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The official BMAA guide to Free microlighting Welcome to the world of microlights! Affordable fl ying for all! Published by the British Microlight Aircraft Association 1 WELCOME to the British Microlight Contents Aircraft Association Offi cial Guide 1 Introduction to Microlighting! This guide aims to give you an all-round understanding of what can be found and achieved 1 Introduction within the wonderful world of microlighting. Going solo: A feeling I will never forget 2 History The ability to fl y has been a dream of By Dan Roach so many since that fi rst fl ight by the 3 Learning to fl y Wright brothers in 1903. The BMAA has been in existence since 1980, GLANCING across at the empty passenger seat I laughed ing checks, supervised by Marcus, he took control to take 4 Types of microlight supporting and helping people fulfi l out loud. I was pilot-in-command of an aircraft for the fi rst us into the skies. And that was when I experienced “that that dream. time and I couldn’t believe it. view” on what was a crystal-clear winter’s day. 5 I’d wanted to learn to fl y since I was a little boy, but it was I remember thinking, “You get paid to do this?” Reading Ownership Microlighting makes fl ying accessible something that seemed far out of reach. And then I heard my mind, Marcus grinned. “Welcome to my offi ce. What to all, offering an affordable and fun about microlight aircraft. do you think of the view?” My smile perfectly refl ected the 6 Build a plane way to take to the skies. There are Just over three months had passed since, at the tender age emotions I was feeling. many microlight training schools of 38, I fi rst walked through the door of my local fl ying ree months later I was fl ying downwind and preparing around the UK, giving you the school. I had only intended to enquire about microlight fl y- for my fi rst solo landing. Was I nervous, scared, worried 7 BMAA initiatives when Marcus hopped out of the cockpit and nonchalantly opportunity to take a trial fl ight or ing, but Marcus made me feel so at ease that when he as- sumed that I wanted to book a lesson, I simply said yes. My announced, “I’m off to get a cup of tea. You can go and do a full course of training leading to a perception that aviation is some kind of exclusive club had that on your own now”? Briefl y, yes, but the training and 8 Youth schemes Private Pilot’s Licence. been totally misguided. teaching in the BMAA syllabus are superb, and as soon as he got out my focus switched to using the skills and follow- Less than two weeks later I was strapping in to a Eurostar 9 The BMAA The term “microlight” is based upon ing the procedures that I had been taught. the aircraft having a maximum of (or in my mind, a small fi ghter plane) for my fi rst lesson. I could almost hear the Top Gun theme tune and made a I’ve fl own many hours now and my aviators are well worn, two seats and being within a certain mental note to get some aviator sunglasses. but that fi rst solo was indescribably special. It was 15 min- weight parameter. The most popular utes that felt like 15 seconds, and it’s a memory I will cher- “Right, get the checklist out,” smiled Marcus. types of microlight are fl exwing and ish for the rest of my life. fi xed-wing planes, which you can Wow, I was going to be part of the fl ight crew from minute Front cover A Quik exwing from P&M and a one! is was even better than I had thought. I was a little fi nd more about in Section 4. xed-wing Skyranger (photo: Steve Grimshaw) nervous when Marcus asked me to start the checks, but he This page Pilot Mark Macrea coasting over the Welcome to the world of knew exactly how much to push me and when to ease off . beach (photo: Stuart Buchanan) microlighting! After I’d taxied out to the hold and completed the remain- 2 3 2 History THE British microlight movement really got underway in As the microlight movement grew, the UK Civil Aviation AX3 (photo 5) and AX2000, all aircraft made of tradition- the early 1980s. Hang gliders had developed from fl oat- Authority (CAA) decided that there should be regulation al materials; aluminium tube and fabric covering. down-the-hill machines to ridge soaring with some cross- to control pilot licensing and aircraft airworthiness. e e changes in defi nition also allowed three-axis aircraft country capability. BMAA was formed largely to manage this threat. By the to develop, and in 1999 Skydrive introduced