Microlighters

We bought CMA in March 2002, from Dikkie Maritz up in Nelspruit. The undercarriage and wing only had about 80 hours on. But, we bought her without an engine, and fitted a Rotax 503, also used, also with low hours (86 hours). Todate she has clocked up over 1 700 hours, and is into her second wing and second motor. Still the original seats.........A very, very comfortable girl(Rainbow aircraft, sit up and take notice, the SAFARI was the most comfortable trike on the SA market).

These hours have been hard work, training students and doing Lesson 3 flights for folk. There have even been a couple of expeditions with her. She has been taken by overseas students and flown around SA 3 times. Frans, down in Graaf Reinet, you will remember this trike........

I was flying her last year when Andre lost his life near Ficksburg. We wer on a flight from Durban to the mouth of the Orange River, then down to Cape Town and back up the coast to Durban.

The Aids Wing is thanks to the KZN Dept of Education, who sponsored this wing. I did a lot of display flying with her over the KZN Townships.

Still one of the sweetest trikes to fly - FF personal favourite..... :D

Hello Dave,

The first entry in my log book reads

6 August 2005 == ZU-CMA == D Daniel == Exercises 3-8 == 45 minutes

Thanks for the memory.

Regards
John ZU-CIB

My old faithful Gemini Flash had 1400 hours when I sold it to Ratman. Although it was on its third engine and hardly any original bits left as most parts were have been replaced as per manufacturers requirements

My AirCreation Racer ZS-WZK had over 800 hrs when I bought it- I took it to just over 1300 hrs when I sold it on- Manfred made a new wing sail and at just over 1000 hrs I removed the 462 and fitted a 582- That was my alltime favorite trike till I flew Demons new plane

Wow, I can only imagine how she flew with a 582 up the back.

I ferried a Air Creation Racer down from Solitude to La Mercy. 4.1hrs on the hobbs. What a rocket ship.

Looking at the world microlight records, the Air Creation Racer holds almost every second prize. A truly remarkable little machine.

I often wonder at the ignorance of the South African pilots who hold such an aversion to owning and flying single seaters..........

Goto admit the the Air Creation racer is a wonderful fun airy to fly. Not to mention tough.

My mate Chainsaw had one for years. When I was good, he used to let me go for a burn.

My Gemini f2a started out life innocently under the gifted paws of Messrs Starke circa 89' - still cant figure how he managed to fit in it and still carry a pax , thence Ivan 'the terrible' Lobster , who tried to make it into a sled once and vowed never to fly again (he did!), thence I and after my own 'little' departure and just about everything having fallen off at least once, she's in for 1500hours, second motor and the only remaining original part is the seat frame and seat - oh yea, many parts were replaced as per Mfg reqmts, but most never made it 'that' far :

How about some pic's of your trusted ol' trikes. Of the trikes mentioned so far, I only know what the Air Creation Racer looks like

Of the trikes that FF and I own, 3 have all cracked 1000hrs. And they are all still solid work-horses, fire-ing up and taking people into the sky on an almost daily basis, in some of the worst flying conditions imaginable. I mean it, the wind shear rotor turbulence at La Mercy is undeniably the most consistently worst crap I have flown in. That ruddy North Easter comes over the pine forest, and really rolls down onto the RWY08. And the other favourite prevailing wind is the SW, and that really cranks some rotten stuff onto RWY 24.

Anyway, our trikes just keep on workin..............

I will get Annie to post a pic and short story of our other two trikes.

I am always amazed at how prospective buyers run a mile when a trike has done more than 500hours. This post just proves them all wrong

As long as your maintenance is up to date, then total hours should really not present a problem.

Later.

Hi Dave

Have to agree with you on the maintenance issue. My old ZS-WGT had 1400hrs on the registration. But apart from an ancient pilot the oldest part was actually under 400hrs.

Keep up the maintenance an your beloved airy will never age.

My favorite pic attached in more crazy days.

Hey Big G -

Where's the pic

Not good at this!

Houston we have a problem!!

Not good at this!

Thats one VERY cool pic