LEARN TO FLY AT GOODWOOD AERODROME WITH SPORTAIR MICROLIGHTS

Join our small, family-friendly flying club situated on the grounds of Goodwood Aerodrome and learn to fly with us! Reliable aircraft (kept clean!), and flexible, reliable instructors who are committed to supporting you to get through your course efficiently and with total understanding. Our aircraft follow Goodwood’s operational hours (out of hours flying permitted for licence holders). We can provide all your training including ground school, links to home learning, exams (we can help you arrange your radiotelephony exam - Goodwood’s air traffic offers valuable radio practice/telephony that you will learn to come to use fluently throughout your flying in the future) and of course, the in-air instruction too! The BMAA endorsed NPPL(M) licence syllabus we teach has a large component of solo flying, where your Instructor will be on site, monitoring and giving feedback to your lessons. There’s no need to be a member of Goodwood to fly with us and both our training rates and solo hire rates are very reasonable which include fuel, take offs, landings and touch & goes.

THE FLYING CLUB CABIN

Complete with picnic table, white picket fence, BBQ and sunshade we have some great views across the airfield from our club house garden! Inside the SportAir Cabin there’s comfy sofas where you can relax reading our many and varied flying related magazines or catch up on some preflight homework or just generally chat to other fellow aviation enthusiasts! We also have a dedicated training room with a whiteboard for more formal briefings and flight instruction from Instructors. There are the usual snacks, hot and cold drinks and we hope to create a convivial atmosphere where pilots are welcome to come along and chat about their flying experiences and share info.

THE AIRCRAFT

Let us introduce you to the fantastic Ikarus C42. Despite the ironic name, the C42 (ours is the latest ‘B’ variant) offers a surprisingly roomy interior and comfortable seating. It has a central control column and great visibility too. Its solid build and fuel efficiency make it ideal for both training and solo hire. Our Ikarus was collected by us directly from built at the factory in Germany and the quirky paintwork was designed not only to be a bit different but also to be highly visible in the sky - an important safety point in particular.

The Eurofox, with its very solid build and opaque wings looks like any other light aircraft and has a slightly higher maximum take off weight, as well as being even more roomy inside.  This aircraft is used for solo hire only and you can also take it away overnight by prior arrangement if you wish.  Many PPL holders like to use this particular aircraft to keep up their recency which is legally allowable and a great benefit, cost-wise.  It’s got a good cruising speed of 80 to 90 knots and handles very well - people love flying G-CIFA.

Both aircraft are kept in serviced hangars (meaning Goodwood staff will bring the aircraft out of the hangar for you and put them away again at the end of the day - arranged by calling Goodwood ATC beforehand or the night before if you want an early start). We pride ourselves on keeping our aircraft immaculately clean - we don't expect our Members and their family and flying companions to climb inside a dirty or tatty aircraft!! The C42 and the Eurofox have regular maintenance checks carried out every 50 hours by a BMAA inspector.

OUR INSTRUCTORS

We might be a bit biased but our Instructors are incredible!  They have very high levels experience, not just on Microlights, but we have airline pilots, commercial pilots, Group A PPL instructors, one has been a bush pilot in Africa and much more! What they all offer is enthusiasm and flexibility and the right amount of support to help you get through your course successfully to achieve your Pilot’s Licence NPPL(M).  We have a relaxed atmosphere but still train to a very high rigorous standard so you will feel completely confident that "you can do it!" when they send you off solo.  We want you to feel relaxed, dressed in your most comfortable clothes and shoes - there are no white shirts and epaulettes here! We know how important getting the right Instructor is and we feel confident that you’ll find someone you "click" with who can take you all the way to fulfilling your dream of having a Pilot’s Licence.

THE BOOKING SYSTEM

We use an easy online booking system for our aircraft and instructors. You’ll be given access to book your lessons, you can see aircraft availability and keep all your flying records up to date too. Once you have your licence, you can use the same system to book both the Ikarus C42 and the Eurofox (after completing 1 to 2 hours conversion training).

