World Air Games 2009

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 06:57 Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 June 2009 07:23 Written by Darren Bardsley

Gold Medal for British Microlight Team

Microlight pilots Rob Grimwood and Chris Saysell picked up a Gold Medal for the British Team in the closing days event "Microlight Pylon Racing". Flying one of P&M's Quick R's, the two completed the required 3 laps of the 1200m course in 3 minutes and 30.6 seconds! Second place also went to a British Team pair and were only a mere 10th of a second behind. The semifinal was held shortly before the final round with the Italian team of Rossi Soavi/Vanzini gaining the bronze medal in a time of 3:53.3 min and Carra/Rossa coming fourth in 4:47.2 min.

This event was the first time inflatable pylons have been used for a microlight race. Without taking anything away from the winning flyers skills, the P&M QuikR microlights flown by the British teams benefitted from the new wing design that does not have the traditional kingpost, making the wing aerodynamically superior in relation to the other competitors wings. The very tight turns in the course required pinpoint accuracy and a great deal of concentration. Both the British teams showed controlled flying, maintaining an even height around the whole course, It was the combination of pilot skill and also high performance design which proved decisive in the race for medals. More can be read on the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale's web site

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Remos GX UK Demonstrator

Monday, 04 May 2009 19:57 Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 May 2009 19:56 Written by Darren Bardsley

The UK Gets it’s First Remos GX Demonstrator

In Early January 2009, the UK division of Remos Aircraft has taken delivery of its first Remos GX demonstrator. Remos Aircraft UK Ltd’s Managing Director Peter Foggin flew the aircraft, D-MPGB from the company’s manufacturing base in Passewalk just outside Berlin in Germany to Conington Aerodrome in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Operating on an EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) permit to fly, the aircraft will eventually be certified under the new EASA ELA1 category when it is due to come into operation in 2009/2010. D-MPGB will be used as a demonstrator flying from both Conington and Shobdon in Shropshire. Featuring the Dynon 100 EFIS (electronic flight information system) and a Flymap L GPS Navigation System, the Remos GX looks the business. Power is delivered by the very common 100hp, Rotax 912S via a two-bladed wooden fixed-pitch prop. With a cruise of 104kts (193km/h) it burns a respectable 17 litres per hour and is due to come in 3 variants, the Traveller, the Voyager and the Cruiser, all with a different panel fit out.

At the end of last year (2008) Remos reported having sold 300 units of its G3 and GX models with the largest customer base being in the US. The first UK customer took delivery of his GX in late 2008.

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Lockwood Upgrades Air-Cam

Monday, 04 May 2009 19:34 Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 May 2009 19:30 Written by Darren Bardsley

New Upgrades for Lockwood’s Air-Cam Include Factory Fitted Floats

The Sebring, Florida based Lockwood Aircraft Company has produced several upgrades to their Air-Cam. One of the upgrades sees the introduction of a float system, produced in conjunction with specialists Montana Floats of Libby, Montana and Clair Sceli of Clamar Technologies, based in Ontario, Canada. Lockwood have around 130 Air-Cams currently flying of which many have been fitted with floats as a third part addition. Obviously Lockwood have listened to its customers and not wanting to miss an opportunity has commenced providing the float system as a factory fitted option.

In addition to the float system other improvements for the float-equipped Air-Cam include a redesigned set of engine mounts needed to accommodate a new turbocharged 115hp (86kW) Rotax 914 power plant with constant speed reverse pitch propellers. The debut showing of the new factory built float plane was expected in January of this year at the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo.

Lockwood has also updated the engine mountings on its range of 100hp Rotax 912S variant and for all you budding YouTube fans they have introduced a camera mount for High Definition cameras. During 2009, Lockwood also has plans to introduce a fully enclosed cabin for their aircraft and is expected to be available before winter 2009. Interestingly the Air-Cam was originally designed to undertake aerial photography and filming work over jungles for the National Geographic Society. The resultant design included accommodation for a pilot and camera operator and for additional safety was equipped with twin engines and became quite popular as a kit-built aeroplane.

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A Toyota Prius For The Skies?

Monday, 04 May 2009 19:26 Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 May 2009 19:25 Written by Darren Bardsley

Flight Design’s CT gets a Hybrid Makeover

Flight Design, makers of the wonderful CT2K, CT and CTLS range of microlights and Light Sport Aircraft recently displayed a ‘proof of concept’ hybrid engine for its CT at the 2009 Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany at the beginning of April.

The ‘standard’ engine will use an electric booster to add to performance for take-off and critical in-flight phases. The ‘traditional’ CT has also recently gained German certification

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A Lucky Escape for Flex-Wing Pilot Roger Huyshe

Sunday, 03 May 2009 07:20 Last Updated on Sunday, 03 May 2009 08:30 Written by Darren Bardsley

Roger, Over and Ouch!

All pilots' fears came true for Shropshire based Roger Huyshe, when he ended up being slammed into trees and a live power cable by strong winds at Chirk Airfield on the Shropshire/Welsh border. Wedged in the trees at high level, airfield staff and fire services used a ladder to get Roger down to safety from the aircraft in the afternoon of Friday 1st May 2009.

Paramedics were called to check Roger over and workers from Scottish Power were called to isolate and make safe the cable he had crashed into.

Roger has been flying for four years and had taken off from Otherton airfield, near Stafford, and said he was fortunate to be able to walk away from the crash which happened at 1.40pm and involved his Gemini Flash Alpha flexwing microlight. He said: “I was preparing to land at the airfield when I felt the wind really pick up and it became very turbulent. In retrospect I should have gone around again or just flown back to where I had come from but I tried to land. I was about 20 feet off the ground when the gusts just picked up and within seconds I had been blown to my right side and into the trees. I was very lucky because I could have struck nearby buildings. I crashed into the tree and onto the power cable but apart from a sore chest I was unhurt.

Airfield worker Ian Pierce said: “I was watching him come in and I could tell he was a bit low. The wind was gusting and he just veered off into the trees. We ran over and climbed the tree to see if he was hurt. The fire brigade arrived and I helped him out of his aircraft and down the ladder. He was very lucky.

He could have been really badly hurt but the trees helped to cushion him,” added Mr Pierce.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch had been informed.