While reading the news in India has become similar to watching a horror movie over and over again, every once in a while, the headlines do send something positive our way.

Meet Bahadur Chand Gupta, a retired aircraft engineer, who bought a disused Airbus A300 with his savings and parked it on a plot on the outskirts of Delhi. Gupta hails from the small village of Kasana in Haryana, and recalls how at the start of his career, his fellow villagers asked him what it was like to be in an aircraft. That innocent yet weighted question stayed with Gupta all his life as he jetted across the sky, and he made up his mind that one day, he would somehow show people who couldn’t afford to get on an airplane what getting on one felt like.

His effort has been a huge hit, especially with enthusiastic children. Gupta is keen that his effort pays off and has made it as realistic as possible: passengers are given realistic boarding passes, shown in-flight safety demos, and a lucky few even get to take a peek inside the cockpit. While the ticket costs Rs. 60, Gupta understands that for many even this is a high sum, and so allows people to enter for free if they can’t afford to pay. This kindly gesture has enabled many Indians to experience an authentic flight experience and continues to be one of the most heartwarming tales to ever grace our pages.