Weightshift/3 axis- how easy to fly both??

[pipertommy]

Hi, does anyone fly/instruct both weightshift and 3 axis a/c?
How easy is it to operate both types? Main concern is the so called reversed controls!
Is the a major safety issue or is it hard to confuse to seperate styles of control?
Thanks
PT

[hugh flung_dung]

A couple of years ago I did a weightshift conversion after a few thousand hours and many years of 3-axis experience in a range of types. I had no problems at all in the air but the really hard part was directional control on the ground. I also found learning to land harder than I'd expected - not the control direction, but judgement and avoiding accidental roll inputs (maybe it was a personal biomechanical issue). My plan had been to add weightshift instructing to my repertoire but on reflection decided that it wasn't sensible without a lot of experience - the published minima seem very low. YMMV, as they say.
(To put this into perspective, a few years earlier I solo-ed in an R22 in record time and expected weightshift to be similarly easy)

I know several people that fly both but I think most came from weightshift to 3-axis.

HFD

[madflyer26]

I fly both and instruct on weightshift microlights. Generally the upper air work for people crossing over is fine, but the approach to landing really does take a concerted effort to get across.

I personally think weightshift microlights are harder to fly, and the controls are counter intuitive, and at times very physical. This does manifest itself especially on the phase of flight described above.

Generally the guys and gals who convert from fixed wing microlight to weightshift do it quicker than the Cessna or Piper drivers converting to weightshift. We had a chap at our school who is a ATPL (A&H) and he found it a real struggle to not reverse the controls on the hold off!

Flying weight-shift microlights is great fun and it will certainly challenge your skills especially on the breezy days or landing in turbulence. If you are looking for the raw experience of flight, flying these particular aircraft is hard to beat.

Regards
MF

[Mechta]

If you can still find a hang gliding school, two or three days there will get you controlling correctly.

My route into flying was gliding-hang gliding-more gliding. When I later had a flight in a weightshift microlight the instructor (Gerry Breen in Portugal) let me do the whole flight apart from the takeoff myself. As you are not sitting in a seat in a hang glider you are less likely to give the opposite control, and when you subsequently fly the weightshift microlight, pushing the A-frame in the right direction will be second nature.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I haven't flown flexwings for a few years but with any luck will start again next year.

Up until about 3 years ago I was routinely flying, doing permit air tests, and test flying new homebuilts in both classes. I found it necessary to maintain both currencies, but really didn't find it a problem. The major handling and airmanship issues are pretty similar and so long as you've been properly trained on both, it shouldn't give you trouble.

If anything, I have found switching from 3-axis microlights to "group A" regularly a bigger challenge, since they look and feel similar from the cockpit, but tend to require quite different handling - in particular higher roundout and flare heights in group A, and that microlights change energy state much faster.

If you maintain reasonable hours in both / all three however, and are consciencious about self-briefing whatever it is you're about to fly I wouldn't worry.

G