Diary of a Frustrated Wannabe Microlight Pilot
The Original Whirly
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Diary of a Frustrated Wannabe Microlight Pilot
1st June 2002 (I'm putting the year as this could turn out to be a long thread 
)
I drive to the PPRuNe fly-in at Popham, not flying because I'm totally knackered after flying a C172 all day the day before for the Dawn to Dusk competition. I run into Genghis the Engineer, and remind him that he promised me a ride in his aerial motorbike...er...sorry, I mean Raven flexwing microlight, about three years ago. I have a long memory for anything concerning free flying. He asks me if I'd like to navigate for him in next year's 3-day Round Britain Rally: "I need someone who's lightweight, can navigate, and is game for anything, and you qualify on all three counts". Well, I never turn down free flying! Somewhere along the line I mention I'd once thought of having a trial lesson, as flexwings are about the only thing I've never flown. Genghis says if I'm thinking that way, why not do a few more hours and go along as co-pilot. Say it quickly and it sounds easy, doesn't it? Read on.
OK, I'll post this before my PC crashes or something.
)I drive to the PPRuNe fly-in at Popham, not flying because I'm totally knackered after flying a C172 all day the day before for the Dawn to Dusk competition. I run into Genghis the Engineer, and remind him that he promised me a ride in his aerial motorbike...er...sorry, I mean Raven flexwing microlight, about three years ago. I have a long memory for anything concerning free flying. He asks me if I'd like to navigate for him in next year's 3-day Round Britain Rally: "I need someone who's lightweight, can navigate, and is game for anything, and you qualify on all three counts". Well, I never turn down free flying! Somewhere along the line I mention I'd once thought of having a trial lesson, as flexwings are about the only thing I've never flown. Genghis says if I'm thinking that way, why not do a few more hours and go along as co-pilot. Say it quickly and it sounds easy, doesn't it? Read on.
OK, I'll post this before my PC crashes or something.
The Original Whirly
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8th June 2002
I've found a local microlight school, and the instructor sounds like a nice guy. He reckons it'll take me 6-8 flying hours. I mentally add 50% for the fact that (a) I'm a slow learner, and (b) flying instructors lie. It still doesn't sound too bad, and is only £70/hr. Next summer is a long way off, but it makes sense to do it while the weather is warm, the days long, and I'm not doing a lot of helicopter flying. I'd wanted to fly this weekend, but Tim (the instructor) can't fit me in for some reason now lost in the mists of time (ie my memory).
15th June 2002
I'm about to have my trial lesson! I've phoned and the weather is OK, I get down there and meet everyone. I get zipped into flying suit, helmet, gloves etc, and we climb aboard Tim's aerial motorbike. 30 seconds later it starts to rain, and the wind picks up. We sit there and think about it for a bit, then go back in, unzip flying suit, etc etc etc. I grin and say I'm used to it, I learned to be patient when doing my PPL(A) some years ago. Famous last words...
I've found a local microlight school, and the instructor sounds like a nice guy. He reckons it'll take me 6-8 flying hours. I mentally add 50% for the fact that (a) I'm a slow learner, and (b) flying instructors lie. It still doesn't sound too bad, and is only £70/hr. Next summer is a long way off, but it makes sense to do it while the weather is warm, the days long, and I'm not doing a lot of helicopter flying. I'd wanted to fly this weekend, but Tim (the instructor) can't fit me in for some reason now lost in the mists of time (ie my memory).
15th June 2002
I'm about to have my trial lesson! I've phoned and the weather is OK, I get down there and meet everyone. I get zipped into flying suit, helmet, gloves etc, and we climb aboard Tim's aerial motorbike. 30 seconds later it starts to rain, and the wind picks up. We sit there and think about it for a bit, then go back in, unzip flying suit, etc etc etc. I grin and say I'm used to it, I learned to be patient when doing my PPL(A) some years ago. Famous last words...
The Original Whirly
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19th June 2002
The weather isn't bad, and being self-employed I've managed to take the afternoon off. The fact that I'm supposed to be working fulltime and then some to save for my helicopter instructors' course has momentarily escaped my mind. Finally I get to go flying! I have to sit in the back for the first lesson, as Tim says he needs to make sure I don't freeze on the controls or anything similar, as the person in the front can always over-ride the one in the back. I think this is ridiculous as I have 460 flying hours and have even made feeble attempts to fly Genghis' aerial...er...Raven... from the back, but I suppose microlight instructors have a right to try to carry on living. Anyway, Tim takes off, and I have a go, and this is HARD! No, it's bloody impossible!!! The controls all move in the opposite direction from both f/w and rotary aircraft.
