India was the pioneer of Civil Aviation in Asia - Tata Air Services started with Jehangir Ratanji Dadbhoy (JRD) Tata’s first flight on Oct, 15th, 1932 from Karachi to Bombay! It created aviation history when he flew with 25 kg of Airmail under contract with Imperial Airways. The flight marked the birth of commercial air transport in Asia. Tata Airlines was nationalised to Air India in 1953 and is now back with the Tata Group!

JRD Tata was inspired by his father’s friend, aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot, the first man to fly across the English Channel, and took to flying.

On 10 February 1929, he obtained the first pilot’s license to be issued by the Aero Club of India & Burma, with license number ‘1’!

The de Havilland Puss Moth DH80A he flew on this flight had a fabric-covered steel tube fuselage construction. The Puss Moth was a high wing two seat light aircraft. The wings could be folded back to reduce hangar space, a common feature of a number of light aircraft of the era.

The Indian Postal Department celebrated the historic flight with the issue of a postal stamp of ₹3.25 in Oct 1982.

Box Cover

The old sepia photograph of the landing of JRD Tata’s inaugural flight that Kalpana Chawla carried into space during her first Space Shuttle Mission STS-87. This photograph had inspired her since childhood to become an astronaut!

Puss Moth DH80A Specifications

JRD Tata First Flight | 1:72 Scale Model of Puss Moth