the fi rst alu- Of course, soon pilots looked at ways of getting airborne end of 1982, the BMAA had 2500 members and was nego- minium microlight, the EV-97 Eurostar (see p8). is air- without climbing up a hill. Winch launching was proving tiating licensing and airworthiness with the CAA. By 1984, craft has been extremely popular with schools and pilots tricky to get right, so someone just put an engine on a hang all new aircraft had to comply with Permit to Fly airworthi- and is still going strong 20 years on. Another very popular glider (photo 1, opposite) and it became a yet-to-be-named ness regulations and all pilots had to have licenses. three-axis aircraft is the Ikarus C42 tube and fabric air- aircraft type, the microlight. e BMAA developed as an organisation to challenge regu- craft, available as a kit or factory-built (see p7). 1 2 3 Not long afterwards, simple wheeled structures were devel- lation and make a name as a strong voice for its members. Although at the very start of UK microlight fl ying pilots 4 5 oped to hold the engine and seat, and so the fi rst “trikes” Competition fl ying started in 1984, with the British team were enthusiastic builders and tinkerers, many now buy were born (photo 2). At the same time, other strange fl ying winning the fi rst World Microlight Championships in factory-produced aircraft. ere are kits available such as contraptions were being created that were loosely based on 1985. Ever since then, the British team has won many team the Skyranger (see front cover and p13). Sold in the UK fi xed-wing aircraft with aerodynamic controls. ese were and individual events. by Flylight Airsports, hundreds of examples are fl ying in largely American designs that found their way to the UK. As microlighting became more popular, aircraft became the UK. more capable. Flexwing design changed radically when the So, from the very simple “daredevil” constructions of 40 defi nition of a microlight was changed, allowing heavier years ago, UK microlighting has come a long way to become Photos aircraft and smaller wings. e Pegasus Quik (see p7) was a very civilised form of recreational aviation. Microlight pi- 1 A Soarmaster powered hang glider from 1978 the fi rst fl exwing that could truly maintain level fl ight at lots all have one thing in common though: they do it for the 2 A typical early trike, the Mainair Rapier of 1983 100mph. An example of this type was the fi rst microlight love of fl ying, the camaraderie and the joy the sport shares (photo: Derek Allen) to fl y a pre-planned route of 1000 nautical miles in one day. with all microlight enthusiasts! 3 The canard-winged Pterodactyl was a popular early e strange contraptions that had come from America and To see a more detailed history of UK microlighting visit our American design. This particular example, despite France emulating conventional aircraft types also devel- website, bmaa.org. dating from the early 1980s, is still in good ying oped into more recognisable conventional aircraft shapes. order (photo: Roger Pattrick) An early aircraft was the Shadow (photo 4). First as a sin- 4 The Shadow featured a high-wing and tandem gle-seat aircraft and later as a two-seater, it became very seating (photo: Keith Negal) popular and identifi able with its high wing and tandem 5 The AX3 is a xed-wing but is made from tube and seating arrangement. e ruster design from Australia fabric like a exwing (see p9) became a school standard, later challenged by the 4 5 3 Learning to fl y LEARNING to fl y is one of the most rewarding of chal- lenges. Students remember their fi rst solo and their GST (General Skills Test) for the rest of their lives. Anyone planning to learn wants to know how it all works, how much it will cost and how long it will take. e National Private Pilot’s Licence (NPPL) microlight rating requires a minimum of 25 hours fl ying training, 10 of which must be solo. A few achieve their licences within weeks, but others can take a year or so. ere is also a restricted licence that requires at least 15 hours training, which means you can only fl y solo and you are able to fl y no more than eight miles from your takeoff quickly, but if bad weather causes delays some schools to drive a car, and not on current medication for psychiatric Along with the fl ight test there are also fi ve ground exams e Aircraft Technical exam ensures that the student pilot and when it is not, and can anticipate and plan for changes point.