Anyway, we come back in, have a break, and then I get to sit in the front. This time turning left by moving the bar to the right and vice versa isn't too bad - I look at the wing, and do whatever makes it move the right way. But pushing the bar forward to go up and pulling it to go down....argggh, my survival instincts won't let me. It's OK when I think about it, but once I relax.... Tim, like all flying instructors, is telling me I need to relax. Who writes their script I wonder! We come in and I ask him how long he honestly thinks it will take me. He says if I carry on like I am, five hours or so. I'm elated, till I remember that flying instructors lie. 
The weather isn't bad, and being self-employed I've managed to take the afternoon off. The fact that I'm supposed to be working fulltime and then some to save for my helicopter instructors' course has momentarily escaped my mind. Finally I get to go flying! I have to sit in the back for the first lesson, as Tim says he needs to make sure I don't freeze on the controls or anything similar, as the person in the front can always over-ride the one in the back. I think this is ridiculous as I have 460 flying hours and have even made feeble attempts to fly Genghis' aerial...er...Raven... from the back, but I suppose microlight instructors have a right to try to carry on living. Anyway, Tim takes off, and I have a go, and this is HARD! No, it's bloody impossible!!! The controls all move in the opposite direction from both f/w and rotary aircraft.
Anyway, we come back in, have a break, and then I get to sit in the front. This time turning left by moving the bar to the right and vice versa isn't too bad - I look at the wing, and do whatever makes it move the right way. But pushing the bar forward to go up and pulling it to go down....argggh, my survival instincts won't let me. It's OK when I think about it, but once I relax.... Tim, like all flying instructors, is telling me I need to relax. Who writes their script I wonder! We come in and I ask him how long he honestly thinks it will take me. He says if I carry on like I am, five hours or so. I'm elated, till I remember that flying instructors lie.
The Original Whirly
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20th June 2002
I can't take any more time off, but have booked the 8 pm slot, the last one, and drive over after work. Turns are now OK, so we seem to spend most of the time trying to reverse my natural instincts to pull or push the bar in the f/w direction - Tim adjusts the throttle, while I have to keep us straight and level. It's still difficult. On top of this, as an R22 pilot I'm used to fingertip movements, while this requires huge control inputs. But it's fun. Mind you, do I ever find flying anything not to be fun? Tim still tells me I'm doing fine; I now ignore this as any indication of how much time and money it'll cost me. I guess I'm sort of committed now anyway. I've done a total of 2.3 hours.
21st June 2002
I fly to the PFA Rally in an R22 - and it's so wonderfully easy to fly! I have things to do on Saturday; I'm hoping to try microlighting again on Sunday.
Sunday 23rd June - Wednesday 10th July
I've been booked in to fly most evenings and quite a bit of the weekends. I haven't managed it yet. It's been too bumpy or too wet or the cloudbase has been too low or something. I seriously wonder how anyone ever learns to fly these things. Lessons have been cancelled by phone usually, but I've driven down there a few times, as one does. And I've discovered I'm not quite as patient as I thought I was. This was supposed to be done quickly if not easily - it wasn't supposed to take over my life!
Well, that's it so far. I hope it's cheered up some of you waiting to do first solos, QXCs etc. You are not alone. At least I can go and fly something else, but this is definitely frustrating.
Well, I'll keep you all up to date if you want; if not I'll go quietly back to Rotorheads and let you know if/when I ever learn to fly one of these frustrating little machines.
I can't take any more time off, but have booked the 8 pm slot, the last one, and drive over after work. Turns are now OK, so we seem to spend most of the time trying to reverse my natural instincts to pull or push the bar in the f/w direction - Tim adjusts the throttle, while I have to keep us straight and level. It's still difficult. On top of this, as an R22 pilot I'm used to fingertip movements, while this requires huge control inputs. But it's fun. Mind you, do I ever find flying anything not to be fun? Tim still tells me I'm doing fine; I now ignore this as any indication of how much time and money it'll cost me. I guess I'm sort of committed now anyway. I've done a total of 2.3 hours.
21st June 2002
I fly to the PFA Rally in an R22 - and it's so wonderfully easy to fly! I have things to do on Saturday; I'm hoping to try microlighting again on Sunday.
