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Microlight Pilots celebrate Wings Night 2021at the Ulster Flying Club. Brian Blakely, The Anh Loughran, Brian Ashworth, Jack Toner, and Paul Bradley, received their Ulster Flying Club Wings in recognition of their success in achieving their Private Pilot’s License.

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Nathan McIntyre took his first flying lesson on 10th September and has put in a lot of time and effort reading the syllabus, text books and preparing for each flying lesson. On 31st October Nathan’s efforts and commitment paid dividends when with just over 7 hours of flying lessons under his belt he undertook his First Solo flight in Thruster G CGFZ. Nathan was fortunate to have picked a day with near perfect flying conditions and light circuit traffic but perhaps that was only nature’s way of rewarding him for his commitment. Congratulations Nathan on your much deserved achievement.

On Saturday 16th October David Norwood’s lifelong ambition of learning to fly took a giant leap forward when he completed his First Solo flight in Thruster G CGFZ. David’s next step is to pass his GST after which he plans  to initially join a locally based  Skyranger syndicate and ultimately to take a share in the 600kg Sting also based at Newtownards Airfield. Congratulations on your First Solo David and your admirable forward planning.

David McGuire was the holder of lapsed Australian and New Zealand Sports aviation licences but needed a current and valid licence in order to fly in Ireland. Fortunately the BMAA’s Aaron Bliss was able to advise David on the requirements to convert lapsed foreign licences into a current NPPL (M) and on 31st August David fulfilled the conversion requirements when he completed the Navigation exercises and passed his GST in Thruster G CGFZ. David has already brought his old Airbourne Flexwing back from New Zealand and has just bought a Danish registered Foxbat. In addition David has built his own little Airstrip next to his home in Galway. If Aaron is as fast and efficient in processing David’s licence application as he was in providing the Licence conversion requirements David will be flying from his own runway next week. Congratulations David on passing your GST.

Bulgarian citizen Dimitar Ivanov is currently in the UK helping us through the crisis caused by the acute shortage of articulated lorry drivers. Dimitar has decided to learn to fly during his rare days off work and on Sunday 29th August achieved his First Solo flight in Thruster G CGFZ. Congratulations Dimitar on your First Solo flight and thanks for helping us keep our supplies moving.

The Anh Loughran was awarded the BMAA James Nichols Memorial Bursary earlier this year and quickly progressed by going solo in under 9 hours and then on 19th August 2021 passing his GST in Thruster G CGFZ. Unfortunately The Anh has been unable to take his car driving test due to a horrendous backlog of learner drivers and a shortage of Examiners, so, The Anh is now pacing out his school’s playing fields to see if they are long enough for him to fly to school in September to start his A level studies. Congratulations The Anh. James Nichols would have been proud of your achievement

SOLO AT 16. The Anh (Tiang) Loughran started taking flying lessons after lockdown ended in mid May and has progressed rapidly to the point where he did his First Solo flight on 1st July after less than 9 hours under instruction. The Anh has already passed his Air Law and Aircraft Technical exams and is well on the way to having his own Pilot’s License at the age of 17. Congratulations on your First Solo The Anh.

THE LIFE OF BRIAN:           (The Second  Coming). (Monty Python fans will recognise the Quotes).

Brian Ashworth likes Microlights, and on  17th May 2021 passed his GST in Thruster G GGFZ. However Brian has spent  a considerable part of his  life drooling over the RUTAN Long - EZ and, as Brian “Always looks on the bright side of life” he has already bought a Long EZ and is busy fixing it up ready for its permit and gaining his own Pilot’s Licence. Brian has worked out that the most cost effective way of getting a licence for the Long EZ is to get the Microlight NPPL and then do the conversion course for NPPL SSEA  at Bournemouth with Derek Davidson (see Derek’s Advertisement about the Conversion course in the Microlight Flying Magazine )." Although Brian is" a very naughty boy" for not staying with Microlights he will always have  a very positive response to the question “What did the BMAA ever do for us ? " Congratulations Brian. Enjoy the conversion with Derek and then whizzing around the sky at 200+knots.

The UK Government is removing the restriction on Flight Training on 12th April 2021. NORTHERN IRELAND MICROLIGHTS will be accepting bookings for flights from Air Experience Voucher holders and student pilots from that date. PLEASE CONTACT KEN TO BOOK A DATE AND TIME FOR YOUR FLIGHT.

SEE DETAILS BELOW

(STEP 2 – no earlier than 12 April Flight training for all pilots, and flights with an instructor, can resume.

GA businesses will be able to open following COVID-secure guidance, for example commercial balloon operators. The rules on social contact will apply in these settings. Outdoor gatherings must still be limited to 6 people or 2 households, and no indoor mixing will be allowed.

GA activities should take place in line with the wider restrictions. Travel should be minimised as far as possible.)

Corey Purdy is a second year Aeronautical Engineering Student at Queen’s University Belfast and for practical experience he decided to learn to fly a Microlight Aircraft . Corey is clear that the practical experience of learning to fly has been invaluable in his progress towards a degree, and on Sunday 6th December he passed his GST in Thruster G CGFZ with first class honours. Congratulations Corey we hope you pass your final degree exams with the same distinction.

Brian Blakely today took advantage of the freezing cold, crystal clear vizability, zero wind conditions at Newtownards to undertake his GST in Thruster G CGFZ. A very happy Brian passed with consummate ease and is now looking for his own Microlight Aircraft WITH A HEATER. Congratulations Brian

Congratulations are due to Congregational Church Minister Reverend Paul Bradley on successfully completing his GST in Thruster G CGFZ. Paul now intends to join the local Newtownards Microlight Group which operates a Skyranger Swift and a Foxbat. The group will become doubly blessed with its own Ecclesiastical Wing as Presbyterian Minister Reverend Ivan Neish is already a group member.

Chris Hodges has flown heavy Group A aircraft for many years  but as he directly employs  over  five million Ultralight pilots he decided that he really needed to understand  low inertia handling techniques. Happily after a short conversion course  Chris passed his GST in Jabiru G CNAB  and now has a firm grasp of all the issues affecting his large group of  light weight dependants. Congratulations Chris on a very sweet  GST with no sting in the tale, and, your success has caused a great buzz amongst your employees.    N. B.   If you want a job you can contact Chris at www.Veesbees.com

On 23rd October Pastor Brian Ashworth of the Freedom Harvest Church in Belfast took the opportunity to dispense with his Instructor’s services and flew Thruster G CGFZ round the airfield circuit on his own for the first time. The landing was straight out of the textbook and Brian subsequently claimed that his god was with him on the flight. (So was it actually solo?) Congratulations anyway Brian.

Barry Rollins started to learn to fly in 1996 but other  life commitments  then took priority over his desire to become a Pilot and he parked the course. A mere quarter of a century later Barry resumed flying lessons in a 3 Axis Microlight and within 5 hours reached Solo standard. On 6th October Barry flew his First Solo in Thruster G CGFZ and is looking forward to the next 25 years,  but this time as a Qualified Pilot. Congratulations Barry.