In Siguatepeque of yesteryear, we remember Mr. Agustín López Pacheco, the Honduran who set his dreams soaring by building his own helicopter

Siguatepeque-Comayagua. In Siguatepeque of yesteryear, today we will remember Mr. Agustín López Pacheco, who, with his dedication and ingenuity, was able to build his helicopter. Through the following report conducted by me on January 17, 2011, in the then Diario El Tiempo de Honduras, we will relive that magical and pleasant conversation in life with Mr. Agustín López Pacheco (may he rest in peace), which I later recounted in the prestigious newspaper La Prensa on November 24, 2019.

As an anecdote, thanks to that report, the international group Coldplay dedicated a song to Mr. Agustín López Pacheco in recognition of his integrity, tenacity, and humility, elevating the municipality of Siguatepeque located in the central region of Honduras. Marlon Laguna Salgado.

AGUSTÍN LÓPEZ PACHECO: THE MAN WHO MADE HIS DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT To some, he is the Honduran Leonardo Da Vinci; to others, an eccentric elderly man who wasted his life pursuing a dream he could never achieve. But what is true is that this 73-year-old man accomplished something that no Honduran had ever done before, and that is to build and make a helicopter fly, all without significant financial resources.

Siguatepeque-Comayagua. In a humble house in the San Antonio neighborhood of the city of Siguatepeque, Mr. Agustín López Pacheco, 73 years old, has been living for about twenty years. He welcomed us with great joy when he learned the reason for our visit to conduct an interview for the Diario El Tiempo de Honduras.

With a saddened look, obviously exhausted by the passage of time, «Don Tin,» as he asked us to call him from now on, began to recount his dream, which, despite his age, he remembered as if it were yesterday.

We cannot ignore the impoverished conditions in which «Don Tin» survives, along with another elderly lady who has been caring for him for several years, whom he respectfully and sweetly calls his «housekeeper.»

«Don Tin» invited me to sit in the only plastic chair he had, and from his wheelchair amid the accumulated scrap and the occasional mouse that passed between my legs, I began to listen to the fantastic story that touched the depths of my emotions. It made me reflect on the fantasies and dreams in which most Hondurans are submerged, and, above all, on the neglect in which our beloved elderly people live in this Honduras.

Journalist: Where were you born, «Don Tin»? «Don Tin»: «I’m glad you came because I believe in human freedom, freedom of expression, and I wish for Honduras to be a country where we have a progressive mindset, regardless of social status, so that we can all be happy. My name is Agustín López Pacheco, and I was born on May 5, 1938, in Río Bonito, in the municipality of Siguatepeque, in the department of Comayagua.»

Journalist: At what age did you begin to dream of building a helicopter? «Don Tin»: «Exactly when I finished the sixth grade in 1955. But due to my parents’ economic situation and their way of thinking, I couldn’t start that dream, so I had to work to make a living as a shoemaker.»

Journalist: How long did you work in that profession? «Don Tin»: «I worked in the trade for 25 years, and with what I earned, I helped buy screws, wire, and some materials I needed. But when I realized that the materials weren’t suitable for building a helicopter, I decided to go to the junkyard to find parts that could be useful, as most of the parts are scrap found in the trash.»

Journalist: What did your wife say about the idea of building a helicopter? «Don Tin»: «No, my brother, I never got married or had children because at that time, I had to work up to 16 hours a day in the shoemaking workshop, and then I dedicated myself to building the helicopter.»

Journalist: At what age did you start building the helicopter? «Don Tin»: «At the age of 18.»

Journalist: How long did it take to build it? «Don Tin»: «The first helicopter I made took me 5 years to complete, and with this one, I’ve now built five different helicopter models.»

Journalist: Which of all the models were you able to make fly? «Don Tin»: «The fourth one, which was before this one, could jump, take off, but then it would come back down. I hope this new one flies, even if it’s just a little sustained flight or at least moves forward by a meter. If I can make it move forward, then we have achieved victory.»

Journalist: Where do your devices get their energy for propulsion? «Don Tin»: «One keeps the motion going by hand on this pedal, as if you were turning a mill, and the other systems it has turn the top propeller. The system allows the kinetic energy generated by the hand to be harnessed by the propeller and multiplies it in such a way that when the force is transferred to the propeller, it has 40,000 pounds of force. This way, the weight of the person sitting in the device is nullified, and the helicopter can take off.»

Journalist: Where did you learn these principles of physics? «Don Tin»: «First, I had a dream where the model got stuck in my head, and after learning shoemaking, I studied diesel mechanics by correspondence with a school in the United States for three years. With that education, I was able to illuminate the idea further to create this and a bunch of other things. I lived in San Pedro Sula for a while, and a shoemaking teacher there enlightened me with a phrase he told me, ‘Agustín, you’re very intelligent when it comes to mathematics, and inventions are all about mathematics.’ That phrase stayed with me, and I became more focused on learning. I read everything I could, even the theory of relativity and many more engineering-related topics because I’m an avid reader. With this knowledge, I built this system. Later, I delved into kinetic energy and absorbed it into my head. That’s how you can see this model, which is quite advanced, and I have faith that it’s ready to fly.»

Journalist: What do you live on currently? «Don Tin»: «You’re right, my brother, to ask that question. Currently, I live on the help that some people provide.»

Journalist: Who takes care of you? «Don Tin»: «The old lady who received me takes care of me. She’s my ‘housekeeper.’ There are only the two of us. Her name is María Victoria Miranda Domínguez, and she has been taking care of me for 17 years. I couldn’t get married because, as I mentioned, what I was doing was considered crazy for the young women of my time, so I remained single.»

Journalist: Do you think you’ve used your time well, or have you wasted it?

«Don Tin»: «I feel immensely happy because my goal has already been fulfilled, and my only concern is how to transmit all this wisdom that God has given me to schools and universities, which are the highest seats of learning. It saddens me to see all these strong and elegant young people only going on strikes, fighting, and causing trouble. It hurts me a lot because it’s the youth who should take advantage of the opportunities to make themselves and the country great. God didn’t create us to live like beasts, fighting or at war, but to give us immense glory prepared for those who seek it. I think I’ve done something good, and I feel very satisfied, but not proud, just like a man who triumphs over any problem to be overcome.»

Journalist: Have you ever received financial assistance from the government? «Don Tin»: «I don’t know because I’m not sure if the help I receive is from the community where I spiritually formed or from someone else.»

Journalist: Have you ever received the elderly pension or the ten thousand lempira bonus? «Don Tin»: «Well, I don’t know either, brother, because this old lady provides food and the few aids. I feel happy with myself because I feel I’ve fulfilled my duty, and now I know I can die in peace,» he concluded.

After this interesting and fantastic conversation with «Don Tin,» I asked for permission to take some photographs of his apparatus and the humble place where he lived, confirming the inhumane conditions in which he is spending his last years alongside his housekeeper, as he calls her.

I can’t deny that I left «Don Tin» somewhat disturbed by what I had seen, even though his incredible story was worth more than the emotions a journalist like me might have felt.

As I left the place, I reached into my pocket to take out some money I had, and I told the person accompanying me to give that donation to «Don Tin» to help him with something. However, he wisely responded that I shouldn’t do it at that moment and should let Agustín López Pacheco’s aspirations soar with dignity, a man who put his dreams into flight. E.P.Com.

 

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