Sunday 23rd June - Wednesday 10th July
I've been booked in to fly most evenings and quite a bit of the weekends. I haven't managed it yet. It's been too bumpy or too wet or the cloudbase has been too low or something. I seriously wonder how anyone ever learns to fly these things. Lessons have been cancelled by phone usually, but I've driven down there a few times, as one does. And I've discovered I'm not quite as patient as I thought I was. This was supposed to be done quickly if not easily - it wasn't supposed to take over my life!
Well, that's it so far. I hope it's cheered up some of you waiting to do first solos, QXCs etc. You are not alone. At least I can go and fly something else, but this is definitely frustrating.
Well, I'll keep you all up to date if you want; if not I'll go quietly back to Rotorheads and let you know if/when I ever learn to fly one of these frustrating little machines.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Whirly, I've just been reading a Brian Lecomber piece on trying to fly Microbes, dated 1984 - I'll try and send you the text, you'll love it! He also had a go in R22s later...
Looking forward to next instalment!
Lotsaluck,
Treadders...
Looking forward to next instalment!
Lotsaluck,
Treadders...
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Whirlybird. Can I make a suggestion? NEVER NEVER EVER go near a fast jet or anything else the RAF may have. You'll probably want to fly it too!
Interestin post BTW.
Interestin post BTW.
The Original Whirly
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sennadaog,
I know. I think I should keep well away from things that fly in future.
Treadigraph,
Yes please let me see Brian Lecomber's thoughts on microlights. Bet he didn't find it this difficult.
OK, I'll continue this thread if/when anything happens. You don't really want details of every wx cancellation, do you?
I know. I think I should keep well away from things that fly in future.
Treadigraph,
Yes please let me see Brian Lecomber's thoughts on microlights. Bet he didn't find it this difficult.
OK, I'll continue this thread if/when anything happens. You don't really want details of every wx cancellation, do you?
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Whirly - I recommend a book called "Propellerhead" by Antony Woodward. Autobiographical, he flies a three-axis but doesn't even have a PPL before he starts, and is a much slower learner even than you claim to be! Very funny and true-to-life.
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Whirly ... do keep up the posts. There are lots of us out there who are tempted to try something different, so long as it flys.
Does anyone know anything about autogyros? I've been thinking about them ever since I met Wing Commander Wallis, some year ago, but I have never had the chance to fly one.
Does anyone know anything about autogyros? I've been thinking about them ever since I met Wing Commander Wallis, some year ago, but I have never had the chance to fly one.
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Genghis,
How could you possibly get the blame? You only suggested it, took me flying in your microlight, told me I could do it easily and cheaply in a very few hours. Now how could you possibly imagine you might be held in any way responsible.
distaff_beancounter,
I've done a couple of hours autogyro flying on two different types. It's a long story, maybe I should start another thread...but not now, I do have to work occasionally! Briefly though, I too was fascinated by them, especially as they were rotary but cheap, and I was looking for an affordable helicopter substitute. So I went up to visit Roger Savage in Carlisle, who is one of only 7 gyro instrutors in the country (or was back then), and is reputed to be a very good instructor. I'm sure he is, if you're male! If you happen to be female....well, he didn't quite ask me if my husband knew if I was out alone, but close. I daresay it might be different now; I've got more flying qualifications than he has, and I can casually let people know that if I feel the need to ensure I get taken seriously. But back to the point, before this becomes another long rambling post - they are lovely little machines, nice to fly, take off vertically in almost any sort of wind, hardly need a runway to land. BUT they are extremely noisy, have had enough accidents that my local airfield won't let you keep one there, and I don't fancy trusting anything with that many moving parts to either my own or anyone else's self-build skills. That's why I decided to stick with helicopters and hopefully eventually get paid to fly them.
I have another microlight lesson booked for this evening. I'd say watch this space, but I think I really mean don't hold your breath.
How could you possibly get the blame? You only suggested it, took me flying in your microlight, told me I could do it easily and cheaply in a very few hours. Now how could you possibly imagine you might be held in any way responsible.
distaff_beancounter,
I've done a couple of hours autogyro flying on two different types. It's a long story, maybe I should start another thread...but not now, I do have to work occasionally! Briefly though, I too was fascinated by them, especially as they were rotary but cheap, and I was looking for an affordable helicopter substitute. So I went up to visit Roger Savage in Carlisle, who is one of only 7 gyro instrutors in the country (or was back then), and is reputed to be a very good instructor. I'm sure he is, if you're male! If you happen to be female....well, he didn't quite ask me if my husband knew if I was out alone, but close.
