Qualified Pilots.

I started flying back in 1977 after purchasing an old rogallo type hang glider, from a friend? I taught myself to fly, a rather bruising experience, and eventually joined a hang glider club, (maniacs amalgamated) in the early eighties. I started teaching hang gliding in 1984 with the Peak School of Hang Gliding on a part time basis going full time in 1987. I first started flying microlights in the mid eighties, at that time they were very much powered hang gliders. I ran my own hang glider school from 1989 based at Darley Moor, a disused aerodrome near Ashbourne, It was the first tow & hill launch training facility in the U.K. During this period of time I used the microlight as an aid to teaching hang gliding. The microlight flying seemed at times to be more in demand than the hang gliding and not needing as much space to operate as the hang glider facility, I envisaged the time for a change in career with the added bonus of losing the 70 mile round trip to work.

Phoenix Microlights has now been in operation a few years, is based five minutes from my home, is growing at the rate I intended, and is proficient, professional and most important, friendly.

Send Brian an e-mail.

After being interested in aviation all my life, my wife gave me a trial flight in a Cessna for a Christmas present, this I thoroughly enjoyed, so much so, that I immediately enquired how much it would cost for me to gain my PPL in the Cessna. But after gaining all the relevant information the price was way out of my range. I then stumbled upon Microlights on the Internet and arranged a trial lesson at Phoenix with Brian, the CFI. I was immediately hooked and arranged my 2nd lesson right there and then!

There is only one word I can use to describe Microlight flying – Brilliant.

Dean is a musician with a web page at www.listentous.co.uk

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Ever since I was young, aircraft and flight have always fascinated me. Some of my earliest memories were of my father taking us to watch the planes at Edinburgh airport and RAF Lossimouth. I said then, whatever happens, one day, I'll fly.

As it happens, other than a 1 hour cessna trial lesson a few years ago and package holidays, I never actually got around to doing much about it. Family, work, money and other commitments got in the way. Until recently that is!

Suddenly, as the big 40 approaches, the things I've so far been unable to do have become more important and I made the decision to try microlighting. Other forms of flying were just too expensive for the hours, without even considering the lessons.

I knew Leigh Caudwell as we worked together about 13 years ago and our paths crossed again at work last year. Our conversations spurred me on and now here I am. And what an excellent time I'm having! Looking forward to getting my PPL(A)M (Now got it!!!!) so I can take some of my mates up and introduce them to the feelings I've discovered. If you're thinking about doing it...Don't think! Do it!

I had never considered flying a microlight until I saw one displayed at The Chatsworth Country Fair September 2003, and talked with the lads displaying it.  From that I arranged a trial flight, and 14 months and 40 hours flying later here I am with a NPPL and my own flying machine.  One of my better decisions and it’s cost me no more in total than the depreciation of a car bought over the same period.

There are frustrations, weather especially wind, and the right conditions sometimes never seem to be on your day off!  But, when it’s right it’s worth the waiting.  Flying is fantastic, a pleasure and there is nothing like floating a couple of thousand feet over the motorway looking down at the rat race bumper to bumper beneath you.  Try it, but be warned you’ll probably be keeping your old car..!

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