General Fleet Information

Aircraft designed to be fun

For pure unadulterated fun, which is why most people want to learn to fly... you need aircraft that are designed to BE fun. Aircraft that can be flown slowly enough to chase rabbits around a field yet fast enough to reach the lure and magic of far distant shores. Aircraft that are simple, yet rugged - and above all, safe.

JUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION

Which is more fun to drive - a sports car or a saloon car?

It's the sports car isn't it? Well it's just the same with aeroplanes. If you want to learn what real flying is all about take up microlighting first. Even if you want to move on to heavier stuff you'll be a far better pilot for having learned on microlights. This is where the grass roots of flying are and in my opinion you shouldn't bypass the experience. I speak as a flying enthusiast with over 35 years experience of powered flight. I've instructed on light aircraft as well as microlights so I'm not just speaking through the top of my hat. I also fly (and teach) gyroplane and paramotor flying and I can assure you that by far the best way to enter the world of powered flight is from the pure fun end.

FIXED WING AIRCRAFT

At present, all of our microlight flight training is done on fixed-wing aircraft - usually the fabulous new Ikarus C42 or the Eurostar EV97.

The reason we use the fixed-wing aircraft type is because we can fly them in all but the most horrendous weather conditions. This is a great advantage if you're doing a Private Pilot's Licence Course (PPL) because it means that when you have your time off work we can usually go flying. The controls on these aircraft are very light and extremely powerful so turbulent conditions aren't too much of a problem - the aircraft can cope with it and we can safely teach the pilot to do so too. This type of aircraft can also cope with very rough terrain so it's ideal for landing in unprepared fields. For the same reason, we use these aircraft type for all our Trial Lessons. With eleven aircraft at our disposal and several experienced instructors we can deal with fairly large groups of people for trial lessons as well as a heavy training schedule.

People are always so enthralled and surprised at their stability, responsiveness, quietness and the sheer fun they've had flying them. We get comments all the time like "I really had no idea they were so stable". "I thought we'd be tossed around all over the place". "It's so much quieter than I thought". "This is so much more fun than light aircraft". "This is better than sex"!

AUTOGYRO

The MT-03 Autogyro is the latest - and most exciting - addition to our fleet, bringing a whole new type of exciting, fun and affordable flying to the club.

Gyroplanes, also called autogyros or gyrocopters, are incredibly nimble and versatile aircraft. Until now, they've had a fairly small (but dedicated) following in the UK but a breed of autogyro, like the MT-03, is bringing this wonderfully well-kept secret into the mainstream. And as you'd expect, we're at the cutting edge of this sport flying revolution!

Have fun. Mac.