Flood, nice to see some lighter stuff.

Hang gliding, legally you do not need any licenses to fly, training is STRONGLY recommended. There is nothing to legally stop you taking the wing, and yourself to the top of a hill and jumping off it, many have done so with somewhat predictable results.

I think the certification (CAA) is weight limited, 150kg (maybe lower) as far as I am aware, a condition also being foot-launching, not necessarily landing though. Most hang gliders will start to fly at around 12 knots, some faster, some slower.
The next ‘weight-break’ being micolight/SLA at 450kg (coupled with stall speed). Foot-launched powered hang gliders and paragliders come under the jurisdiction of the BMAA(insurance…), if you chose to go the proper route and live longer than your first flight…

An EPC (Elementary Pilots Certificate) is the first step at around £500 it usually last between 3 and 5 days. Basic training with around 50/60 hill launches and top to bottom, no soaring. An Air law exam is also done at this point along with basic Meteorology. Buy a wing, £500-2500+.

A CPC (Club Pilot Certificate) comes next, with a move into soaring, thermal and ridge, 3 days usually and costing about the same at £500.
Note certificate, not license.

There are two types of harness in hang gliding, supine (feet forward) and prone (lying down). General guide to experince is 50hrs of hang gliding, then go for the power. You do need to know Air law, it’s just as applicable to hang gliding as any other user of the air. A ‘Doodlebug’ power pack will set you back around £3000 new, £1500 secondhand.
You can have all your training and be flying your own aircraft for £3000ish… Fly from your back garden if its big enough…

All you need then is a field the size of a football pitch and the landowners permission, a full tank (about an hours flying) of fuel and off you go. You are not allowed to overfly built up areas.
Surprisingly enough altitudes of 10,000feet have been achieved in these little things.

The jet powered ‘Doodlebugs’ are derivatives of the piston model. As far as I’m aware the ‘guys in the shed’ got bored one day and built the first one for a laugh, because they could. The jet engines are the same as those used by the R/C modelling crew, around 20lbs thrust with a TBO of 30/50hrs, unless the mainbearing(s) go before that.

Hang gliding with or without power is great fun and its not difficult, so long as your about average fitness and commonsense.

*For the benefit of one of our members: You cannot do air-taxi, drop parachutists, Duty-free, or do crop-dusting from it, even if you’re only being paid for the ‘flight planning’. You can carry a camera:-) *
*sarcasm mode off*

Nick.

First of all Robert, well done on getting as far as you have done with the RAF. Still a long way to go.

Building your hours. As far as I know the only reasonable ways to build hours with a PPL is by flying as a tug pilot at one of the many gliding clubs, or by dropping parachutists. If you chose the meat-bombing option there are other opportunites such as packing canopies (after training) which can earn you some money, most also have a bunkhouse (£1 a night jobbie), so accomodation on-site. Good attitude and very good sense of humour are essential.

You may know of a photographer who wants some pictures taken, you can share flying costs on an equal basis as you may also do with anyone else (note: equal basis).

I’m not quite sure where you would stand if say your boss needed to get somewhere, and offered to pay personnally, or via his/her company rather than you driving them. -Someone on here will know I’m sure.

Getting paid for flying includes recieving, or benefitting, either with cash or ‘in kind’. Think about the taxman, if he’d like a chunk of what you have just acquired, then the CAA would probably want a word aswell if it had been gained by flying.

You would first need to build some hours before any club would take you on as pilot, I should imagine due to insurance. Most gliding clubs also insist on previous gliding experience. You might get somewhere to pitch a tent.

Best of luck, but don’t try bucking the system (too much). It’ll come back and get you twice as hard when you least expect it.

Nick.

Re: Flying Legends

Originally posted by ALBERT ROSS
Would be nice to see some stuff that never gets there, but could!
Like Catalina from North Weald, Dutch Connie, Red Bull B-25 and DC-6 from Austria, Jet Provost T.1 from Cranfield etc…all the stuff we never see!:rolleyes:

😀 Thought you would have said a big lake!:D 😎

Currently ‘ground-bound’ but hoping that will soon change.
My scanner has gone up the spout, so i’m unable to post any pic’s at the moment. I will post some when I can replace it.

So, the types I have flown… First flight was from Duxford in a Glassfibre sailplane (can’t recall the type), Ka7 gliders and T21(RAF Upwood) for a few years (and got bored awaiting 16th b’day to solo) and Bocian gliders (all metal) at Husbands Bosworth.
Also various hanggliders and parachute canopies, Venture motorglider, AMF Chevron (microlight), Chipmunks, Piper Cubs and the ubiquitous C172.

I have built boats and a car, building or rebuilding an aeroplane is on the ‘to do’ list…

Originally posted by R.weaver

It seams we both have medical problems, tell me about it, we never get a break us aviatiors. You could always forge your medical:)

Regards

R.weaver

Safe legal flying

Suggest you retire now R.Weaver. How stupid can you really get? But hey, don’t worry too much, no-one from the CAA, Press, medical, Fraud Squad EVER look at this site…. DO THEY????????? Since they don’t even know your name, they’d have no chance of finding you anyway…… :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

As for the ‘Safe Legal Flying’ bit………:confused: :confused: