Originally Posted by
WishesToFly
Thanks Genghis you said that in very understandable terms. I was a die hard C152 fan until I started seeing these very cool CTSW aircraft on the field, when I was told they were microlights I did nothing but research. Personally, I have had lessons in the C152 and couldn't resist a trial in the CTSW. I prefer the CTSW over the C152 due to the small glass garmin panel installed, if felt very nippy and was incredibly responsive to the smallest of movements on the stick. However I still very much admire analogue gauges and the Cessna fits the bill nicely in that respect. They both have some great advantages.
Glad to help - I've flown most of the common light and microlight aeroplanes, so am in a reasonable position to offer an opinion I hope.
You could do worse also than try some of the older generation microlights and see what you think of those. Particularly if you are (like many of us) looking to an affordable aeroplane / share after you've got your licence, this may be the closest thing to what you can eventually afford. If you are in Essex, you could do worse than try Saxon Microlights at North Weald:
Saxon Microlights - microlight flying lessons for Essex and London . That would pave the way to owning something like an AX3 / 2000, X'Air, Rans S6 or Thruster T600 which are very nice (if slow) little aeroplanes that you can do just about anything with, and can be bought for under £6k (Under £3k some of them). Of that lot, I think I'd most happily buy an original model X'Air as the best of a good bunch - especially if I could get a 4-stroke engine (or 582 + C-type gearbox) for the money.
G