Flying High

Business partners David Lane and Simon Baker also offer tuition for would-be pilots, while novices can sign up for a trial flight or a flying lesson. Sally Oldaker joined David on an 'Air Experience Flight' over Shakespeare County.

My experience of learning to drive a car involved two years of lessons, three different instructors and two minor accidents - add to that my lack of navigational skills, and you'll appreciate why I had never seriously considered learning to fly a plane!

However, I do enjoy flying as a passenger, so a 'flying experience' with an instructor was the ideal way to discover the pleasures of microlighting.

The experience began with a briefing, with an explanation of safety precautions and the warning that even with every safeguard in place, flying will always be a dangerous sport. David explained some technical aspects such as directions and wind speed - luckily there's no need to worry if you can't remember it all, as the information just provides a basic understanding of the process.

David had chosen a twin-seater Ikarus C42 aircraft, which he described as the most sophisticated of the microlights. The weather wasn't particularly great, so I was glad to see that the craft featured an enclosed cockpit (I had always imagined a microlight as a giant kite with an engine attached). This meant that there was no need to wear a flying suit or helmet, although we would both be wearing headsets to communicate.

The C42 looks small, and there's a definite art to getting in and out, but the interior is surprisingly roomy and comfortable. It was fitted with dual controls so that I could have a brief go at flying the craft if weather conditions permitted, but for the rest of the flight I had to remember to keep my feet away from my set of pedals - and the throttle, which was tucked behind my knees.

Before take-off, David carried out a series of checks - he would repeat these at intervals throughout the flight, since safety is paramount. The plane's dashboard features a daunting array of instruments measuring air speed, altitude, fuel and several other factors, as well as a GPS navigation system. David pointed out that pilots must also be aware of what is going on around them, looking out for other aircraft and checking which way the clouds are moving.

The take-off was one of the most fun parts, with the roar of the engine and that feeling of freedom that comes with being airborne. Apart from that, the C42 is very quiet, which means no complaints from the airfield's neighbours. The plan was to fly towards the Cotswolds, and maybe over Bromsgrove, but this was very much subject to the weather, and in the event our flight path did have to change several times.

Microlight pilots are not allowed to fly through clouds as they must maintain a certain amount of visibility, so on a day like this there is a lot of skirting round the edges of 'storm cells'. Although it was a grey day, we could see for quite a long way and also pick out landmarks on the ground, such as Ragley Hall and Coughton Court - and the concave shape of the Vale of Evesham was clearly visible from on high.

On a clear day, it would be possible to see as far as Bristol, and even today we could make out Bredon Hill and the Malverns. We were flying at the equivalent of 105mph, and in no time had reached Worcester, but the ground doesn't whiz past like it would in a car, so there is no real sensation of high speed. Because it is a small aircraft, you can feel each movement much more than you would in a large plane, especially when the pilot dips the wings left or right to check for other aircraft. It wasn't a bumpy ride, though, since we were avoiding the clouds.

When we had reached a patch of clear-ish sky, David decided it was time for me to take control of the plane. The foot pedals are not an accelerator and brake as I had expected - instead they move the tail rudder left or right to change direction. There is a joystick in the centre console which also moves you left and right, as well as controlling ascent and descent. Both sets of controls seemed very sensitive in comparison with a car - only a light touch is required to begin turning.

This was the only part of the flight that was a bit scary, even though David could have resumed control at any time! I found it difficult to keep the craft steady in one place, even though the dashboard features a sort of spirit-level device for checking your balance. I remember my favourite driving instructor warning me that "hands follow eyes!", and it proved true in the air as well, as whenever I glanced sideways through the window, the plane moved in the same direction.

David said that learning to fly this type of aircraft requires about the same skill level as learning to drive. There seems to be a lot more to think about in a plane, especially since you are moving in three axis rather than just two, but as he pointed out, there are certain similarities - once you've become familiar with the controls and can use them almost without thinking, you are free to concentrate on the other aspects, such as keeping an eye on the weather.

Landing was made slightly more complicated by the presence of a flock of birds on the runway, meaning we had to circle round and try again, but when we did land it was very smooth. The flight had lasted for just under an hour, although it seemed to have gone much faster!

For anyone who is considering learning to fly, this would be a valuable way to find out if microlighting is for you - or if, like me, you prefer to be a passenger, it's a wonderful experience and a chance to view your home county from a very different vantage point!

David Lane holds a full PPL and is a BMAA Aircraft Inspector as well as the current Safety Officer for FSA's sister outfit, Avon Microlight Club (www.avonclub.org.uk). As well as flying, the former veteran firefighter has many boating qualifications: he's a Dot Yachtmaster, a Qualified Coxswain of Rescue Boats, an elected member of the Royal Institute of Navigation, and a qualified Water Survival Instructor who can arrange survival training and tuition.

David is also a mountaineer, Expeditions Planner and Organiser, a Round Britain Flying Record Holder, and was the Fastest Cross Channel Powerboat Record 'BobbyTime Trophy' Holder in the 20th century (his record still stands unchallenged). He can add "aircraft builder" to the list, assisting his colleague Don Payne, the resident engineer at Freedom Sports Aviation, who's happy to do all your aircraft servicing requirements.

