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It's hard to believe that Manoo Parekh, born in 1911, a jeweller's son from Jamnagar in Gujarat, gave up his family business to get into aviation as early as in 1931, even before the Indian Air Force was established.
Having a scientific bent of mind, he first invented a peanut shelling machine in 1929 for which he was given a Gold Medal but his passion was in aeroplanes. He purchased magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics from where he imbibed plans to build an actual aircraft! He started off by collecting bicycle wheels, pipes, wires and fabric but later had to import the engine and propeller from the UK.
Having then constructed an aeroplane, at a total cost of some Rs 5000, he didn't know how to fly it! He requested many trained pilots to flight test his aeroplane but they were apprehensive about of this homemade airplane which he called Safed Paree ('White Angel'). Yet, Manoo didn't give up. Finally a British pilot, after a complete check, agreed to test fly it, which he did and later exclaimed that it was a very gentle baby to fly"!
During those...