I daresay it might be different now; I've got more flying qualifications than he has, and I can casually let people know that if I feel the need to ensure I get taken seriously. But back to the point, before this becomes another long rambling post - they are lovely little machines, nice to fly, take off vertically in almost any sort of wind, hardly need a runway to land. BUT they are extremely noisy, have had enough accidents that my local airfield won't let you keep one there, and I don't fancy trusting anything with that many moving parts to either my own or anyone else's self-build skills. That's why I decided to stick with helicopters and hopefully eventually get paid to fly them. I have another microlight lesson booked for this evening. I'd say watch this space, but I think I really mean don't hold your breath.
Whirlybird,
Great stuff! Keep it coming.
FWIW, some comparatively recent extracts from my microlight diary:-
May 1st: CFI asked me how many hours I had. I told him and he amazed me by saying "Good, I'm going to put you through an assistant instructor's rating". Quiet calmly. Got me thinking. P'raps I should put something back into flying for the fun I've taken out of it.
May 3rd: Did a couple of hours of circuits, thinking hard about how I'd teach this to a student pilot. What landmarks would I use for the turning points? How do you teach them the delicate art of that turn from base onto final so you're exactly lined up on the centreline? How do you teach then to disregard the runway axis in a crosswind and land obliquely across the runway, directly into the wind? Tried to remember back to when I was a student...just a couple of years ago. Concluded my short-term memory is shot!
May 9th: Half an hour of circuits before the westerly winds came down. Totally unflyable until today. Westerly winds 25-40 Knots, occasionally stronger. Even the tin-wing pilots complained about the turbulence on approach. Hung around the hangar a lot. Decided we better do something about the birds nesting in the eaves and cr@pping all over the wings.
May 26th: Weeks of unflyable weather! Ths is getting frustrating We aren't supposed to have this weather until August! Zero progress on the assistant destructor's rating. When the going gets tough, the tough do maintenance.
June 2nd: An hour in the circuit, touch and go landings and very low passes. Westerly winds above 1000 feet. Conditions got worse as time went on. I landed when I barely had control of the trike on the base leg. Sobering.
June 3rd: Launched at dawn, berluddy cold. Circuits and low passes for an hour, cup of tea, re-fuel, more circuits and low passes. The CFI didn't bother flying at all today. Found out he knew something I didn't when the westerly wind finally arrived as I was having second cuppa. Only just got the trike back in the hangar before the wind made closing the doors nearly impossible without help. The Cessnas flew all day. Their CFI said conditions were "character-building". Consoled myself with the silent observation that my character is already built.
June 21st: First flyable day for some time. Left the circuit for a change and flew over the coast spotting whales...didn't see any. GPS said there was a strong westerly at 3000 feet. About 20 knots. Returned to airport and did more circuits. Still no progress on that rating but all this practice must be doing something. Circuits sure burn a lot of fuel though, even solo with a 582.
June 23rd: Glorious day. CFI didn't show up but I got over four hours of good flying. By the time I get the assistant destructor's rating I'll have nearly doubled the hours in the logbook since he first mooted the idea. Gave out pamphlets etc to interested spectators who came over for a chat whilst I was refuelling. No sugar for my cup of tea...yuck!
June 30th: CFI has entire day booked out with trial instructional flights so no instructor training today. Flew anyway. Couple of hours of circuits, then out to the coast again. Great day! Will have to do a 100-hourly on the trike soon at this rate.
July 10th: Westerly winds for the last ten days, totally unflyable. The fish were at anchor and the birds were walking. I am getting very sick of this weather. The trike has been maintained to within an inch of its life; every nut and bolt torqued to spec, plugs cleaned, strobes installed, washed, polished, tyres inflated, new starting-battery installed, fuel-filter disassembled, cleaned and all the electrical wiring checked...but the damn thing hasn't gone so much as an inch off the ground. Am I bored or what?
July 11th: Work reared its ugly head and I had to abandon all thoughts of flying. Apparently it was an almost ideal day. If I ever find that sod Murphy, I'm gonna shoot him...with blunt bullets!
Great stuff! Keep it coming.
FWIW, some comparatively recent extracts from my microlight diary:-
May 1st: CFI asked me how many hours I had. I told him and he amazed me by saying "Good, I'm going to put you through an assistant instructor's rating". Quiet calmly. Got me thinking. P'raps I should put something back into flying for the fun I've taken out of it.
