Gaurav Taneja got emotional and glad to help India

• YouTuber created history by flying into US airspace and sketching the largest map of India.
• He claims the flight lasted around three hours and covered about 350 kilometres.
• The 36-year-homage old’s has been tremendously positive, with messages of congratulations.

Gaurav Taneja got emotional and was glad to help India. The 74th Republic Day of India was celebrated with zeal throughout the country, with the Tricolour flying high. On the same day, YouTuber Gaurav Taneja created history by flying into US airspace and sketching the largest map of India ever produced.

Taneja, an engineer-turned-pilot, said he wanted to pay special tribute to India on this historic day.

He tells us on a call from Florida, “Flying is my passion. I gave up engineering for a career in aviation. I wanted to pay a special tribute to my country. And what better day [to do so] than on the day when the Constitution came into force.”

Taneja’s dedication is part of his continuing Lift India to Newer Heights campaign, which he started with #AasmanMeinBharat. He claims the flight lasted around three hours and covered about 350 kilometres. The actual issue, as Taneja points out, was selecting a location free of weather and airspace restrictions.

According to the YouTuber, he and his team had to make sure there were no major airports or heavy jets going across, as the turbulence from these large planes could disrupt their flight path.

“While I was on the flight, I had no idea what path I am tracking. I was nervous because the winds were a little stronger than we had foreseen. This made taking steep turns a bit difficult,” he explains. Despite the difficulties, the team fulfilled their task, creating a magnificent map of India in the sky. He was overcome with pride and excitement when he landed and saw the entire map.

“After I landed and saw the map tracked, I had goosebumps. I felt so proud after we saw the complete map,” he exclaims.

The reaction to the 36-year-homage old’s has been tremendously positive, with messages of congratulations and appreciation coming in from all around the country on his YouTube video.

“Almost everyone had goosebumps and tears in their eyes and so did I. I was happy I could do something for my country. This was my main motivation,” he signs off, sharing that he is committed to further using his platform to inspire others to work towards the common goal of taking India to greater heights.