It is an inspiring read, reminding us why we love to mess around with small flying machines. I understand it to be loosely based on real events, and certainly his crash was reported in the local press.

A number of passages, though, lead me to suspect a touch of artistic licence. There is the occassion when the author is on holiday in Somerset with the beguiling but untouchable ‘lift-girl’. Whilst on a walk, they stumble across a Thruster microlight parked up in a field. Without a thought for sevicability, or the unknown owner, in no time at all, he gets it fired up, and whisks her off for an enchanting flight, climbing up through IMC to frolic in the sunshine. Eventually they descend through the murk, exactly back to where they started. Lucky, dangerous, illegal, complete fabrication ? Take your pick.

Still, who cares, it is carefree flying fun, which sometimes seems in short supply these days.