May 3rd: Did a couple of hours of circuits, thinking hard about how I'd teach this to a student pilot. What landmarks would I use for the turning points? How do you teach them the delicate art of that turn from base onto final so you're exactly lined up on the centreline? How do you teach then to disregard the runway axis in a crosswind and land obliquely across the runway, directly into the wind? Tried to remember back to when I was a student...just a couple of years ago. Concluded my short-term memory is shot!
May 9th: Half an hour of circuits before the westerly winds came down. Totally unflyable until today. Westerly winds 25-40 Knots, occasionally stronger. Even the tin-wing pilots complained about the turbulence on approach. Hung around the hangar a lot. Decided we better do something about the birds nesting in the eaves and cr@pping all over the wings.
May 26th: Weeks of unflyable weather! Ths is getting frustrating We aren't supposed to have this weather until August! Zero progress on the assistant destructor's rating. When the going gets tough, the tough do maintenance.
June 2nd: An hour in the circuit, touch and go landings and very low passes. Westerly winds above 1000 feet. Conditions got worse as time went on. I landed when I barely had control of the trike on the base leg. Sobering.
June 3rd: Launched at dawn, berluddy cold. Circuits and low passes for an hour, cup of tea, re-fuel, more circuits and low passes. The CFI didn't bother flying at all today. Found out he knew something I didn't when the westerly wind finally arrived as I was having second cuppa. Only just got the trike back in the hangar before the wind made closing the doors nearly impossible without help. The Cessnas flew all day. Their CFI said conditions were "character-building". Consoled myself with the silent observation that my character is already built.
June 21st: First flyable day for some time. Left the circuit for a change and flew over the coast spotting whales...didn't see any. GPS said there was a strong westerly at 3000 feet. About 20 knots. Returned to airport and did more circuits. Still no progress on that rating but all this practice must be doing something. Circuits sure burn a lot of fuel though, even solo with a 582.
June 23rd: Glorious day. CFI didn't show up but I got over four hours of good flying. By the time I get the assistant destructor's rating I'll have nearly doubled the hours in the logbook since he first mooted the idea. Gave out pamphlets etc to interested spectators who came over for a chat whilst I was refuelling. No sugar for my cup of tea...yuck!
June 30th: CFI has entire day booked out with trial instructional flights so no instructor training today. Flew anyway. Couple of hours of circuits, then out to the coast again. Great day! Will have to do a 100-hourly on the trike soon at this rate.
July 10th: Westerly winds for the last ten days, totally unflyable. The fish were at anchor and the birds were walking. I am getting very sick of this weather. The trike has been maintained to within an inch of its life; every nut and bolt torqued to spec, plugs cleaned, strobes installed, washed, polished, tyres inflated, new starting-battery installed, fuel-filter disassembled, cleaned and all the electrical wiring checked...but the damn thing hasn't gone so much as an inch off the ground. Am I bored or what?
July 11th: Work reared its ugly head and I had to abandon all thoughts of flying. Apparently it was an almost ideal day. If I ever find that sod Murphy, I'm gonna shoot him...with blunt bullets!
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Whirlybird, I now have the Lecomber article as a Word file - if you would like to email me, I'll forward it to you - or I can convert to Acrobat PDF if you'd prefer...
And, no, he didn't find it easy!
Good luck this evening, I'm looking forward to reading all about it!
Treadders
And, no, he didn't find it easy!
Good luck this evening, I'm looking forward to reading all about it!
Treadders
The Original Whirly
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criticalmass,
Makes me feel marginally better to know I'm not alone. But only marginally.
Treadders,
OK; I'll send you an e-mail now; thanks.
Makes me feel marginally better to know I'm not alone. But only marginally.
Treadders,
OK; I'll send you an e-mail now; thanks.
The Original Whirly
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15th July 2002
I finally got airborne again!!!! After missing the best weekend flying weather of the summer, as I'd arranged to be away this weekend before I even considered flying microlights, I spent the whole weekend fretting about missing flying. So I arranged to take time off work and fly today instead. I'm self-employed, so I can do it; I shouldn't, as I need the money to pay for the flying etc etc etc. But I have a deadline I never got around to mentioning in all the discussion of backwards control systems and so on. Some time after I agreed to this 3-day flight next year, Genghis decided he wanted to fly round Wales for a few days this summer. Did I want to come? Well of course I do; it's free flying; what a silly question. I'm not sure if I'm being asked for my superior navigation skills or to make sure I actually like being in one of these aerial....OK, I know, the joke is wearing thin. Anyway, this little jaunt is next week. And I decided I'd try and learn to fly it by then. It seemed sensible at the time, but now I only have a week left. It felt like flying to the moon next week would be easier, but I decided to give it a go. Anyway, to continue...
