By Lyn Funnell
NB All my photos are of what I saw. I didn’t do any zoom shots at all.
As Flight Sport Aviation at Deanland Airfield is very close to where we live, I just HAD to book a flight there, to explore the area from above!
I trained in a Cessna some years before and passed all my exams, but Food and Travel writing took over. So I was interested to see the difference in a Microlight.
My Instructor, Luke Christophides led me to the plane.
‘Where’s the steering wheel?’ I asked as I climbed into the cockpit.
‘It has a joystick,’ Luke told me.
‘How do I trim it?’ was my next question, with memories of rapidly turning the trimwheel after take-off.
‘There are two little buttons on top of the joystick.’
‘And where are the flaps?’
‘Above the dashboard. And there’s only one level of flaps.’
There are three in a Cessna.
Well, that’s a lot easier!
We taxied over the still waterlogged grass and took off. Then we turned and headed for Brighton, which is much closer from above than it is on the ground. And you can see the sea.
The sun was setting over to the West (as it always does) and the colours were stunning, although it was growing dark in the East.
Luke flipped the plane to the left and pointed it downwards so I could see the ground, then back and to the right.
‘Are you alright?’ he asked.
‘Yes thank you, and my stomach’s just caught up,’ I told him. But I wasn’t at all scared.
We flew out to sea, over Brighton’s Dome and Palace Pier, then left towards Seaford and Beachy Head, flying over the Belle Tout lighthouse on top of the cliff, and the other lighthouse in the sea.
Then we turned inland, over the old Friston wartime airfield, which is now called Friston Forest.
And then, oh how exciting – we flew right over the Long Man of Wilmington!
Nobody gets to see the ancient site as clearly as that. It makes the theory more believable that it was created to be seen from above.
Then we pointed back to the airfield, being careful not to intrude over any long-term complainers of small planes flying over their houses. Yes, there are local people who get on their phone every time they hear a plane!
We landed as the sun finally set on the horizon, gently bouncing over the grass.
What did I think of my flight? It has its pros and cons. The microlight is far easier to handle than a Cessna. It’s a real fun plane. The Cessna would stall if you did half the things with it that you can do in the microlight, so it’s great for having clear views of the scenery.
In a way, it almost seemed like cheating to me as it was so simple to fly, but it’s far more relaxing as you can sit and watch the world go by!
Will I do it again? Not ‘alf! I’ll be having flights every month or so.
There’s no way I’ll be studying for the exams again. I’ll fly for fun this time!
Luke Christophides, aged 39, learnt to fly at Deanland, starting in 2014.
He passed after 40 hours.
He’s flown to 23 countries in the Microlight!
Luke also has his PPL – Private Pilot’s Licence so he can fly Cessnas.
At the moment he’s studying for his ATPL – the Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence, to fly commercial planes.
But he loves working at Deanland. He’s getting paid (weather permitting) to do something that he really loves doing.
Flight Sport Aviation
Deanland Airfield
Sussex
07519 527 597
info@flightsportaviation.com
https://www.flightsportaviation.com/
Do inquire about flying from Deanland to other airfields or on trips abroad.
And if you want to spend several days flying, there are plenty of B&Bs in the area.
