Hello!

 I would like firstly to apollogise for using your website, but I just have to try all the available venues to find a place where I can fly from. I live in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey and I have managed finally to get my pilot license. There aren't any airfilds in the area and it would be amazing if I could find a place where I can leave a microlight parked on the ground, under a tree maybe as there is a small tent to cover it and to protect it from the sun, weather, bird drops, etc; or even beter, a barn or hangar to keep it fully rigged or half rigged. More important, I would need an airstrip of lets say 200-300 yards long that could be used as runway.

I intend to use the air strip once ot twice a month and of course there will be a monthly payment for the priviledge of storage and the use of the land.

For those of you who are not familiar with a microlight , it looks like a delta shape wing with a trike hanging underneat that is powered by a small 400cc two stroke petrol engine. My intensions are to fly away from the airstrip as soon as airborne to keep the level of noise down and not to scary any livestock (if any) or disturb neighbours.

If you can not help, please let other farmers know that they can get some extra income for the minimum of fuss and effort.

Thanks

Minica Belemet

I would try either joining a microlight club (the British Microlight Aircraft Association BMAA would be a good plave too start) http://www.bmaa.org/ or I believe there are several groups/companies/clubs that deal with microlight based at Redhill and one at Blackbushe Airport. But as for use of  agricultural field you will probably find them too bumpy due to animals grazing as the sites I have seen when I have been in helicopter or from the road are dedicated strips that are either surrounded by crops or are fenced off with no stock going on it. Plus from traveling in helicopter I have seen many microlight pretty close up too close for comfort when you happen to be in the air although the worst experiences have been over the Thames approching Southend on Sea airport which involved every time a light plane heading striaght for us shortly flollowed by a drop of 500ft in a and about 1 to 2 seconds. 

I hope you find somewhere to fly from and hope you have fun as I love going up flying as a passenger let alone flying. 

Hi sjk!

 Thank you for advise. I am a BMAA member but there is nothing much that I can do: the Redhill operates only 3 axes microlights (not weight shifts) and is the same with Blackbush. I know that there are some private air strips operated by local farmers but can't get any info on them. Again, if you know of anybody willing to help I would very much appreciated.

Sorry to hear about your experiences regarding the poor airmanship of some microlights pilots! I can assure you that I keep my eyes peeled as I definitelly don't fancy a close encounter with anybody when I am up there!

Cheers

Minica

if it was Kent I could think of a few but unfortunately I have only ever passed by Surrey via the motorway. The only other way I could think of off the top of my head is to try and look at a copy of one of the aviation maps as they should have any such locations marked on them as the ones I have looked at are extremely detailed except for when we went up to Cambridgeshire to the machinery auction then after finding several Sutton's in Cambridgeshire and entering the wrong one in to the navigation unit we had to land on a bald patch of field and try and find our way and where we were then we found they didn't have enough detail.

How easy would it be for you to have abit of a recon when your up in the air, if you can manage to have a one off take off then could you have a look and then knock on the farmers door and ask them face to face?!

Hi SDM!

It sounds good advise, but I can't do it right now. But you have just given me another ideea: why not use Google Maps and do a search from the air? It is much simpler! Thanks SDM! Why didn't I think of this! If I find a strip, I will take you up free on a flight ! (of course if you want it!)

Thats a grand idea flying pig nice work!! Sounds like a deal to me, hope the mircolight has got a powerful engine are their weight restrictions?!

Well....the engine can vary from really small ones about 14-18HP one piston engines that gives you a 30-40mph cruise speed, up to 100HP for a Rotax 912s 4 strokes engine that can go to 100mph.

Regarding the weight, for a sinle seat, due to the new regulation, you can go probably to 110-120Kg, so anybody over that weight would need to start a diet! There are however two seeters that can take 220Kg, so there is hope for big boys as well! Right now I am trying to find a place to fly from, then I will get myself a toy and then I will be up in the air every month (weather permitting!)