PAI Management Team

Managing Committee 2023-2024

 

Vistasp Kharas

Mumbai
Vistasp Kharas
President

Alokkumar Mihani

Bir
Alok
Secretary General

Manoj Shetty

Mumbai
Treasurer

Badari Duddupudi

Mumbai
Badari Duddupudi
VP South

Taha Anwer

Bir
taha anwar
VP East

Daksh Nain

Delhi
daksh nain
VP North

Surabhi Chavda

Gujrat
surabhi chavda
VP west

Krishan Kant Bhagra

Shimla, Bangalore
MC Member

AMAN SOOD

Bir
Aman Sood
MC Member

Jashan Jeet Josan

Delhi
jashan jeet
MC MEMBER

Radhakrishnan Ramdas

Secunderabad
Radhakrishnan Ramdas
MC Member

Rishab Sanat Shirgaokar

Kolhapur, Bir
MC Member

Technical committee

Member

Ajay Kumar

An accomplished Competition Pilot, Tandem Pilot and Paragliding Instructor, Ajay has taken part and won awards in many National and International Paragliding competitions. He has been the Indian National Champion 8 times and has made it to the podium in Nepal innumerable times as well. Held the USHPA P4 rating amongst several others. He brings in a wealth of experience to the table with his over 26 years of Paragliding experience.
Member

Debu Choudhury

A champion Competition Pilot, Cross Country pilot holding several of the Indian record for longest distance and biggest FAI Triangle Held the No. 1 ranking in India for several years and was ranked No. 55 in the world. He is also a world class Acro pilot, SIV Instructor, Tandem Pilot, XC flying instructor and guide. He was the Meet Director for the first ever PWC meet in India in 2015.
Member

Samson D’Silva

He ventured into teaching paragliding in 1998 by assisting in various clubs. The excitement and joy on the students face after their first flight was enough to take a decision of starting his own club SPACE APPLE. He also picked up skills as a winch operator and started training using a winch. Paramotoring, power kiting, parasailing, aero modeling are few other skills he developed over a period of time and added these activities to his club. Today with over 25 years of experience in this field he makes sure his students get the best value for their money.
Member

Rohit Kawalay

Rohit is a very experienced Cross Country hobby pilot who is based out of Pune. The proximity to the flying sites near Kamshet and Panchgani has gone a long way in contributing to his experience and overall skill development as a complete PG pilot. A gentle soft spoken guy, Rohit is ever helpful to fellow pilots and to the community.
Member

Sunith Rao

Born in the family of Pilots in Kamshet, Sunith grew up with the sport of Paragliding. He has already represented India and stood on podiums at various paragliding cross country competitions. Sunith is an accomplished XC pilot in India. He was only 4 years old when he had his first experience of flying in the vast blue skies and discovered his love for Paragliding

Technical advisory panel

Technical Advisory Panel member (PG)

Sanjay Pendurkar

One of the most experienced paragliding pilot, instructor, cross country competition pilot, Ex-Team India member, Team Member of the 2010 Himalayan Odyssey Paragliding Expedition.
Flying since 28+ years with over 5200+ hours of Airtime and 23+ years of Teaching experience. Pendu is a PAI-BHPA Certified Instructor with a P4 of USHPA and a St. John Ambulance First Aid certification
Technical Advisory Panel member (PG)

Tanaji Takve

TJ grew up watching paragliders fly in Kamshet since childhood . He started flying very young and has 20+ years of experience of Paragliding. He has completed several paragliding certifications. He is one of the few accomplished Acro pilots and Instructors in India. He has participated and won in various Paragliding competitions in India and abroad. He conducts SIV courses regularly in International location and is a PAI-BHPA Certified Instructor
Technical Advisory Panel member (PPG)

Mangesh Dighe

Mangesh Dighe is involved in Paragliding from past 24 years and paramotoring from past 15 years. He is honorary instructor at paramotor training school, Wings and Flights, Pune. He also holds Limca Book of Records of 2012 for longest night flying. He has participated in Paragliding Pre-World Cup 2005- India, Basse Ham Paramotor festival 2010- France, Asia Oceania Paramotor Championship 2017- Thailand, and Paramotor World cup 2018- Thailand.
Technical Advisory Panel member (PPG)

Dr. Vidyadhar Vaidya

Dr. Vidyadhar Vaidya is a Glider pilot holding a DGCA license and flying at the Pune Gliding Centre, since 2009. He also flies a hang glider (over 600 launches), and paraglider and paramotors (Para trikes and Backpack). He runs a school for paramotoring training under the Celestial Flights, registered in Pune.
Technical Advisory Panel member (PPG)

Eric Menezes

Eric is Chief Powered Paragliding Instructor & is also a Licensed Instructor on the Sailplanes at the Gliding Centre, Pune. The License is issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation. He has been in the flying field for the past 30 years with a record ten thousand flights to his credit. (both gliding and paragliding).
Technical Advisory Panel member (PG)

Vijay Soni

An acclaimed paragliding competition pilot, Vijay has experience in training, NDA, BSF, the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army, and the Indian Navy in the skill of Paragliding. Instructed the Indian Army Trans Sahyadri Paragliding Expedition 2009 from Goa – Ahmed Nagar, covering 1000 km in 20 days. Amongst other achievements, he has been the Indian National Champion in 2012, International Paragliding Champion 2012, Currently ranked No.1 XC pilot in india in the CIVL rankings. He is the only Indian to represent India in 7 FAI CAT 1 Competitions

Other committees

PAI Maharashtra Special Committee

Samson D’Silva (Chairman), Sanjay Pendurkar, Vijay Soni, Tanaji Takve, Hiren Shah and Rohit Kawaley

PAI PPG Committee

Eric Menezes, Samson D’Silva, Hiren Shah, Mangesh Dighe, Dr. Vaidya

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