Microlighters

I have recently seen some interesting ads for trikes from France and other -them foreign places- for sale on the forum. My QUESTION . . . . How well are these trikes (not engines) supported in terms of maintenance, parts availability in good old RSA?

Is it comparable to support and pricing for spares for locally manufactured trikes?

This I ask as I do not wish to buy a well priced trike from them foreign places only to be bankrupted by maintenance, or worse, being unable to maintain.

Hi folk.

I would like to share our experiences with overseas trikes:

1. This is the age of internet and computers and DHL. It takes less than 5 working days to get a component from Skyranger in France into my work-shop in Durban

2. It takes about 4 weeks to get a basic component for the now NO LONGER MANUFACTURED Aerotrike Safari from Springs Airfield in South Africa. It's not that they do not answer the phone. No problem there. It's just that the overseas manufacturers of well known brands are geared up to overseas orders. They are literally waiting for your call.

3. We had the same experience from Moyes in Australia. If it was urgent, we would phone them. The part would be on the next DHL load and would be here 4 days later.

4. The agents for the overseas products are very passionate, and will go out of their way to assist you.

My answer to you is, if you are offered a good priced overseas product, and it is a well known brand, like Cosmos, Pegasus, Air-Creation, Air-borne etc., do not hesitate to buy it.

And if it does take 3 weeks to get a component, so well what. While you wait, you can strip your wing down and also your undercarriage, for a well-deserved 'bonding session' with your trike

Also consider that almost all of the fixed wing composite microlights are imported. Don't see any problem there...........

ps. And on a lighter note, even the 'big brands' like P&P and Mr Price, who previously proudly sponsored SA, look overseas now.....

Later,

I had a prop strike in the height of the Plettenbergbay season on my Airborne Edge XT912. This happened on Tuesday December 22nd. I emailed them but due to time differences they only received my order on their Wednesday morning. On Friday mid morning I received a call from my clearing agents that the goods were at JHB international. Airborne's factory is 200km north of Sydney. Try that with a local supplier.

90% of Airborne's production is exported and as such have to be able to service customers worldwide at short notice.

Every single trike part is illustrated and numbered in the manual so ordering is a piece of cake.

Airborne is a Rotax approved factory and such any engine warranty claim is fully honoured by Aviation Engines locally. They have just replaced my fuel pump without question under warranty.

Companies like P & M and Airborne have rightly earned their reputation and market position through service, quality and a certified products.

Mark Porter
082 574-1090

Echo sentiments above... (not with trikes, but aviation suppliers in general who now deal in global market place...)

I have owned 3 makes of imported trikes

Cosmos- Mike Blythe was the agent in those days-Suport was OK not fantastic

Aircreation- We owned 4 altogether but the back up was very poor from the local agents

Main Air Blade- Back up from the local agent and the factory was Fantastic

And then there were one or two threads here recently inidcating that if you bought an 'imported' trike from some source other than the local agents, that you may struggle to find support at a local level. Can't remember the make without searching for the posts.

So do your research and make sure you will get supported in SA by the manufacturer.