Microligt Flights & Lessons UK

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Microlight Flying Lessons and the Microlight Aircraft

Microlights make private flying available to all, from age upwards and disabled people may also fly microlights on equal terms with many other pilots. Like most forms of transport here are many different types and styles of microlight from powered hang-glider types or flexwings, to some that really look and perform just like a mainstream light aircraft. In terms of engines, there are both four-stroke and two-stroke engines that are not only economical and reliable but even make water crossings almost a routine occurrence.

Forget runways or even airfields, your local farmer's field will do (with permission), and generally microlights can be easily packed up and taken home in a trailer. Microlight flying is one of the safest forms of recreational flying in the UK due to relatively slow flying speeds and low inertia.

The British Microlight Aircraft Association website has all the information you need about the sport, what training is required, how to get a trial lesson (all clubs and schools in UK and British schools overseas are listed), and links to other microlight related sites. Visit it at: British Microlight Association

Microlight Lessons and Flight training are governed by the Civil Aviation Authority. Once you have completed your training a National Private Pilots Licence (NPPL) with a microlight rating is issued.

Instruction is given by a CAA approved flying instructor and consists of ground studies, dual and solo flight training.

There are more than 3,000 microloghts on the Civil Aviation Authority register and are the largest single group of light aviation aircraft in the UK. .
In the last few years British-made microlights have circumnavigated the globe and set new world records. You can find out more from www.bmaa.org.

There are two major microlight manufacturers in the UK: P&M Aviation, from Rochdale, and close neighbours; Medway Microlights, based near Rochester in Kent.

All microlights have to conform to the CAA's stringent regulations for both microlight manufacture and testing (including structural load tests to forces of 6g - three times that of a jumbo jet!) and like cars each microlight must pass an annual inspection and flight test.

Microlights might look fragile but modern microlight aircraft are very strong and have one of the best safety records in leisure aviation. Microlights have large, high-lift wings, that assist the aircraft to glide safely to earth in the event of engine malfunction but in reality, with high performance aircraft engines, a very rare occurrence!