of Bangalore at the Jain University from Saturday. The event is being held in collaboration with National Aeronautics Limited and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
K. Tamilmani, director general of aeronautics, DRDO, said that the country lagged in UAV technological development. “Such efforts by educational institutions and private industries will expedite the work of the defence sector,” he added. .
Model aircraft ranging from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 30 lakh were flown during the display of radio control model aircraft.
An exhibitionThe event also featured an exhibition of equipment developed by NAL and DRDO, and seminars by experts from the aviation industry.