THE NPPL TRAINING AND SYLLABUS

The National Private Pilot’s Licence is a UK national licence (there are some arrangements with EU countries to use the privileges of your licence there too) that lets you fly 3-axis, fixed wing microlights up to 600 kg. To get your licence you need a minimum of 25 hours flight time with instruction, 10 hours solo flight time, 5 hours navigation of which 3 must be solo. You’ll also need to complete a general skills test (GST). Alongside that you must complete exams across 5 subjects:

  • Meteorology
  • Navigation
  • Aviation Law
  • Human Factors
  • Aircraft Technical

We can provide you with all the training you need to get your licence.

HOW MUCH DOES LEARNING TO FLY COST?

Our hourly rates do change depending on the cost of fuel to make things more cost efficient for our members. We do not offer package deals or ask for large sums up front. You can simply pay as you go. We invoice you on a monthly basis and you simply pay through a secure online portal. Easy as that!

Prices below are current as of July 2023:

Monthly membership by standing order: £45

Hourly flying with instruction in the C42: £154 (£164 at examiner rate)

Prices include fuel, takes, landings and touch & goes - so need to worry about costs when practising!

Including exam fees, licence admin fees and all the rest of it, based on meeting the minimum requirements, your Licence would cost in the region of £5,500 - £6,500 which is probably half what it would cost you to get a PPL, if not more. It will really depend on how quickly you pick it up and how dedicated you are to going through your course notes, preflight preparation and the pace you want to go at it. Most of our students complete within twelve months, but you can budget to take longer if you wish; it’s up to you. The minimum flying time to achieve your NPPL(M) is 25 hours, but realistically, people often take more than this, however, if you have super-natural aptitude and are prepared to take time out to really study and think about your flying in between lessons, this will really pay off.

NPPL vs PPL - WHY CHOOSE THE NPPL?

As you probably already know, the NPPL(M) is a bit different to the PPL. So, why choose the NPPL(M)? Well, here’s why:

  • It could be significantly cheaper to get you flying.
  • There are less academic requirements.
  • Less hours to achieve your licence.
  • The 600 kg weight limit allows for 2 adults, enough fuel for 6 hours flying plus 20 kg of baggage!
  • Once you have your licence flying is cheaper because of the lower fuel consumption.
  • You can also do your SSEA/SEP rating to move onto larger and more powerful aircraft more cost effectively.
  • The medical restrictions are more lenient, cheaper and self-declared.

WHAT IS A MICROLIGHT?

Microlights have come a long way from the earliest versions; no longer are you strapped to a garden chair surrounded by flying wires powered aloft by a two-stroke engine. In reality, most countries refer to them as "light sports aircraft" and they range from the simple C42 to extremely fast carbon-fibre aircraft with cruising speeds approaching 200 miles an hour, advanced glass cockpits, retractable undercarriage and autopilot. Recently, several have been flown around the world and indeed the C42 has flown to Cape Town and back!

These aircraft are very much efficient, safe and climate-friendly as opposed to 95% of the general aviation fleet which are typically 50 years old or more. They are equipped with modern engines such as the excellent Rotax and benefit from today’s technology compared to standard GA aircraft whose engines date back to the 1940’s. There are even electric models being introduced as of now. This is the future of private flying.

BOOK A TRIAL FLIGHT AND TRY US OUT!

Ready to give us a bash? Book a trial flight with us at SportAir Microlights to get the full experience and help you decide if we are right for you. Deciding where to learn to fly is a big deal and not a decision to make lightly. We’re confident that you’ll love SportAir Microlights, our little flying club that’s family run with a fun attitude to flying and great club atmosphere of like-minded aviation lovers!

TRIAL FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS

Please note there are some restrictions to flying Microlights. There is a 90 kg weight limit (fully clothed) and you must be at least 14 years old to undergo flight training.