The constant pursuit of a higher and higher license doesn't appeal to me for the simple fact that I'm not sure about other countries but in the U.K to get to up to IRF rating you looking at £7000 for your PPL, then the cost of hour building around £100/hour., then another £7000 for IFR.
I'm not sure what all you people here earn but I for one earn nowhere near enough to spend £15,000 plus on my hobby.
Then there's the cost of using a plane one I have a PPL renting at £105/hour plus the cost of fuel.
If you take a Cessna 152 burning fuel at an average of 24lph and the current cost of Avgas at about £2.20 (Currently £1.80 plus VAT) you looking at £52/hour in fuel. Landing fees at my local aerodrome are around £14 so for a single hour of flying once I have my license it would cost me £171.
Considering the furthest you can get from Manchester and get back in an hour is Blackpool I really couldn't justify spending that much money on it. It's sadly just not worth it.
Especially if you consider I can fly to Barcelona for £60 return.
As for Microlight, It's cheaper to learn, cheaper to fuel and you then can fold them up put them on a trailer and take them home.
I want to fly around nice scenery in nice weather so with a microlight I can load it on to a trailed and drive to where I want to go up pack and go flying.
Is speed really an issue? A modern microlight can do 100mph/86knots,
A Cessna 152 can do 105knots top. It's hardly comparing a Ferrari to a Push Bike is it?
I'm really not interested in 'Further, faster and Higher' I want to fly as low as I can around an area I like such as The Lake district, Snowdonia National Pack or The Gower Peninsula.
An open cockpit flex wing also allows you to feel like you’re actually flying your exposed and in the elements rather than sealed inside a plastic and fibre glass bubble.
Flying may make you feel like standing on a tall building isn't impressive but I can assure being at 3,000ft in a light aircraft isn't nearly as scary as being 100ft up a rock face hanging from a single rope.
I guess the difference between a Microlight and a Light aircraft is the same as between a Motorbike and a Car, some people love motorbikes and nothing compares to the thrill others just don't get why someone would want to ride around on something that's less comfortable than a car, cold and windy and far more dangerous.
Sadly and I'm sure this will shock a lot of you but the amazement of flying isn't that amazing to me. It's something we've done for 100years. After all the car was invented in 1885 and the first powered flight was 1903 that's only a 20 year difference and it's not like were all amazed by our cars every day.
Finally to anyone who would say Micro lights are boring I'd say watch this video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRSepKfFzbAThere really no way you could do anything like that in a light aircraft.
In response to the quote "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots." I'd like to say where would we be without bold pilots like Louis Blériot, Charles Lindbergh, Wiley Post and Chuck Yeager to name but a few, all of which lived to old age or are still alive with the exception of Wiley Post but without his efforts we wouldn't have pressure suits.
To quote T.S Elliot 'Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.'
P.S - C, I will definitely be considering going for recreational flights in things like Tiger Moths and Aerobatic aircraft!
Pages: 
