Just a private pilot license (PPL) and a government that does not believe in issuing such licenses to paraplegics like Himanshu.

But he hasn't given up. He is determined to get one at least for flying microlight aircraft. If he succeeds, he may become the first Asian paraplegic to do so.

Helping him get the minimum 40 hours of flying is a Bangalore-based club for recreational aviation -- Agni Aero Sports Adventure Academy.

For the past two days, Himanshu B Mehta presently employed with NDTV (New Delhi) as a tape manager (``actually a glorified librarian'', he laughs) has been learning how to fly microlight aircraft at the Jakkur airfield here. And according to the Academy's director Capt Arvind Sharma who is Himanshu's chief flying instructor, the latter's performance till date has been `excellent'.

But how did Himanshu end up flying light aircraft in Bangalore? ``I have alwayswanted to fly but didn't know how to go about it. Last year, in August or so, our Bangalore bureau did a story on two guys who flew from Hyderabad to UK in a powered hang-glider. I met the Bangalore-based Storm Smith who helped me network with Steve Slade a paraplegic and Microlight world champion and aeronautics engineer. E-mails with him followed and then I got more information about aviation and disabled pilots on the Internet,'' he explained.

Determined to try for his own PPL, he then encountered official obstacles. But, he says, things have to change. ``India is a signatory to the International Civil Aviation Organisation which recognises paraplegics' right to fly. So our country too will have to ultimately change its rules. The thing is, no paraplegic has tried so far,'' he adds.

And his father Prakash B Mehta a former Deputy director of ESI at Ghaziabad who is here with him at present knows that Himanshu will not rest easy till he succeeds.

``My wife Sudha and I have brought up Himanshu andhis two sisters to be confident of their abilities. Besides, Himanshu is very obstinate. He drives a car, used to take part in car rallies for the disabled. He lives life his way. He will succeed,'' says the proud father.