Microlites? Aye or Nae?

[Genghis the Engineer]

I fly both types of microlight, as well as the usual smattering of Group A.

For fun, give me a microlight - including the X'Air (which is kit built, so if it is badly built, that's probably down to the owner and their inspector, not the fact that it's a microlight). They are, in general low-hastle, low-cost, minimal-medical. For comfortable long-distance touring, I take my PA28. The X'Air, in my opinion is one of the most comfortable, easy-to-fly enjoy-myself-slowly aeroplanes that I know.

Fly-Stimulator's CT2K probably flies very slightly faster than my PA28-161, burning about half the fuel, and needs half the runway. On the other hand, it also cost slightly more to buy and doesn't have a roomy back-seat and large payload capacity to throw my and Mrs.Genghis' overnight bags in. You pays your money and takes your choice.

My usual microlight is a 2-seat flexwing worth about £4k, it will fly about 150nm at a steady 45 knots which is hardly sporting but gets me there eventually. On the other hand it'll use 200m grass strips with impunity, costs about £25/hr all-in, and is far more fun to throw around the sky than anything Messrs Piper and Cessna have ever produced, even a super-Cub (and that's saying something). And I can de-rig it, shove it on the trailer that came with it, and take it on holiday with me (and have!).


I'd hate to give up either, but for private flying I err on the side of group A for other than solo-touring. For cheap, pleasant local flying I'm firmly on the side of microlights. For solo touring, it's a moot point, I don't think there would be much to choose between my PA28 light aircraft and, say, a Eurostar microlight.

G

N.B. If anybody's in N.Hampshire or E.Wiltshire and interested, we've a very cheap no-profit Thruster syndicate forming. Drop me an Email and I'll give you details. For those not in the know, the Thruster TST is a 2-seat taildragger microlight with dual controls, and the glide characteristics of a brick.