Build and fly: microlighting differently

• Club life

Amateur microlight building

To support you in building and maintaining your aircraft.

The microlight pilot is, by definition, a recreational aviator who sometimes builds, but always maintains his machine and restores it when the time comes.

To give you an idea of how lively our activity is, there are roughly 3 000 amateur-built microlights of all types, about 1 800 of them three-axis.

So it was only natural that in January 2022 our Board of Directors unanimously decided to recognise as a discipline this practice of building in order to fly. This area of responsibility was entrusted to the "Club life" division.

It was in Blois, in 2023, that, thanks to the energy of Thomas Joron, we laid the first stone of this structure that strengthens our Federation. In the "Retro and Amateur Building" village, we brought together enthusiasts of our dear tube-and-fabric aircraft, along with three microlight designers: Daniel Dalby, Serge Pennec and your humble servant. The plans for 2024 are more ambitious, as every microlight designer will be able to show their aircraft in the village and give you a talk devoted to their creations. You will be able to question them, and choose your aircraft having heard from their creators.

The aim of this new area of responsibility for the Club life division is to help members with the design, construction, upkeep and maintenance of their airframe and engine. From now on we will be able to support you, to strengthen our recreational aviation, which must safeguard its future in an increasingly complex environment.

The aim is to help keep our activity thriving by supporting you in building, restoring and maintaining your aircraft. In addition, this could encourage a French microlight market to emerge, and young people's flying in clubs, if we can create a federal one-design aircraft with the lowest possible operating costs; it could be built from plans distributed by the FFPLUM, or from kits by clubs, like what was done in the 90s with the PIAF (Programme d’initiation Aéronautique Fédéral, the federal aeronautical initiation programme) and the famous Skyranger of the late Philippe Prévot.

Words are useful, but we know you need something concrete; so here is what we will offer you from 2024. Two types of action will be available: training to help with the design, construction and restoration of your aircraft, and another devoted to the upkeep, maintenance and assessment of your aircraft.

Practical introduction to design

Beyond the design of an aircraft itself, which calls for a minimum of experience and knowledge, this course will help you understand the aerodynamic phenomena that govern flight, and will let you approach the basics of strength of materials.

Séraphin Rémy, a young aeronautical structures engineer, or I myself will introduce these subjects in a simple way. Charts and simple calculations will let you understand certain phenomena and, once you are in the air, help you grasp your aircraft's environment, making your flights safer through a good understanding of the "laws" that govern it.

Practices linked to building and restoration.

During these sessions you will learn good practice by building or restoring a significant part of your aircraft while discovering how some materials are worked. To meet your expectations precisely, this training can take place at your club, at the Federation's headquarters or in Blois.

Michele Goussay for fabric covering and I for airframes are already at your disposal.

Engine upkeep and maintenance

The training and courses are being finalised and the first courses will soon be held in the regions, but all the information will be passed on to you in good time.

That covers the support actions planned to date. Let us use these few lines to encourage those with particular skills to let us know; they will help us offer a training programme that I have no doubt will grow over time.

Training actions as development tools

The purpose of these actions is to improve your safety by teaching good practice in building, upkeep and maintenance of your aircraft. These actions, which will be put in place as soon as possible, are of course open to all members: builders, clubs or owners who want to train in maintaining and servicing aircraft.

With this new activity, our Federation is bringing you new services, aimed at making our activity affordable for as many people as possible.

From now on, our passion, building in order to fly, is recognised by our Federation as a discipline in its own right.

To represent you better, we invite you to make yourself known from now on, at this address:

https://framaforms.org/constructeur-amateur-ulm-1697468122

Tell us your story, tell us about your passion for building; your accounts may appear in the federal magazine. Tell us what you are building, and share your difficulties with us!

In short, the Federation wants to help you if needed, and to support you in carrying out your projects.

D. Marie /Club Life Committee/Amateur Building

Writers: D. Marie /Club Life Committee / Amateur Building