Flyer Magazine

What do you choose? A new car or an aeroplane? Yes, after last week’s show where we talked about expensive new high-performance microlights, we go to the other end of the price spectrum. You can buy a whole aeroplane, airworthy and flying, for less than £30,000. We identify a range of possible aircraft available now in the small ads - there’s something for everyone. And on a similar subject, TV chef Jamie Oliver achieved his PPL at Andrewsfield over the summer - now he’s helped save the airf...

Thanks to the latest Rotax 916iS engine with its 160hp max power, there’s a flock of superfast microlights becoming available - and the latest, the JMB VL3, has just been approved for the UK. As well as the power (cue: MORE POWER!), this new breed of 600kg microlights are also well-equipped, look sensational and, well, expensive. In the News: Owner of Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green killed First UK JMB VL3 delivered STOL UK Competition at Popham Fairford RAT Game Aerospace flies GB2 firebomber...

Does general aviation have an organised crime problem? A report from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) looks at the use of general aviation for smuggling drugs, weapons and people, and makes recommendations for tackling it. We discuss the report, the problems it identifies, and what some of its proposals could mean for GA pilots — including mandatory electronic conspicuity. Plus: News Popham remains under threat of development, with another consultation on the new local plan Coventr...

New guidance from the CAA sets out what instructors should cover during the one-hour refresher flight for SEP revalidation by experience. They make it clear that the hour is more than simply going flying with an instructor. For instance, they want pilots to improve they can navigate by dead reckoning and a paper chart rather than rely on SkyDemon (there are other moving map displays available)! We run through the CAA’s vision for the ideal instructor hour and ask, isn’t this really a mini Ski...

Airfield, airport and air strips: They’re the life-blood of General Aviation. We take a look at what’s going well, what’s not and what’s in between. It’s a subject we’ll return to in future shows. Be assured: painful though it is to lose an airfield, there are also lots of good things happening. Plus: News LAA Rally 2026: A huge success for the Light Aircraft Association and for Leicester Airport. Watch our video “Best of the LAA Rally”: https://youtu.be/S_3UJG7xvz0 GippsAero GA10 Airvan sin...