Microlighting Myths!
 

Perhaps the title is somewhat vague, I would like to join the microlighting community! I have found an airfield close by to offer the full NPPL course at £2000, including all books, 25 hours and exams, Very good if you ask me!
This is straight forward, and i know that 25, is the minimum. However i have recieved so many different answers about the ability to rent aircraft, and when i finish my licence i want to be able to fly! Even the other threads on PPruNe has disagreements in it. Im not decieded on buying a share.
Any definitive answers?
Thanks chaps,
M1995.

Ghengis is your man on this, but i believe there are only 2 places in the UK currently that rent microlight. One in n yorkshire and the other in wiltshire. Unless you are near one of them, youll need to buy outright, or into a syndicate.

Also just worth following up,as 2k is very cheap for the course. I dug into this quite a lot, and couldnt find anywhere even close to that, though i am down south!.

Good luck, IPZ

I'd guess that either £2k is for your restricted licence (which doesn't inlcude the cross-countries), but it gets you flying - or part of a package with something else. Worked for me once upon a time: I could just afford it, and a year or so later, after building up a little bit of experience my bank balance had recovered and I bought a share and got the cross-country restriction removed.

But even at full price, learning on microlights is noticeably cheaper than flying larger aeroplanes - and probably even cheaper than getting to the same point in gliders.

There are various clubs renting, and the restriction to solo occupancy was lifted a couple of years ago. But yes, you have to hunt around a bit. Historically buying your own aeroplane, or a share, has been the way ahead and without a doubt, it works.

My advice would be get the licence, even if only a restricted licence, and then make a decision about buying outright, buying a share, or renting. The process of learning will clarify things enormously in your mind, and you'll get to a point where you have a good understanding of what you want out of your microlight.

Shares start at about £500, and safe and flyable microlights around £3k these days - it's the cheapest time ever to take up microlight flying. Slower, and draughtier, than just about any other form of flying - and probably more smiles to the pound than any other either. Running costs are probably about fuel + 100%, if you operate from a quiet farmstrips (which is certainly where microlights really belong).

You can spend a great deal more money - but you don't have to. I certainly never have - I fly "group A" for payload and performance, and microlights for fun.

The big decision you do need to make however, is 3-axis versus flexwing. I've roughly equal hours in each, and think they're both great: so I'd just say get an hour or two in each, and make your own mind up.

G

M1995

Can i suggest you send/pm that link to G or rod1, who seem to know most of the players in the market. I've not heard of them (not that I know that much) but I have to say the website is very vague, with little or no detail. That doesnt mean its a problem, but i would expect to see an address or location at least. Also check the cfi is listed as a qualified instrutor on the bmaa website

Finally if you browse many of the threads, the general advice is to be very wary of paying up front. Not sure if paypal protects you from this, but it may well be worth paying the few hundred pounds extra so as not to have to pay all up front.

Either way, good luck, you'll love it!

G many thanks for your reply, very informative :ok:
I have PM'd you,
M1995.

And replied to your PM.

In a nutshell, looks above board - and relatively inexpensive because they're using older and more basic aeroplanes, but I still wouldn't pay too much up front. Maybe 5 hours at a time to save a bit of money, but don't commit more than you can afford to lose. The little aeroplane world is just too fragile, a few crooks, but probably far more people who just got their business plan wrong.

G

You can hire at Ince near Liverpool....are they guaranteeing a licence at 25hrs...or does 2k just buy 25hrs....

yup, flyingmac. That's one of them, and the other one is clearprop, here

Clearprop Microlight School, London and Wiltshire

As for guaranteeing a pass in 25 hours, I can't see how that's possible. Somewhere can guarantee you a pass, and if it takes more than 25 hours, not charge you the extra, but you can't guarantee someone will pass in 25 hours, unless you don't examine them properly. Its the equivalent of telling someone they will pass their driving test after 10 lessons, irrespective of how easily they pick it up. Would you get in a car with them?

You can also hire three-axis C42s and weightshift 912 Quantums at Strathaven in Scotland.

We just keep the details fairly quiet to non-members, probably like many schools with hire permissions.

ps. I think we pay our instructors more for 25 hours than £2,000!

Genghis, I like the idea of quiet farmstrips. But lets face it, you can either be quiet or fly a microlight, not both !

Ghengis, quite a few gliding clubs now offer fixed price to solo packages - my club's is £650 + £350 membership, so it's not more expensive to this point at least.

Of course, if the £2k takes you to your licence then the gliding equivalent is probably Bronze + XC endorsement - how much this costs is dependent on ability, but should be manageable in less than a further £1k if you've clicked with gliding.

Not suggesting the OP should go gliding instead - a very different kind of flying, though like microlighting it is flying for pure fun, rather than with any aim of practical utility. But if anyone is thinking of trying it, pricing is unlikely to be an issue. Where gliding really costs is in time!