Jet-setting family go on holiday in plane dad built in his garden shed
The sky’s the limit for this travel-loving family after they built their own plane in their back garden.
Abhilasha and Ashok Aliseril and their daughters Tara, eight, and Diya, five, simply have to choose where to go, fasten their seat belts and take off.
Mum Abhilasha says having their own aircraft is not only more convenient than taking a passenger flight, it’s also saved them hundreds in ticket costs. So far, the intrepid family have jetted off to 12 countries.
Abhilasha, 37, says: “We can wake up and take the girls to Paris for breakfast – we can be eating croissants across the Channel in just over an hour. The freedom we have is absolutely unreal. As long as the forecast looks good, the world is our oyster.”
Ashok’s passion for planes was fuelled by a 30-minute flying lesson Abhilasha bought him as a birthday present in 2018. The following year, after 50 hours of flying and passing 14 theory exams, he gained his private pilot’s licence – which typically costs £10,000 to earn.
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During the pandemic, automotive mechanical engineer Ashok, 40, bought the kit to build a four-seater plane. With help from YouTube videos, he spent two years creating the Sling TSi model – which can reach heights of 18,000ft and speeds of 175mph – in a shed at their house in Billericay, Essex.
The family, of Billericay, Essex, are pictured in the plane
The Aliserils, who enjoy travelling, have been to Santorini, GreeceOnce the plane was signed off by the Civil Aviation Authority in February 2022 and Ashok logged 20 hours of solo flying, the family’s dream of travelling the world really took off.
They have since been on trips across Europe, starting with a 40-minute hop to the Isle of Wight and eventually reaching Norway, 1,200 miles away. Data analyst Abhilasha says: “There were tail parts all over my dining room, but it’s a small price to pay. The girls absolutely adore being up in the plane. They get so excited when we are coming into land, chattering about what they can see and pointing out landmarks to each other.”
Ashok adds: “Taking them up in the plane for the first time was so exciting.” But he says that flying with kids has its challenges. "The apron, where the planes are parked, is quite a busy and dangerous environment so keeping track of the kids while getting the aircraft ready for flight is quite tricky. We also had to get them both booster seats so they can see out of the aircraft windows from the back," he says.
Ashok, pictured with his family in France, said the venture has offered so many opportunitiesThe family have even had to make unscheduled stops at small airfields for the kids to use the loo. But the girls love flying in the plane, which is kept in a hangar in Cambridgeshire, a 30-minute drive from where the Aliserils live. Children must be 16 to fly solo, but there’s no limit on when they can start learning. Ashok says: “My daughters will probably both end up wanting to learn to fly before they can drive.” And soon Abhilasha will start flight training so she can take the controls in an emergency.
The plane was a massive investment, with the build, licences and paperwork costing £180,000 over two years. Due to post-Covid demand, a similar model now costs around £300,000.
Pictured in Spain, the Aliserils
The family, seen here in Bergerac, France, spoke of the 'absolutely unreal' freedomAbhilasha says: “We paid for it a bit at a time and it was so much cheaper than buying a plane ready-built, or a share in a plane. We save a fortune.
“Last Easter, we flew to Bergerac in France for a three-day trip over the bank holiday, which cost around £258. The flights alone with a commercial airline would have cost us £900. Most airfields only charge a few pounds to land a small plane, and parking an aircraft is much cheaper than a car. It’s usually around £5 a day. The plane has four seats and holds enough fuel for us to fly for eight hours, costing £80, but we haven’t been quite that far yet.
“We don’t fly for more than a couple of hours at a time because the girls need regular breaks, just like travelling by car. But as they get older, we’ll be able to fly for longer stretches.”
The young sisters enjoyed helping their father construct the plane in Essex
The dad, pictured with his family in Madrid, gained his private pilot’s licence in 2019The plane can carry 35kg of luggage and the family have also squeezed in camping and survival gear. Followers of their Instagram page, Fly Home or Away, regularly question how safe the plane is. But Abhilasha and Ashok say they have never felt in danger – and even chose to fit an extra seat instead of a parachute. Abhilasha says: “If an engine fails on a light aircraft, the best thing is to glide to safety. I’ve never had a moment’s doubt over safety.”
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Ever cautious, the couple only fly during the day in good weather and avoid passing over mountains and large stretches of water.
Abhilasha says: “We don’t decide on a destination until the last minute so we can check where the weather is best. The journey is also more exciting than the destination. It’s much, much quicker than going by car or train – and the view is a million times better.”
The family do occasionally take commercial flights for long-haul journeys to places like Dubai or India. Ashok admits: “Sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the flight planning and fill in the customs forms.”
But for young Tara, nothing will ever beat her own private plane. She says: “We love the views when we are up in the air. It’s so exciting.”
Follow the family on Instagram at @fly_home_or_away
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