Microlight History

A Microlight according to wikipedia is also known as ultralight aviation. There are strict rules governing the size and weight of the Microlight and these vary depending on the country which you are in. In Europe,

"The definition of a microlight according to the Joint Aviation Authorities document JAR-1 is an aeroplane having no more than two seats, maximum stall speed (VS0) of 35 knots (65 km/h) CAS, and a maximum take-off mass of no more than:

• 300 kg for a landplane, single seater; or
• 450 kg for a landplane, two-seater; or
• 330 kg for an amphibian or floatplane, single seater; or
• 495 kg for an amphibian or floatplane, two-seater, provided that a microlight capable of operating as both a floatplane and a landplane falls below both MTOM limits, as appropriate."
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microlight )

As with Handgliding and Paragliding, Microlight stands out from the more traditional forms of aviation because the individuals flying the play a much greater part in the flight.

The 1970's is the era when most believe that Microlighting began. However, others such as BMAA online say that it is in fact,

"a rebirth, a return to the love of low-speed flights which the earliest aviators felt so keenly, but subsequently lost in the quest for military superiority and commercial practicality"
( www.bmaa.org )

Over the last 30 years pilots of Microlights have begun to push at the boundaries of what Microlights and pilots are capable of. Many of the original adventure which took place at the start of the aviation revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century, are now being challenged by these new ambitious aviators and there ultralight aircraft.

Below you will see some examples of the earlier flights which have been challenged by the New Aviators:

• Richard Meredith-Hardy, an Englishman, flew a flexwing microlight from London to Cape Town in 1985/6, racing the ghost of the first pilot to make such a journey, Colonel Van Rynveld in 1920. They each took about 6 months, but Richard arrived in the aircraft in which he had left, where Van Rynveld wrecked two on the way, and arrived in a third.
• Richard went on in 2004 to fly a flexwing microlight over Everest, the fourth such attempt – the first 3 by other pilots failed – equalling the Mainstream feat first done in 1933 by the Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale.
• David Cook, another Englishman, made the first microlight flight across the English Channel on May 10, 1978, in a VJ-23 powered by an engine as small as 101cc, over the same route flown by Louis Bleriot in 1909.
• Eve Jackson, an Englishwoman, took 15 months to become the first person to fly a microlight between London and Sydney in 1986/7, never taking any risks with weather.
• Frenchman Guy Delage flew the South Atlantic in one 26-hour flight in 1993, consciously chasing the ghost of Jean Mermoz who made the first such flight in 1933.
• Eppo Numan, a Dutchman, made the first microlight flight across the North Atlantic in 1990, east-west via Iceland and Greenland, the nearest we have got so far to emulating Alcock and Brown's non-stop North Atlantic flight in 1919.
• Neil Hardiman, an Englishman turned Australian, took 189 days in 1988 to fly around the whole coast of Australia, chasing the ghosts of Goble and MacIntyre who first made that circumnavigation flight in 1924
• Brian Milton could be seen seem to have been the first to introduce the "racing" element into long-distance microlight flights, chasing the 1919 ghost of Ross Smith to Australia in his 1987/8 flight. Ross beat Brian to Darwin but Brian beat Ross to Sydney.
• Brian was also racing in the 1998 flight around the world, the first ever by microlight, trying unsuccessfully to beat the fictional Phileas Fogg's 80-days.
• In addition, Brian was chasing four Americans who made the first Mainstream circumnavigation in 1924; his time of 120 days comprehensively beat the American time of 175 days.

(This information was kindly provided by Brian Milton www.brian-milton.com )

In order to track all the changes in Microlighting please go to www.BMAA.com which gives by far the most concise history of the sport