Will 3-axis microlights take over from GA light aircraft as the sport aircraft of choice? Nick Spall took to the skies to find out what makes them special
Microlights were once considered to be limited in operation, being slow and with restrictive structural loading limits. Then, in 2021, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) increased the weight definition limit on microlights to 600kg. Now, two-seater 3-axis control tourers such as the Skyranger Ninja, Ikarus C42 and Eurofox can do most of the things that a conventional Cessna or Piper does, but at much less cost and with more relaxed pilot licensing and aircraft servicing requirements.
Microlights are becoming very versatile, with 85kts cruising speeds being normal and 375nm ranges extendable with extra fuel tanks. With modern navaids and reliable engines, the skies are opening up to these machines. In January 2022, 19-year-old pilot Zara Rutherford entered the record books by completing a solo five-month, 32,300-mile journey around the globe in a Shark UL 3-axis microlight.
But are these aircraft safe, reliable and easy to fly, and will they meet the emerging carbon emission limitation requirements for the future? To find out more, Air International joined a microlight flying club in Hertfordshire, UK, and set out to gain an unrestricted National Private Pilot’s Licence (Microlight), known as the NPPL(M).
Origins and definitions
Microlights evolved from powered hang glider developments dating back to the 1970s. They are now considered 'ultralight aircraft' in the US and the UK, defined as weighing less than 115kg, and are unregulated as single-seater microlights (heavier two-seat machines are regulated).
As of August 2021, the maximum weight limit of a microlight, either a 3-axis conventional aircraft type or a ’flex-wing’ trike/weight-shift control aircraft, has to be less than 600kg and have a landing speed of less than 45kts.
Microlights in the UK are limited by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to two seats, cannot be flown in cloud or at night, and have to adhere to Visual Flight Rule (VFR) restrictions. Having said that, touring across the UK is perfectly possible at a normal altitude of 1,500-3,000ft and a maximum operating ceiling of about 13,000ft allows GA-type flexibility.
Other additional microlight restrictions include a ban on aerobatics, while tight turns with a wing angle greater than 60° are not permitted.
However, with landing and take-off distances of only 150m, microlights are very versatile and can make use of small grass farm strips while touring the country. With good engine endurance and reliability, flights across the Channel to France and beyond are possible – the 80-100hp engines use regular four-star unleaded petrol.
Learning to fly
AI took a relatively slow approach to learning to fly at a microlight school, with about 10 months of lessons spread across the winter and summer months to eventually pass the required flying tests and five ground school exams.
Details of how to go about obtaining a microlight pilot’s license are available from the British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA). At least 25 hours’ training experience is needed to qualify, although most candidates would probably require at least 30-35 hours, particularly as long-distance navigation exercises of up to 100nm need careful preparation and good training weather is a must. Notably, the unrestricted NPPL(M) minimum of 25 logged hours is less than the more onerous NPPL demands for GA aircraft, which involve a minimum of 43 hours of training. Most pilots can normally expect to go solo after 10-20 hours.
You would generally fly in less than a 15kt winds while training and, for the early Skyranger-type aircraft, more rudder would be needed in turns. Overall, the feeling is just like a Cessna, although on a thermic day the bumps might be a little more noticeable.
Cost advantages
Learning to fly in a small GA two-seat Cessna 152 is expensive for many, normally costing over £200 per hour in the UK – obtaining a full PPL licence could amount to a £10,000+ investment. Extensive ground study exams are a further commitment and a JAA flight medical examination is required. By contrast, some microlight schools charge only £130 per hour for instruction. So assuming a course of some 30 hours spread over a few weeks, an initial training budget of £4,000 is to be expected. With ground school and fees for the five theory exams – air law, meteorology, human performance, navigation and aircraft-technical – plus the actual final flying test cost, the BMAA licence application and club membership fee, then a total NPPL (M) course cost of £5,000 appears quite reasonable. A medical examination is required via a self-certification questionnaire process, available online from the BMAA/CAA. Microlights can be flown solo by pilots as young as 17 in the UK and there is no upper age limit. The Hertfordshire-based veteran pilot and former aero-engineer Ted Barrett is probably the UK’s oldest qualified active pilot, turning 100 years old in May 2021.
Owning a microlight
A 3-axis microlight can be homebuilt from a kit, although most of them are factory-assembled. A brand-new Skyranger Ninja, Ikarus C42, Eurostar or Eurofox would cost between £50,000-£100,000, but secondhand prices start at about £20,000 and can go on to provide years of service, often equipped with Rotax four-stroke 912 (80hp) or 912S (100hp) engines. Ballistic recovery parachute systems can be fitted, if desired. An annual Permit to Fly check will be required from the BMAA, but this is cheaper and more straightforward than the Certificate of Airworthiness issued for heavier GA aircraft.
Ted Barrett: 'old and bold'
Known as 'Young Ted' to his flying colleagues, veteran pilot Ted Barrett still takes to the skies over the UK as often as he can. He obtained his Brabazon Licence way back in 1950 and has flown everything from gliders and powered gliders to GA aircraft – including Tiger Moths – and microlights.
Ted served as an aero-engineer in the RAF during World War Two, working on Bristol Type 156 Beaufighters, Wellingtons and DC3 Dakotas, followed by post-war civilian propeller aircraft such as the de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo, Doves and Britannias, followed by jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and the 737. He worked for Freddie Laker in the 1960-1970s and is still registered as a CAA-licensed aero-engineer. For Ted, flying microlights – now with another qualified pilot beside him for insurance reasons – gives him great satisfaction: “Flying keeps me youthful and is still a real joy after all these years.”
Ted has seen a huge evolution in aviation across his long life and his wit and humour is undiminished – when the author flew to Norwich Airport with him and asked when he was last there, he replied with a smile: “Oh, quite recently... it must have been back in August 1942!”
Some microlight pilots join ownership syndicates – these can vary from two up to ten people in a group. A typical good-value set-up for a basic Skyranger syndicate might include a three-year contribution of £1,500, with £35 per month and £30 per hour applied to cover aircraft insurance, basic maintenance fees and hangarage costs.
Flying ranges
An Ikarus C42 using a 65-litre tank and with a 20-minute reserve could typically achieve a cruising range of 325nm, flying at best cruise speeds of 86kts. Using an auxiliary tank of 130 litres, this range could be extended to 778nm. The recent new and more relaxed 600kg weight restrictions allows more fuel to be carried by touring microlights in the UK.
Ray Wilkinson, principal lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of Hertfordshire and an experienced 3-axis microlight pilot, said of the new CAA flexibility: “This move will free up the microlight scene in the UK so that more flexible long-distance travel can occur for two-seater ‘sport’ aircraft in the future. More fuel can now be carried, and stronger and more capable aircraft fuselage and wing structures can be introduced. Also, we can begin to move towards sustainable bio-fuels and electric-powered aircraft for the UK general aviation scene.”
Environmental benefits
With a consumption of about 12 litres of fuel per hour, which corresponds with about 26 miles per gallon for a 65-litre fuel tank, the fuel efficiency of a microlight is highly appealing.
Biofuels are now being used. For example, in 2021, the RAF achieved a world first by flying an Ikarus C42 microlight using pure synthetic fuel made from water and CO2 – referred to as UL91 by its manufacturers, Zero Petroleum.
And with electric-engined aircraft such as the Pipistrel emerging for at least 45-minute endurance training flights, microlight flying will soon become greener and more sustainable.
The 3-axis microlight has an exciting future ahead as a personal touring flying machine, being easy to fly, safe and reliable. For many in the general aviation world, the genuinely affordable sports aircraft is with us at last.
