Flying's A Breeze (R)...

In a sleek, economical microlight that performs more like a thoroughbred certified aeroplane.

- Dave Unwin

“Hear you’ve been flying a microlight”, the club bore guffawed. “Can’t say the idea of flying a hang-glider powered by a lawnmower engine has ever appealed, m’self!” I didn’t say anything, just showed him a photo of the sleek, flame-red speedster on my iPhone. “That’s not a microlight,” he exclaimed. “Oh yes it is,” I retorted (in full panto mode), “and it takes off quicker, climbs better, cruises faster and goes further on cheaper fuel than that clunky old banger that costs you £120 an hour to rent! Oh, and it handles better too!” In fact, I could readily understand his confusion: modern microlights have been closing the gap with ‘traditional’ GA types such as Cessnas and Pipers, and this one is definitely a proper aeroplane.

The Breezer has been around for a while−the prototype made its maiden flight in 1999 and it entered production two years later. However, when fitted with a Rotax 912 (clearly the preferred engine), it was always going to struggle to be a viable microlight in the UK, which at the time had a weight limit of 450kg. So an empty weight of, say 265kg would mean that, with your Editor and me aboard, there would only be about five kilograms left for fuel, which is just enough to get you into trouble but not to get you out! Conversely, in the USA it was marketed in the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) category− which allows a maximum all-up weight of 1,320lb (599kg)−and sold well.