I'd decided that since old habits seemed to be the problem, maybe if I just forgot I knew how to fly anything and moved the controls any old how and had fun, I'd learn faster. Well, as a philosophy it doesn't sound very convincing, I know. But amazingly it seemed to work. Quite suddenly, I could sort of nearly a little bit fly the thing, if you follow that. Well, at least I moved the controls the right way. So much so, that one time I reacted instinctively to a gust, and panicked, thinking if it was instinctive it must be the wrong way! But it wasn't. Anyway, Tim said whatever I'd decided to do to keep on doing it, cos it was working. And we flew in circles around clouds to practise turns and so on, and then landed at a very short strip by a pub for a coke. Er...let's not get carried away; Tim landed; I followed through and pretended I was. Anyway, these little machines really are fun. We started looking for thermals and generally playing around, and it's rather nice flying something where you really feel what's going on and have to put in a bit of physical effort to fly. Yes, I know that completely contradicts all I've ever said about why I like flying helicopters; well, tough, I never claimed to be completely logical. Anyway, after a break we did some takeoffs and circuits, though the thermals were really picking up by then so it was quite...er...exciting. But in 1.8 hours total today I've gone from thinking I'll never ever succeed in learning to fly a microlight to feeling as though it really is possible, and will be great fun. Wx permitting, I'm back tomorrow - earning a living can wait. I think I get to try landings next, so the next post could be...er...interesting.
I finally got airborne again!!!! After missing the best weekend flying weather of the summer, as I'd arranged to be away this weekend before I even considered flying microlights, I spent the whole weekend fretting about missing flying. So I arranged to take time off work and fly today instead. I'm self-employed, so I can do it; I shouldn't, as I need the money to pay for the flying etc etc etc. But I have a deadline I never got around to mentioning in all the discussion of backwards control systems and so on. Some time after I agreed to this 3-day flight next year, Genghis decided he wanted to fly round Wales for a few days this summer. Did I want to come? Well of course I do; it's free flying; what a silly question. I'm not sure if I'm being asked for my superior navigation skills or to make sure I actually like being in one of these aerial....OK, I know, the joke is wearing thin. Anyway, this little jaunt is next week. And I decided I'd try and learn to fly it by then. It seemed sensible at the time, but now I only have a week left. It felt like flying to the moon next week would be easier, but I decided to give it a go. Anyway, to continue...
I'd decided that since old habits seemed to be the problem, maybe if I just forgot I knew how to fly anything and moved the controls any old how and had fun, I'd learn faster. Well, as a philosophy it doesn't sound very convincing, I know. But amazingly it seemed to work. Quite suddenly, I could sort of nearly a little bit fly the thing, if you follow that. Well, at least I moved the controls the right way. So much so, that one time I reacted instinctively to a gust, and panicked, thinking if it was instinctive it must be the wrong way! But it wasn't. Anyway, Tim said whatever I'd decided to do to keep on doing it, cos it was working. And we flew in circles around clouds to practise turns and so on, and then landed at a very short strip by a pub for a coke. Er...let's not get carried away; Tim landed; I followed through and pretended I was. Anyway, these little machines really are fun. We started looking for thermals and generally playing around, and it's rather nice flying something where you really feel what's going on and have to put in a bit of physical effort to fly. Yes, I know that completely contradicts all I've ever said about why I like flying helicopters; well, tough, I never claimed to be completely logical. Anyway, after a break we did some takeoffs and circuits, though the thermals were really picking up by then so it was quite...er...exciting. But in 1.8 hours total today I've gone from thinking I'll never ever succeed in learning to fly a microlight to feeling as though it really is possible, and will be great fun. Wx permitting, I'm back tomorrow - earning a living can wait. I think I get to try landings next, so the next post could be...er...interesting.
Why do it if it's not fun?
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Bournemouth
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Whirly,
Well, of course not - you're a woman! Sounds like you're having a load of fun though! Not that I'm jealous or anything...
FFF
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Yes, I know that completely contradicts all I've ever said about why I like flying helicopters; well, tough, I never claimed to be completely logical
Sounds like you're having a load of fun though! Not that I'm jealous or anything...FFF
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