Popham 1999
Popham, home of Airbourne Aviation, is the venue for the British microlighting world's largest trade show. Held on the first weekend in May every year, it provides an opportunity for British manufacturers to display their wares and offer trial flights to the public.
This year I had intended to fly down in my brother's trike. At lunchtime on Friday we duly left from Ince Blundell, home of John North's West Lancashire Microlighting School and set out across the River Mersey. Twenty minutes later strange engine noises and declining oil pressure resulted in a precautionary landing in a field on the Wirral. It was five o'clock on the Saturday before we eventually arrived at Popham - by car - and after a quick wander along the flightline we pitched the tent and repaired to a nearby pub.
Trikes at Popham
© Nick 1999
The weather was glorious all weekend, and dozens of trikes and three-axis microlights flew in from all over the UK. For most of the day Popham's grass runway was busier than Heathrow, with as many as four take-offs or landings per minute at some times. All three British trike manufacturers were there. Mainair had a very pretty Blade 912 on display with the powder-coated exhaust, and John North was kept busy giving trial flights in his 912. Pegasus Aviation had the new HKS-powered Quantum on display as well as a 912, while Medway Microlights pulled the biggest surprise by exhibiting a totally new (to Britain) 70HP three cylinder two stroke from Two Stroke International mounted on a Hybred trike unit.
 Of course, the latest Jabiru- powered Eclipse-R was also on display, and demonstration flights were available. Medway seem determined to challenge the virtual monopoly Rotax have in the British microlighting scene, and hope to have the new engine through section S by Midsummer.
On the three-axis front the big news was that the Xair has finally made it through Section S, final approval being given by the BMAA on the Saturday.
ST Aviation were also kept busy giving flights to prospective customers in the beautiful little Jabiru UL kitplane, which offers superior performance to many conventional singles in a microlight- legal aircraft.
The weather was perfect all weekend, permitting the spectacular sight of more than a dozen graceful hot air balloons drifting over the Hampshire countryside in the twilight while powered paragliders circled around them. For most of us Brits, this is as close as we get to Sun-n-Fun or Oshkosh - and this year we even had the sun!
|
