Sky’s the limit for people who don’t give up! In modern times, wherein people stress on the importance of education and competitive examinations, 35-year-old contract worker K.A. Raja Gnanaprakasam proves that hard work and passion takes you far ahead in life, than bookish knowledge and formal education. This high school dropout from Dindigul village always wanted to take off to the skies. To turn his childhood dreams into a reality, the resident from Vayalur village (near Palani) designed a low cost paraglider. Gnanaprakasam’s paraglider costs Rs 60,000.
Here’s how he astonished mechanical engineers and scientists with his discovery.
Gnanaprakasam’s Paraglider Proves that One Doesn’t Need a Fancy Degree to Succeed in Life
Gnanaprakasam started working on this paraglider when he was just 23 years old. It took him around 12 long years and several failed attempts before he finally succeeded. Gnanaprakasam invented three paragliders. Out of these, two can carry two people each. He turned a small portion of his field (in Kadathur village in Tirupur) into runway for his gliders.
Every weekend, he flies his glider into the sky, covering up to 70 kilometers in a single trip to witness the beautiful views below. Following the massive success of his gliders, he’s currently working on powered hand glider that involves a more sophisticated mechanism. An agricultural motor, whose engine capacity ranges from 230cc to 300cc, will power this glider. It’ll also include anemometer (for tracking wind velocity) and altimeter (for tracking altitude).
One doesn’t need a license to fly powered paraglider. However, there are certain restrictions, such as one can’t fly it beyond 500 feet above sea level or in 40 km radius of the airport. For flying it beyond the specified limit, you need prior permission from directorate general of civil aviation.
K A Raja Gnanaprakasam recalls his life story. He had quit his school after VIII standard to help his father on the field. However, he has managed to complete his MA in history. All these years he has been devoting his time to his gliders. No one helped him complete this task. He solely relied on YouTube videos and online resources for help. After several failed experiments, he came up with a model that can fly at a speed of 120 Km/hr and has a tank capacity of 14 liters that can last up to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, he also invented a device that allows him to turn his electric motor on or off via phone calls. The current MRP of Gnanaprakasam’s glider is Rs 60,000 as opposed to other gliders that cost Rs 4 lakh or more.
The budding inventor is hopeful regarding the future of motor-powered paragliding in the country. Since paragliding is a safe activity, it can be used for recreation and tourism purposes. Gnanaprakasam’s experiment is an inspiring tale for several youngsters all over the country, who give into academic pressure and take drastic steps like suicide if they fail to qualify in exams. Gnanaprakasam inspires us to chase our dreams, no matter what!
