News

Due to the Coronavirus situation Northern Ireland Microlights is suspending Instructional and initial Trial Flights as it is impossible to achieve the required social distancing measures in an aircraft cockpit. Anyone who holds a Voucher for a Trial Flight can be assured that your vouchers will not expire and will be flown once it is safe to do so and that Government advice at that time is adhered to. Feel free to contact Ken at Northern Ireland Microlights if you have any questions. Whilst the current situation is no fun for any of us we will do our utmost to ensure that your deferred Flight Experience will be both enjoyable and safe. Ken Crompton Tel. 07740 766 443

Sean Scullion was awarded a BMAA Young Persons Flying Bursary last year and wasted little time in putting it to good use. On 26th January Sean passed his General Skills Test and can now look forward to borrowing his dad’s Thruster on a weekend. Coincidentally Sean also passed his driving test this week. Double Congratulations Sean. .

Microlight Pilots celebrate Wings Night 2019 at the Ulster Flying Club. Gary Loughran, Garry Crosbie, Tom Martin, James Nicholls, Joe McCarrison and William Boyd received their Ulster Flying Club Wings in recognition of their success in achieving their Private Pilot’s License.

Joe McCarrison is pleased with his recently purchased Thruster nicknamed “The Yellow Peril”. Happily he passed his GST today (5/11/19) so that he has a license to take the Peril up flying. Congratulations Joe. Our dilemma is now whether to wish you many Perilous flights or not.

According to William Boyd a modicum of overt restrained triumphalism is socially acceptable after passing your GST. William can now look forward to flying his own Rans S6 Cyote that he has been renovating for the past couple of months.

James Nicholls scored a double success today by firstly passing the General Skills Test for his Microlight Pilot’s License and simultaneously winning first prize in the “Weird Headgear of the Year competition” James has already bought a share in an ex RAF Thruster with two friends who thankfully have a lot more taste in hats. .

This year’s “National Gary Week” is being celebrated by Gary Crosbie (left) and Gary Loughran (right). Coincidentally they are both also celebrating passing their GSTs in Thruster G CGFZ and their shared taste in Flying Jackets. Congratulations Garys .

Celebrity Chefs James Martin and Paul Rankin will be demonstating dishes featuring eels from Lough Neagh in their TV cookery programme. The TV company wanted to show the Chefs flying over the Lough Neagh fishing grounds where the ingredients for their dish were caught so our Thruster became a celebrity camera ship for the day. Equipped with five cameras, four microphones and one celebrity chef (Paul Rankin) G CGFZ completed a tour of the Lough with enough film to make a whole series of cookery programmes. Pictured below are Chef Rankin, the sound engineer, Thruster G CGFZ and the hungry looking pilot. See the programme on ITV later this year.

As foretold by the Instructor prophet it came to pass that on the 23rd day of August Congregational Church Minister Reverend Paul Bradley did ascend into the heavens on his own for the first time in Thruster G CGFZ. Great was the rejoicing of the assembled multitude as Rev Paul descended gently and returned to earth. Paul can now hold his own  in discussions about flying with his friend Gabriel. Congratulations on your First Solo Paul.

Joe McCarrison had spent some time trying out different types of flying machines before deciding that the Thruster was the one for him. He quickly bonded with G CGFZ and on 22nd August undertook his first Thruster solo flight. Congratulations Joe you made the right choice (eventually).

The British Microlight Aircraft Association bursary program supports young pilots of the future to help them gain the National Private Pilots License. Today 1/8/2019 Tom Martin justified the BMAA’s confidence and investment in him when he qualified for his license by passing the General Skills Test. Tom is pictured proudly wearing his Northern Ireland Microlights flying jacket next to the Thruster he trained on. Congratulations Tom

‘Long’ travelled all the way from Vietnam for the sole purpose of flying in the legendary Thruster over the sensational Strangford Lough. The Thruster experience has gained cult status throughout the world and next week we even have a booking from an indigenous native from Coalisland. (‘Long’ took the opportunity to visit his daughter in Belfast while he was here).

William Boyd is a Master Baker from Newtownards who started to learn to fly in Cessnas but soon realised that it was a half baked idea because it was less dough to learn to fly on a Microlight. On 25th June William was ready for his first Solo which turned out to be a piece of cake. William is pictured after landing his Solo and being congratulated by Microlight Flying Magazine editor Geoff Hill who also took the opportunity to put in an order for industrial quantities of freshly baked hobnobs. Congratulations William.

Just 7 hours after first sitting in the Thruster Sprint Gary Loughran flew his first solo flight in it and performed a textbook landing drawing the admiration of the airfield staff. Wisely Gary has already brokered a deal with his wife to facilitate engaging in his new hobby and we all hope she enjoys her new suite, kitchen, wardrobe, car, exotic foreign holiday and diamond tiara.

James Nicholls is a Road Surface Contractor who can claim responsibility for the runways and taxiways at London City and Heathrow Airports. Realising that landing on them would be more fun than building them James decided to learn to fly, and on 11th April 2019 after less than 9 hours tuition on Thruster G CGFZ James embarked on his first solo flight. James did justice to the runway surface at Newtownards by making his First Solo landing look very smooth and professional. Congratulations James…