An Alchemist aircraft at Sonari aerodrome

Jamshedpur, May 4: Alchemist Aviation, the state’s lone private flying school, is getting bigger and better.

The Chandigarh-based aviation cradle will soon add three more aircraft to its existing fleet of five. It has also set the ball rolling to acquire land at Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi for a hangar and an office.

“We have applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for 1,000sqm of land at Birsa Munda Airport. We hope to get a go-ahead soon and make Ranchi the hub of our activities,” said S.K. Upadhyay, a senior official of the flying school.

Alchemist sources said efforts were on to procure three aircraft, including a Beechcraft 1900D from the US. The 1900D is the highest 19-seater Beechcraft variant with powerful engines and can carry passengers in all weather conditions and from relatively short runways.

Currently, Alchemist operates five aircraft, including two Cessna 172 , two Cessna 152 and a multi-engine Piper Seneca. It also plans to procure a helicopter for medical evacuation.

“We have applied (to DGCA) for the new aircraft. It will take some time since we have decided to make some changes in the aircraft models,” said an official.

Two of newly procured aircraft will be used for training wannabe pilots. Officials explained that the need was felt to cope with the rising number of students. From a handful of daredevils three years ago, the flying school today has 50 students on its rolls.

It offers training to aspirants seeking private pilot licence (PPL) and commercial pilot licence (CPL). A modern flight simulator for single and multi-engines, the only kind in this part of the country, was recently installed at the cradle.

Alchemist Airways, a wing of the private aviation firm, operates air taxis in Delhi and other parts of the country. It plans to launch its non-scheduled air taxi services, connecting various cities of Jharkhand, by the end of this year.