As far as anybody knows, no flyer has deliberately tried to land an aircraft at 17500 ft - except that is, for Simon Baker. A landing at this height could only be on the side of a mountain, and in this case it was Everest. Simon had been asked to assist with aerial filming for the documentary programme Kites and Kayaks, part of a Channel 4 adventure series. This episode was to show canoeing on the Dudh River, which runs milk-white down the side of the mountain. It was here that the attempted landing had to take place.

Suddenly a radio message from the expedition medic changed the day. Would it be possible to fly out a canoeist in need of urgent medical attention? Good question, and it needed cool and measured calculations to answer! At the very least it was going to demand the highest level of flying skill, not to mention a hell of a lot of nerve. The odds of an uncontrolled contact with the mountainsides were high; that would only complicate matters considerably.

Simon was flying a special Raven Wing, which had been specially prepared for operating at extreme altitude. At 17,500 ft it was necessary to fly on oxygen, and with electrically heated gloves and socks for protection against frostbite. Given the thin air conditions, landing speed had to be around 80mph. With the mountain's reputation for sudden and dramatic changes in weather conditions, you could be forgiven for asking why anyone would attempt something that crazy, especially, as it was all going to be on film? Even so, Simon gave it a go. Happily, a safe landing was eventually carried out, and the injured man flown down to base camp.

Simon's association with Channel 4 began when he'd provided a highly cost-effective camera platform for the prize-winning documentary Iceland Breakthrough. This was followed by A Different Frontier, another expedition to Iceland for Channel 4 filming the story of young disabled people making a challenging river journey across the volcanic wilderness.

It was in 1980 that Simon first came to the UK for a short holiday. He'd originally begun flying in his native Australia, and decided as he was here, he might as well have a look at a hang gliding school in Wales. It didn't take long for the bug to bite; inevitably the holiday became extended. The next move was to Breen Aviation and flying early microlights. Further success followed and he soon became acknowledged as one of the UK's leading light aircraft pilots. He became qualified as a BMAA Inspector and Check Pilot, and Senior Inspector - like giving MoTs to cars but for aircraft. In the early 90s Simon was again on the move, this time to Durban in South Africa for the World Microlight Championships.

Now leading members of the British Team, Simon and Anita Holmes (real life partners as well as for flying) lined up with fifty-eight world class pilots to witness an opening ceremony, where Chief Buthelezi led a hundred Zulu school children in the tribal dance of welcome. The championship was fought out above subtropical cane fields, set against a picturesque backdrop of snow-capped peaks formed by the Lesotho mountain range. It turned out to be a particularly memorable trip for the British Team, who managed to hold on to their trophy, and Simon, along with navigator Anita, flew their Pegasus Flexwing 912 into first place in the dual competition - bringing home both the gold medal and the World Championship Title.

With an established national and international reputation, offers of new opportunities and new adventures had begun to arrive. The one that caught the imagination was from land-speed-record-breaker Richard Noble. His Thrust team was going out to Jordan to test ThrustSSC in desert conditions, and needed light aircraft pilots. So Simon and I were asked to assist.

The task was to over-fly the Al-Jafre test area, "picketing" to making sure there were no obstacles on the high-speed track. It proved a very necessary precaution. Despite being in the middle of a military training area, camels and donkeys were wandering about; even civilian vehicles were being driven through the restricted area. On one occasion we even came across a recently test-fired missile, still in a highly volatile state.

After the successful tests in Jordan came the big one: the 'Battle at Black Rock' in the Nevada desert in 1997 - Andy Green and ThrustSSC eyeball to eyeball with rival Craig Breedlove and Spirit of America. The goal was Mach 1 - through the sound barrier with all the wheels still on the ground. The story has been well told before; Andy Green took the record with an average two-way speed of 763.035mph.

Even an unreconstituted Aussie like Simon had to confess to twinges of pride watching Thrust yowl into the record books in a huge cloud of dust. In an interesting side issue, whenever the SSC went through the sound barrier, the sonic boom also created a fair bit of turbulence for those up aloft. As Simon pointed out, it was just one more occasion when he was grateful for the brilliant handling capability of the modern Pegasus 912 Quantum microlight in demanding air conditions.

In Hungary in 1999, with five British Championships under their belts, Simon and Anita set out to defend their Dual Flexwing World Title. This time the best pilots from seventeen countries took part; eighty-one aircraft, both Three Axis and Flexwings, competed. Despite some heavyweight competition, Simon and Anita managed to retain their World Champion Titles for second time. And in 2003, on home territory at Long Marston, they secured the Gold Medals for a record third time against the toughest field yet!

The Freedom Sports Aviation Team - myself, Simon, Anita and Don - intend to expand and open up new markets from our base in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside. Foremost in our plans is to provide greater access to flying and encourage more women to take up the sport (no doubt under Anita's good influence), and to capitalise on the market centred in this area.

In fact, Simon is so taken with the idea of flights over Shakespeare country that he is wont to drop the occasional Shakespearean quote into the conversation, in particular, one he swears he's always lived by: "Tis by broader horizons the more one may see - and so, Tis a wise person who gets himself a microlight, man or woman!"

When you look at the CV of Simon and Anita with their awards of Medals of the Royal Aero Club - "For outstanding achievement in Aviation" - and the Team, you can't say he's wrong, can you?