I need some help in understanding the current state of microlighters/microlighting. I was paging through a copy of African Pilot on the weekend and came across an article on Numbi 2008. The pictures were awesome with a parking lot packed with trikes, the Prize giving dinner had at least 25 tables of 6 people each, the atmosphere was brilliant and they were good times... the event had excitement and electricity, there was a buzz of competition and spirit.....
So what’s happened??
This year Numbi was great but perhaps 13 pilots? Battlefields while well attended by the bliks and coastal foxbats, (with a thunderbird) had very few trikes ??? what happened to the kalahari bash??? where are the regular springs breakfasts, panorama, microland ?? , when I owned the challenger at Rhino we had REGULAR Saturday morning fly inn braai's (rudy & agent graham
) - Kittyhawk regularly had something on the calendar??/ Crosswinds??? haven’t had a breakie there for a while?? Even Tribals hard work and effort on the can can weekend saw a minimal amount of pilots attending..So what’s happened??
Is everyone doing their own thing?? The lazer lads ?? Springs manne?? The Greeks from Microland and others. Panorama boys, waaars die manne ??????? FROOT BAT – YOU and that Orange Duck of yours where the hell are you ???
I’m concerned to be honest - what’s changed?? I heard an opinion that Numbi's quietness this year was attributed to the fact that there was no long weekend or public holiday, but I don’t buy that. I know our microlighting fraternity to be passionate and excited about fly aways, was it not possible to take a day’s leave? Is the economy killing microlighting? I understand as well as anyone that moneys tight...is this the reason ??
I read the thread on bad airmanship at rhino but mostly took from that that the school is pumping and the circuit is busy.... that’s AWESOME. Is rhino the only really active school / field at the moment.?? - Plane agents?? whose selling planes and what are you selling?? how many new planes were sold in the last 12 months??
Instructors?? how many students have you on your books now, and how many have qualified in the last 12 months? How many continue to fly and build hours after qualifying - is the sport potentially dying due to economic conditions or other factors???
I would be very interested to understand what’s happening in our beloved sport and to that end I propose two things. remember the "dros" evenings we used to have??? Lets implement those again – Needn’t be in a certain area, but each region could host their own. How about a countrywide FLY Inn Christmas breakfast, Similar to a toy run where everyone brings a small toy to be donated to charity??
I’m interested lads, help me understand what’s going on and if A) its fixable or B) theirs a deeper problem
One of the biggest things that attracted me to microlighting other than the affordable flying aspect was the camaraderie, the buzz, the sense of fellowship in the ML environment. The pure and simple pleasure that each of us gained from flying whatever it was that you flew, and it didn’t and still certainly doesn’t matter what it is that you do fly… goodness knows I take enough abuse about Dishes Duck…
Or maybe im just rambling, ---- I hope so ??
MOOI, ek sal nie, want dit vat omtrent n uur vir jou on daaie groot ding van jou om te land !!
