Cross-country Microlighting

A row of colourful birds sat on the black strip of tar, barely 200m long. These things were lighter, less powerful, and cheaper than your average Maruti 800. They seemed small and puny, almost like toys. Perhaps like one of the R/C aircraft that I like to fly with my kid brother. Would this little toy really take off with us in it Like a real airplane

Soldiers helped us strap in, tightening the four-point seatbelt harness that went over me in the tandem seat and over the pilot. The instrument panel was tiny, with a bare minimum of gauges. VSI. Altimeter. Tachymeter. My helmet went on, foam securely closeting my ears and muffling all outside sound, while a mic in front of my mouth allowed me to speak. I heard a tinny electronic voice, feeling like it originated from somewhere inside my head.

&ldquoIs your helmet on securely&rdquo
&ldquoYes, yes, it is.&rdquo
The engine switched on, and a roar engulfed the back of my head. Surprisingly, I could still hear the communication between the tower and the pilot &ldquoMike 102, clear for takeoff&rdquo
The tiny aircraft began to move. We steered onto the tarmac, he opened the throttle, and in less than a hundred metres, we were off the ground

The landscape below emerged--wide open, unconstrained by the narrow frame of a Perspex window. There was no cockpit, we were jammed in completely open seats, and flying above trees, lakes and dusty plains. This was nothing like being in a metal-encased tube flung through the air at 400 knots. We were in a microlight, a hang-glider with an engine. The Indian Army, with its love of acronyms called it a PHG &ndash Powered Hang-Glider. The Army Adventure Wing was holding a microlight race and an airshow. Jitender and I were here for an experience, at the invitation of Lt Col Satyendra Verma.

I leaned over and grasped the aluminium bar firmly.
&ldquoAre you holding it&rdquo
&ldquoYes, got it.&rdquo
Subedar Das let go of the main bar, and I realised what it was like &ndash flying this thing. The wind buffeted the little kite continuously, and I had to hold it hard. She went level for a ways, then perhaps I thought of doing something. She rolled left, and dipped a tad. Whoa
It was bloody windy up here. I kept adjusting the helmet, trying to make sure I could hear the comms above the roar of the engine and the wind blowing past. I squinted a little, instinctively. My camera was securely hitched to my belt, and I held it at chest level squirming around to get a few shots. Better than dropping it a thousand feet, I figured.

A silver dot appeared in the horizon. The metal-body Savannah (yes, still under 450kg) piloted by Major Randhawa came in and zipped past us, pushed forward by the 912cc Rotax engine and a 14 knot tailwind. I could see Jitender leaning out and taking pictures. We crossed under and the turbulence of the propwash smacked the powered hang-glider, making it shudder like a shaken rag doll. What an experience. This was the closest real flying got to, with an engine. These things were sort of like motorcycles of the sky, riding the grey cloud-highways. I could imagine it now, gangs of microlight pilots, roaming the empty skies, in black leather jackets and chrome helmets&hellip
The Army Adventure Wing&rsquos air-race went from Mhow (near Indore), to Bhopal, to Birlagram, back to Mhow &ndash a total distance of 475km.

Flying these ultralight planes cross-country definitely seemed like an adventure. And it turned out to be one, with one aircraft nearly losing its radiator and limping back, another running dangerously low on fuel due to severe headwinds.
The army, as usual, has led the way in another arena of adventure that could become a hugely popular activity. For those five days, the Mhow airfield had become a buzz of highly frenetic (if rather disorganised) activity.

Microlights
This is how microlights were invented
Ingredients Ordinary hang-glider (1) aircraft-grade aluminium (now available on some of your cycles as well) scooter tyres (3) scooter shocks motorcycle engine (1) propeller (1)
Method Mix, spin and shake to get a flying machine, a bike-of-the-sky.

Terminology
Roll, Pitch, Yaw terms denoting the movement of the aircraft in different axes
Wuffo An uninformed spectator (as in, &ldquowuffo (what for) you do this thing)
PHG Powered hang-glider
Paramotor A paraglider operated by a pilot with a fan-motor attached to his/her back.
Elevator, Rudder, Ailerons Control surfaces on the aircraft

Outfitter/club
At Bangalore Aerosports Pvt Ltd, contact Wg Cdr Ashok Mehta (a DGCA-approved Examiner) at 098452-13374 0821-5568124, ashok@bangaloreaerosports.com, www.bangaloreaerosports.com/