Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By PaulSS
#1883722
Okay, some blatant 'bigging up' to Eurofox Aviation (for whom I now work), as today they received the first two UK Permits for 'heavy' microlights, under the new 600kg rules. The two aircraft with their new Permits are fresh out of the factory in Kent and represent a lot of hard work by the Eurofox personnel and the BMAA.

As a Jonny-come-lately I cannot take any credit at all for any of this but I certainly look forward to the advantages the increased MTOW will bring. Not least of which will be enjoying the extra mince pies over Xmas and still being able to lift a decent amount of fuel :thumleft:

Most microlight versions of the Eurofox have, until now, had a MTOW of 450kgs and the new weight brings them in line with the LAA version, at 560kgs.

Next step will be figuring out a robust and sensible way to 'upgrade' existing aircraft that qualify for the increased weight but testing the Rotax 915iS and getting the SportStar on the BMAA's books means that a new supply of midnight oil may be required ahead of that :D

One of the new 'heavies' (sporting a very nice Dynon SkyViewHDX panel) :mrgreen:

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Last edited by PaulSS on Sat Nov 20, 2021 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883723
Looking good. It really is a special time for Microlights.

Do you get to test the 915iS yourself? 8)

One of those will really will give that fox the zoomies!
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By PaulSS
#1883727
The 915iS certainly improves the climb rate a tad :shock:

At the moment the Boss is getting all the glider towing testing done on it. If the weather's good I'll nip up tomorrow and hopefully get to play. So far the glider fraternity seem very happy with the results, especially the way it can knock time and fuel off the traditional tugs' performance.


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By PaulSS
#1883729
@Sooty25
I don't suppose it is available for 600kg & tailwheel sign offs is it?


I don't think so, Sooty. The new owner hasn't even flown it himself yet, so I don't think he'll be lending it to anyone any time soon :lol:

Hopefully the 'upgrade' process for the existing aircraft will allow the training schools to 'up' their MTOWs and do as you'd like.
By Boxkite
#1883737
Why does it take "a lot of hard work by the Eurofox personnel and the BMAA" to get an aircraft that is already accepted at 560kg as an LAA aircraft to be allowed as a microlight under the new rules?
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By PaulSS
#1883747
I'm sure the guys who had to plough through the requirements of the various aviation bodies (including our very own CAA) and had to produce the reports and new regulations asked themselves the very same thing.

I expect one airline, operating 737s in the UK, also questions 'why', when they have to write their own versions of manuals etc to fly the very same aircraft.

The fact is these are not under the auspices of the LAA but the BMAA and the BMAA require certain things as demanded by the CAA. Those 'certain things' are what led to "a lot of hard work by the Eurofox personnel and the BMAA". I've seen the electronic folders of the work done and I can guarantee this was not a simple case of crossing out 'LAA' and writing 'BMAA'.
By Spooky
#1883752
Boxkite wrote:Why does it take "a lot of hard work by the Eurofox personnel and the BMAA" to get an aircraft that is already accepted at 560kg as an LAA aircraft to be allowed as a microlight under the new rules?


At a guess…


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By JAFO
#1883754
Boxkite wrote:Why does it take "a lot of hard work by the Eurofox personnel and the BMAA" to get an aircraft that is already accepted at 560kg as an LAA aircraft to be allowed as a microlight under the new rules?


Because Archimedes Principal of Aviation Bureaucracy states that an aeroplane cannot fly unless it leaves a corresponding weight of paper back on the ground and 40kg is a lot of paper.
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By lobstaboy
#1883763
PaulSS wrote:@lobstaboy
Will they fly 'bomber' circuits?


There's certainly no need to fly bomber circuits in any Eurofox. Why do you ask?


It was a feeble joke based on the thread title(and because I'm a self confessed doubter when it comes to 600kg).
The Eurofox is a lovely aircraft though...
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1883765
Lines between what’s a microlight and what’s an aeroplane are blurred.

I flew aircraft that could now be classified as microlights during the time that the Weedhopper and other feeble flexible two stroke microlights existed.
The ability to fly many of the new ‘microlight’ aeroplanes often exceeds that required for a Cessna 150.
Some of them have high performance that well exceeds of the ‘Group A’ aeroplanes, and the training required should equally exceed that required for those ‘heavier’ aeroplanes.

As related before, I operated a Sportstar as an advanced ultralight in Canada. MTOW was 550kg, then they approved it at 580kg and I had to tell Transport Canada that this was the ‘Canadian’ version limited to 550kg.
Time logged was not much use as aeroplane time, yet I consider the skill to fly the Sportstar equal to flying a Cessna 150.
None of the cross country time in the Sportstar could be credited towards CPL requirements...

For me these ‘regulations’ are strange...
I once trained a PPL student in a Kitfox II with a 582, it was homebuilt as an aeroplane!
I remember CPL candidates building their time in the Turbulent...

I’m often asked, and I do say that the Eurofox is an honest aeroplane.
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By CloudHound
#1883869
The CAA appear to have backpedalled on their original enthusiasm for the new 600kg microlight class.

When I took on representing JMB Aircraft of the Czech Republic in October 2020 to help with cerifying their wonderful VL3 Evolution, it was on the back of statements made at the time.

Those statements indicated the CAA would look to accept European manufactured 600kg microlights based on existing approvals from other European regulalators such as Germany, so long as reciprocity prevailed for UK 600kg microlight manufacturers selling over the Channel.

Talk of introducing this by April 2021 came and went without any contact with the factory.

Now the CAA are about to publish requirements which I'm told will require full Design Organisation and Manufacturing approval followed by certification of the aircraft. BMAA and LAA would then be able to approve subsequent changes.

Guess what? JMB has walked away from the UK market.
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By lobstaboy
#1883875
CloudHound wrote:The CAA appear to have backpedalled on their original enthusiasm for the new 600kg microlight class....

...Now the CAA are about to publish requirements which I'm told will require full Design Organisation and Manufacturing approval followed by certification of the aircraft. BMAA and LAA would then be able to approve subsequent changes.

Guess what? JMB has walked away from the UK market.


As I (and others) have said all along, the 600kg thing is not an exercise in giving greater choice to the flying community. It's primary aim is to give a business boost to a small number of existing UK companies.
I'm old enough to have seen this happen before in other industries that I've been working in. The inevitable result is what @CloudHound points out - the UK customer suffers because the best products never make it into the UK because the manufacturer CBA to do all the work needed to access what is to them a small bit of extra market.