In 2008, NRG businessman Subhash Shihora, his wife and his six-month-old son were forbidden to take a flight from New Delhi to Ahmedabad despite having a valid ticket because of technical problems.
Shihora was so angry, he sued the flight for Rs. 21 crore. He also wanted to ensure that it never happened again. And he found a way out, Shihora has become the first Indian to buy the world’s first commercial flying car called ‘Transition’ from a company in Massachusetts, US.
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Shihora wants his car to be parked at his farmhouse, SG Road in Ahmedabad but he fears to get permission to do so, he will need clearance from the Aviation agencies. “I fly down to Ahmedabad at least six times a year and then fly to Mumbai and Rajkot. I had taken a test drive of the flying car. By pressing just one button, the car turns into an aircraft. I have started taking flying lessons to get the licence,” says Shihora. He booked this car in 2009 and got the delivery in 2012.
Shihora, who moved to the UK in 1998, booked it for Rs 1 crore and will pay another Rs 1 crore by the time it is delivered. “With all taxes and duties paid, the car will cost me around Rs 6 crore in Ahmedabad.”
The car, designed with foldable wings, successfully completed its first flight on March 5, 2009, and recently got clearance from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration. The two-seater vehicle falls in the light aircraft category and requires a private pilot licence to fly it. The vehicle, which is big enough to fit into a home garage and runs on unleaded petrol, can travel up to 450 miles and can fly at 115 mph.