Mr. Jamshed Ishrat

 Tell us about yourself in general (outside of the hobby e.g. family, childhood, education, profession etc.).

Mr. Ishrat:   Schooling: Saint Mary’s, Rawalpindi. College: Gordon College Rawalpindi, University: University of Engg & Technology, Lahore.  Degree in Mechanical Engg, 1967. Joined PIA as a cadet flight engineer in 1968. Initial aircraft Boeing 707. Retired from PIA in 2006, final aircraft Boeing 747.

 What made you come into this hobby and when did you start?

Mr. Ishrat: Started some 30 years ago. By chance visited a hobby shop in England. Bought a diesel control line. On next visit to USA bought a whole lot of hobby items including a 4 channel radio and a kit, Sterling ‘Fledgling’.

 What do you enjoy the most in this hobby? Is it designing, building or flying?

Mr. Ishrat:   Never designed a plane. Built quite a few. Flew quite a few. Enjoyed both. But these days boys tend just to fly when some one else builds for them.

 Any interesting story that you want to share with rcpak.com users?

Mr. Ishrat:  During the APAMA Nationals in 1995 a fellow aeromodeller from Lahore nested his trainer in the big ‘killer’ tree of our field. Being not able to reach the plane that evening he planned to go home and retrieve the plane the next morning. The next day he did bring a ladder and stuff. Surprised that the plane was missing.  

 How many aircraft have you bought/build? Walk us through these aircraft's their specs. and your experiences.

Mr. Ishrat: Eighties: Sterling ‘Fledgling’40, my first plane. Crashed a few times, repaired and flew again. DB ‘Pronto’ the English trainer, Pilot     ‘EZ 20’ the Japanese kit. In 1984 MASK Karachi was the only organized club in Pakistan, I was its member. In 1984 in the F3A class aerobatic competition held at Korangi, Karachi, Kamal Butt was placed second. Ayaz Faqiruddin was first, I was flying Carl Goldberg ‘Tiger 60’.

Nineties: Plenty if kits from Sig ‘Kouger’, Great Planes ‘Christen Eagle’, to Bud Nosen's  Gere Sport powered by a Zenoah G 62 gasoline. Bought a used ‘PANIC’ bipe from Avicraft Hobbies, London. I still fly another scratch built PANIC with OS 60 installed. Attended Dortmund’s (Germany) air shows twice, once with Capt Sohrab, (now in Lahore). Built Sig ‘Piper J 3 Cub’ quarter scale with Zenoah G 23 gasoline engine.

On the event of first Nationals here at Islamabad Fatimah Jinnah Park, Islamabad in 1995, I and Kamal Butt toed commercial banners with this Piper J 3 Cub.

Twenty first century: Moved to Karachi for six years until I retired from PIA service. During that time I was a regular member of MASK, the Karachi aeromodelling club. Attended BMFA UK aeromodelling annual contests in 2001.

 Tell us the story of Islamabad Aeromodelling Club? When how did it all start?

Mr. Ishrat: Started by late Col Riaz during the eighties when I was in Karachi. Later the activity was limited to smaller groups flying at different sites in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. In 1992 I and Kamal Butt revived IAC, organised its membership, held internal competitions then brought aeromodellers from all over Pakistan under one umbrella. All pledged to have aeromodelling competitions every year under APAMA. IAC was the first to host the Nationals in 1995 at the site close to the present one. MAAL Lahore next in 1996, MASK Karachi, in 1997 and so on. In 1998 ‘Shezan’ sponsored the APAMA Nationals in Islamabad. It was held at the Rawal Lake site and was a big success.

We had competitions in aerobatic F3A class in Novice, Advanced and Masters categories, in Fun Fly and in static scale models. Interestingly in 1995, Islamabad’s 13 year old lad Bilal Razak had the honour of winning the first position in the Advanced category. Sajid Khan of Lahore was Pakistan No 1.