Collectors are driven by different motivations – from nostalgia to passion. We chat up with Air India pilot, Captain Saif Tinwala, on his extensive Air India aircraft scale model collection, and tips for budding avgeeks to get started with their very own collection.

1. What inspired you to become a pilot?

I grew up in Juhu in Mumbai which is very close to the airport; and right from the beginning I enjoyed watching planes take off over my house. Soon, I could identify the aircraft just by its sound. I also dabbled with aviation photography for a while. By the time I was in the 12th grade (high school), I knew I wanted to pursue a career in aviation. I have been flying for seven years now and I have loved every single day of it.

2. Tell us a bit about your aircraft scale model collection and how it all started?

I started collecting aircraft models much before I joined Air India owing to my love for aviation. Interestingly, the very first aircraft scale model that I bought was an Air India Boeing 787; and then, I joined Air India to fly the Boeing 787, which was a full circle moment for me. Collecting diecast airplane models is a niche hobby, not just in India but world over. I own more than 100 scale models, and around 70-80% of these are in Air India livery. My collection, now, ranges from Air India’s very first aircraft, the Super Constellation, to the A350s in the new livery. It took me more than seven years to collect all these aircraft.

3. That’s impressive! So, you have every single aircraft type that Air India has had in its fleet?

Yes, I have the entire fleet of Air India, every model that was ever produced. I fly the Boeing 787, so there is a bit of bias there. I have three Boeing 787 models of three different registrations. I also have a few Boeing 747 aircraft models; one of each type – Boeing 747-200, Boeing 747-300 and Boeing 747-400. I have scale models in different liveries too. I have aircraft models in the ‘Palace in the Sky’ livery, ‘Flying Swan’ livery, and many more. I also have aircraft in erstwhile Vistara’s livery and Air India Express - pretty much summing up the entire Air India Group.

4. Your driving force behind collecting the aircraft scale models…

My love for aviation! What became my profession was once my hobby and my passion, so it's kept the enthusiasm alive and kept me motivated. My idea was to collect airplanes that I have flown as a passenger or as a pilot. It's essentially a special memory that I want to immortalise.

5. How do you source these?

These are diecast models that are made in very small batches and get sold out quickly. There are only three major manufacturers for these models. They come out with a new aircraft model every month and have one Air India model every six or seven months. I pre-order them whenever they are available, and they can be picked up from multiple stores across the globe. Thankfully, with my job I get to fly a lot, so I pick them up accordingly. I also keep an eye on the hobby stores in different cities for new arrivals.

6. What is your favourite travel destination and a fun avgeek experience that one can do there?

There is a really great place for plane spotting in Sydney, ‘The Beach’. It is a win-win as you can relax at the beach while watching airplanes take off and land. There’s another great spot at Tokyo Haneda airport – it is an observatory that is open for all and at the perfect vantage point offering unrestricted views of Terminals 1, 2, and 3. In the U.S, Gravelly Point in Washington DC, is perfect for a picnic coupled with plane spotting as the airplanes pass just a hundred feet above you.

7. Can you recommend any of the hobby stores that you spoke about?

The one I usually go to in London is a store in Uxbridge. There’s also one in Amsterdam, near the Schiphol Airport.

8. Any advice for budding avgeeks on collecting aircraft scale models?

For any new collector, you must first narrow down on which scale you want to collect basis the available space. 1/400 is a smaller scale and 1/200 is a relatively bigger one. Once you have that clarity, probably identify an airline of your choice and then the aircraft of your choice. You would want to collect that one plane that you truly love, or one airline that you truly admire. If you fly a particular aircraft type, that's the one you want shining on your desk or on your wall cabinet.