Microlight excursions: crossing the English Channel
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Do you mean the Pilot Shop at Lelystad carry the Switlik? They don't list them on their website? I had seen their HM Survivor. I'll take a look a that one. I take it a spray hood is a seperate item?
Any other recommendations?
Any other recommendations?
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As I mentioned earlier, Headcorn confirmed to me on the phone that they do not require pre-advice of arrivals from the EU, as long as the corresponding Flight Plan has been filed.
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Jan - my comment was in the context of comparing it to a cessna which I am learning in. Looks a much nicer experience. I have been considering changing to microlight eurostar or Ikarus
I've been met by the Police and UKBA twice now (which I actually found quite reassuring) out of many flights to UK.
They are very friendly (and happy to find that I wasn't some gangster with 10kgs of the good stuff and 17 Africans aboard!).
Go for it, it's easy.
Safe flights, Sam.
They are very friendly (and happy to find that I wasn't some gangster with 10kgs of the good stuff and 17 Africans aboard!).
Go for it, it's easy.
Safe flights, Sam.
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Jan it all looks very complicated. Best advice is to find someone who has done all this before - offer to buy lunch and a nice bottle if they will navigate and do all the radio calls while you enjoy the flying. If he gets bored over the channel get him to blow up the life raft. Once I get my PPL that is what I shall do. Chas
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Good tip. My first trip was on my own and I spent a fair amount of time preparing. Still, there were some surprises. Booking out for instance.
One thing that hasn't been discussed so far is all the ATSOCAS services (Basic Service obviously being the most important), including where you can get a LARS from, and the correct response to "Pass Your Message".
And the Overhead Join of course.
If you search this forum for any combination of "Channel Crossing", "Overhead Join", "ATSOCAS", "GAR form", "LARS", "Farnborough Radar" and "Pass Your Message" you should find a wealth of information. Together with a good read of a flight guide should get you ready.
Oh, and did we tell you that they speak English in the UK, and that it might be a good idea if you respond in kind? I was doing a cross-channel trip myself when a bunch of German microlights came on frequency. Apparently in some sort of loose formation with one of them being the dedicated radio operator. At some point in time the following exchange could be heard:
"D-XXXX formation, London Info, squawk 1177"
"Ach ja, London Information, D-XXXX formation, squawk 7700" (You need to imagine the German accent.)
"D-XXXX formation, negative, squawk one-one-seven-seven"
"Ach ja, seven-seven-zero-zero"
"D-XXXX formation, that is not correct. I say again one, one, seven, seven, do you understand?"
...silence until an anonymous voice came up:
"D-XXXX hor mal zu, du sollst eins-eins-sieben-sieben einschalten, ja?"
"Ach ja, eins-eins-sieben-sieben, ja, ach, er, one-one-seven-seven"
"Whoever that was, this is London Info, thank you. <sigh>"
One thing that hasn't been discussed so far is all the ATSOCAS services (Basic Service obviously being the most important), including where you can get a LARS from, and the correct response to "Pass Your Message".
And the Overhead Join of course.
If you search this forum for any combination of "Channel Crossing", "Overhead Join", "ATSOCAS", "GAR form", "LARS", "Farnborough Radar" and "Pass Your Message" you should find a wealth of information. Together with a good read of a flight guide should get you ready.
Oh, and did we tell you that they speak English in the UK, and that it might be a good idea if you respond in kind? I was doing a cross-channel trip myself when a bunch of German microlights came on frequency. Apparently in some sort of loose formation with one of them being the dedicated radio operator. At some point in time the following exchange could be heard:
"D-XXXX formation, London Info, squawk 1177"
"Ach ja, London Information, D-XXXX formation, squawk 7700" (You need to imagine the German accent.)
"D-XXXX formation, negative, squawk one-one-seven-seven"
"Ach ja, seven-seven-zero-zero"
"D-XXXX formation, that is not correct. I say again one, one, seven, seven, do you understand?"
...silence until an anonymous voice came up:
"D-XXXX hor mal zu, du sollst eins-eins-sieben-sieben einschalten, ja?"
"Ach ja, eins-eins-sieben-sieben, ja, ach, er, one-one-seven-seven"
"Whoever that was, this is London Info, thank you. <sigh>"
Last edited by BackPacker; 8th Dec 2010 at 17:08.
Ok, now that you have all scared him off the idea 
If the engine stops in an inconvenient place you will get wet. If the engine stops over vast expanses of pine trees you will land in the trees and probably never be seen again. I prefer crossing the channel 
. No reason why the engine should stop, Rotax seem to work every bit as well as Lycomings, but some precautions seem to be in order.
I wear a lifejacket and carry a PLB and go in a straight line from Caen to IOW more often than not. Normally this involves Plymouth Mil for the danger areas. They don't bite.
Then I land somewhere friendly that has grass. Next year we are going to bite the bullet and install a transponder, which should make Solent happier, not to mention not having to get PPR for all the places in class D. It's actually a bit of a non event. Be prepared to report mid channel, seems a bit daft because they probably know better than me where I am. Maybe I should get a GPS as well.
If the engine stops in an inconvenient place you will get wet. If the engine stops over vast expanses of pine trees you will land in the trees and probably never be seen again. I prefer crossing the channel . No reason why the engine should stop, Rotax seem to work every bit as well as Lycomings, but some precautions seem to be in order.I wear a lifejacket and carry a PLB and go in a straight line from Caen to IOW more often than not. Normally this involves Plymouth Mil for the danger areas. They don't bite.
Then I land somewhere friendly that has grass. Next year we are going to bite the bullet and install a transponder, which should make Solent happier, not to mention not having to get PPR for all the places in class D. It's actually a bit of a non event. Be prepared to report mid channel, seems a bit daft because they probably know better than me where I am. Maybe I should get a GPS as well.
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For some outbound UK microlighters "mid-Channel" seems to be a mile off Cap Gris Nez, 'cause they want to keep in contact with Jamie at Headcorn as long as possible, in the belief that, if necessary, he will get a SAR helicopter to them sooner than anybody else.
Actually, it is smarter to get in touch with Lille sooner, because airborne SAR in the narrowest part of the Channel is provided by the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based at Le Touquet.
Actually, it is smarter to get in touch with Lille sooner, because airborne SAR in the narrowest part of the Channel is provided by the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based at Le Touquet.
