There is no difference between a fixed wing Microlight (Uitralite) and a ICAO recognized type (Part - 21). A microlight is differentiated in being constrained by its permissible maximum take off weight and the maximum scheduled stall speed at that weight, nothing else. However some are confused (your Spanish instructor) because owing to history most Microlights had flexible cloth wings and were operated by weight shift, they are still popular. This is why authorities stipulate 'three-axis' to count towards SEPL experience. There is no logical reason why a NAA should differentiate between a three axis fixed wing microlight and a ICAO SEPL aircraft for refresher training/test but they do, they just like to draw a line somewhere. It is worth noting that a pilots annual proficiency check in a Boeing 777 exempts them from the dual flight prescribed with an instructor to maintain their SEPL. You might well argue that that makes even less sense. It is also bizare that a current SEPL Flight Instructor with thousands of hours of instructing in SEPL is also required to have a training flight with another instructor, who may have only a dozen hours instructing, to maintain their SEPL.
No one I'm sure would compare a Cessna 150 with a Cessna 210 or even a Piper Malibu Mirage as being the same but the authorities lump them together as a SEPL class aircraft. So, a flight in a Cessna 150 covers you for the lot. Once again a product of history.
Last edited by Fl1ingfrog; 8th Feb 2021 at 14:11.