My predicament is similar, I don't fly much at the minute because there is never a club A/C when I want, I then go out of 28 day check then have to fly with an instructor (even less availability). If I had access to my own machine I'd be up when I want. I've thought about group flying but also realised I could have my own microlight for a similar purchase price. I guess most on here would tell me to go with a group A a/c, but I don't know. There's an 1/8th share in an Emeraude not too far from where I am at a decent price (£2k), just need to learn the art of the tailwheel. I could of course just spend my money on 'tother half:hmm:

I do both, I have a group A share, and a microlight outright, each is worth somewhere around £3-£4k.

- For fun local flying, trailering off on holiday with me, dropping into tiny farmstrips, I take the microlight.

- For the enjoyment of long trips, at fair speed and in good comfort, on other words the joys of travelling by air, I take my shared PA28.

Take your pick - it depends what you're after from your flying.

Mind you, apart from the open cockpit bit, FlyStimulator's CT2K will do both, but ain't cheap, even by SEP terms, let alone microlight terms - although I'd guess that it probably (apart from insurance) doesn't cost much more to run than my flexwing.

G