Vietnams (future) flying farmers, Tran Quoc Hai and Le Van Danh, passed a critical step in their bid to become the countrys first homegrown aviators last week when government inspectors appear to have given their backyard-built helicopter a passing grade. Specifically, within 30 minutes, the engine operated in a stable manner, the propeller ran at 180 circles per minute and other indexes met standards, the VietNamNet Bridge reported. Particularly, the aircraft met the standards for anti-shake on the ground, which was the biggest challenge in the testing period. Ministry of Defense inspectors will be looking at the aircraft over the next couple of weeks and, if it passes muster, it will be granted a license to (hopefully) fly. The pair hopes their dogged determination in pursuing their dream will encourage and facilitate others interested in aviation. They also acknowledged that the personal interest and support of Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung went a long way in getting them this far.
