EXPERT INTERVIEW WITH MICROFLIGHTS FLYING SCHOOL

To be able to fly is one of man’s greatest quests, and it doesn’t come much closer than microlight flying. With only a small vessel carrying you, you’ll feel as though you’re floating on air above the beautiful Warwickshire landscape. I’ve been speaking to James at Microflights Flying School about the fantastic flying experiences they offer, and the journey of the company.

1) Please explain your journey as ‘Microflights Flying School’ so far.

I had a back-seat flight in a microlight in 1993 in Majorca – amazing! This started a whole chain-reaction of thinking about my life path. I was working in London at that time, and this began a series of events which resulted in my leaving the ranks of the employed and starting out on my own. I got a microlight licence in 1997 and completed a Flying Instructor course in Portugal in 2000. I worked for another flying school until 2002, when I set up Microflights Flying School. The business has now been running for eleven years and we now have two other instructors on the team to help out with the demand for our programme of introductory trial flights and student pilot training.

The best part of the industry is the freedom to run your own enterprise, meeting lots of interesting people and having the privilege of introducing them to what I call the magic of microlight flying (see my article called The Magic of Flight on my website). And then seeing a small proportion of those start learning to fly themselves, and watching them fly their first solo. Always a very special (and nerve-wracking!) moment.

Every flight is unique. The conditions are ever-changing and I never get bored of the stunning views from the cockpit.

2) What has been the biggest or most memorable event you’ve provided?

I flew with Julia Bradbury in the back seat and was interviewed for an edition of Countryfile.

3) Is there any inside information you can give us?

We operate on the basis that the student is paying to learn to fly and deserves courtesy, respect, tolerance and encouragement. That sets us apart from lots of flying training organisations I can think of!

4) What would you say is your most frequently asked question?

How much does a microlight cost? Answer always surprises the customer – you can buy an airworthy second-hand microlight for as little as £2,000, sometimes even a bit less than that.