Product Description

Topics covered in this text include a history of the sport and the philosophy behind it, different types of microlight, safety, ideas for advanced flying and owning and maintaining a microlight.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57149 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 110 pages

Skywings Magazine August 2001
Finnigan's lucid but enthusiastic writing style conveys a lot of what purring along over the landscape actually means.

Flight Safety Bulletin Autumn 2001
Engagingly written, excellently illustrated... [gives] a positive and well informed view of the sport.

From the Author
This book is selling well within the aviation community in UK and abroad but it is intended for those who are not yer involved in aviation and think that perhaps it is beyond them for cost or other reasons. I am very keen for it to be read by a wider audience, so if you know someone who is crazy about aeroplanes or is just looking for a new experience, perhaps a bit less physical that he or she is used to, then please tell them about the book or e-mail the details to them.

Customer Reviews

The perfect starting point for potential microlight pilots.
As someone who thought he might be interested in starting microlight flying I found myself in a black-hole, no-one I knew had any experience of the subject and there were no clubs for miles around. What I really needed was someone to summarise what was involved in the sport and how I should progress. Finding Chris Finnigan's book was a godsend. Finnigan takes us through the history of microlighting which is essential to an understanding of its philosophy and why the regime of regulation has grown up as it has. He also clearly describes the two basic styles of aircraft involved, their pro's and con's and just what you would be taking on in terms of training, maintenance and equipment. All this is essential information to have on board before you decide to get involved in microlighting but Finnigan still finds room to express the sheer joy which arises from the sport and explains the devotion of its followers.

Good, but...
A nice book, well written, and the author clearly knows the subject. Some of the cons I found:
- Some of the hints or recommendations are really obvious (like “if you want to buy a ML, don’t buy the first one you see”, or “it can be cold flying an open cockpit in the winter” and so on);
- Despite the sub-title (“Affordable aviation”), he is not really covering the most important cost aspect, i.e. the operating costs of a typical ML;
- Important aspects are left out – for example, the new 3-axis available on the market are easily as expensive as a used airplane. It would have been nice spending some words about the pros and cons of both (what should drive my decision between buying a new ML or a used aircraft?)
Don’t take me wrong, it’s a nice book you can read in one evening, you will get something out of it, but I think it will leave you with too many open questions that could have been easily answered!