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What we do
Our main goal is to introduce people to the delights of
flying microlight aircraft. Many people who fly with us
plan to do so only once as an adventure sport activity among many others – just
for the experience. We offer a variety of gift vouchers which you can give to a
loved one (or yourself) as a present for a special occasion. We find that many
who come once, come again; but they come back to learn how to fly. We do that
too.
Learning to fly a microlight is a very satisfying challenge from
the first time you handle the controls, through gaining sufficient skills to
land the aeroplane, eventually being sent away for your first solo flight (with
nobody else aboard), and finally the General Skills Test where you prove to a
flight examiner that you are ready to take full responsibility for your own
flying and to take a passenger with you. Some people choose to spend a summer
putting in a lot of effort to gain their licence in one push; others choose a
more relaxed approach, flying once a month or so. This latter approach takes
longer, but every training flight is a flight, and our intention is to make
every flight a pleasure.
We operate from an
active airfield and on summer weekends (and often during the week too) we can
often be found at our ‘dispersal hut’ sitting in the shade of the poplar trees
and sipping a cup of tea or a cool soft drink while discussing the previous
flight. When the weather is poor, we can retire to the school office for ground
school to explain some of the theoretical subjects or to practise some of the
flight exercises in our full size microlight simulator.
We have a few
photos of some our activities in our club album, [here].
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What we fly
Thruster
T600N – the
school’s workhorse
Our school
microlight is a Thruster T600N 450
(Jab) nicknamed Grasshopper (or ‘Hoppy’ for short). The Thruster is a
well-established marque for microlight training, and was made famous in the
popular book, Propellerhead. Our aircraft, a modern version of the type, is
near the mid-point in terms of microlight performance, so our student pilots
are well placed to transfer either to the faster (more expensive) modern
machines or to move onto older, lighter, and more affordable classic
microlights, such as the AX3 or our privately operated Thruster TST.
Joan
doing a fly-past in Hoppy
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Cyclone AX3 – an old favourite
Over the
winter of 2007/8 we renovated an old AX3 microlight. We used her as a way to
teach Saxon Microlights students about microlight aircraft maintenance. The
team who renovated her will operate her as a syndicate machine, while we will
retain an interest so that she will also be the school’s reserve training
aircraft. In the spirit of the club, she’s been given a name: Myhmi (pronounced
Mimi). This came from the view of her dancing gently on her wheels in the
wind, all dressed in her faded pink and white finery. When she was young it was
red and white, but age and the sun had faded the dyes – but now, fresh for
2012, we have bought her some new clothes; her red and white are shiny and
bright and her windscreen is fresh and clear.
Myhm’s
new clothesi
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FNPT – the Saxon Microlight ‘Flight
Simulator’
We also use
our FNPT for flight
training. It is a full size simulator modelled as an accurate replica of the
school’s Thruster and allows students to practice flight exercises in a relaxed
environment and at lower cost than in the air. It can also be used when the
weather prevents flying or during the long winter evenings.
You can
watch a recording of our FNPT being used for a simple practice exercise; a
glide approach from downwind. Click
here.
A simulator view turning final for North Weald runway 02
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Where we are
We are
based at North Weald Airfield, a historic airfield which is famous
for its important role in the defence of Britain during both world wars. It is
conveniently located near the Harlow/Chelmsford exit on the M11 and close to
the M25. This location makes it easy to reach from London, Essex, and
surrounding counties (Hertfordshire, Kent,
Cambridge, and Bedfordshire)
[Click
here] for our contact
details - how to get in touch with us by email, post, or phone.
[Click
here] for details of how to find our training operation at North
Weald Airfield
[Click
here] for details of how to fly in to our club site at the farm.
We’ll give you full driving directions at the time if you are invited in by
road.
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Our club facilities
Our ground
school facilities and simulator room are based on site at North Weald airfield.
We made the move early in 2009.
After a lot
of work cleaning up and providing our own facilities we were ready to open for
business by May. Then in September 2011
we were given the opportunity to move to a better location on the airfield.
After yet more cleaning and redecoration, we moved in just before Christmas.
The
pictures below give an indication of our current facilities
The club lounge The
grass ‘apron’ outside
We are here
Tuesdays to Saturdays by appointment or if we have work that needs to be done
there.
On
Wednesdays and Saturdays we’ll be here, whether or not we are flying, from
about noon to at least 5pm.
The simulator room- ‘indoor flight training’ The office
When we’re
preparing the aircraft to fly, we’ll be at the ‘dispersal hut’ under the
poplars. This is where you might find us if you are booked in for a trial
lesson.
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Who we are
We have
been involved in microlight flying since 1993 and were both occasional glider
pilots before that.
Before
founding the Saxon Microlights flying school, Joan Walsh had a successful
career as a Chartered Engineer practising firstly in the aircraft industry,
then in a wide variety of computer-based engineering projects. She is now our
full time flying instructor and is responsible for the training arm of the
business. In addition to instructing, as a Flight Examiner, she is also
authorised by the CAA to conduct the written and practical tests leading to the
issue of a UK National Private Pilot’s Licence or to revalidate a lapsed
licence. Joan has also been active within the
BMAA, first quietly behind the scenes, then between 2006 and 2012 as a
member of the governing council.
Ginge
Sunley is involved in the business part time and is responsible for the ground
operations, especially aircraft maintenance and safety. In his spare time,
Ginge is renovating a classic biplane from the early days of microlight flying.
See the continuing story and pictures here. (sadly for the
project, Ginge has been spending so much time on refurbishing and improving our
facilities at North Weald that there hasn’t been much progress since early 2009
– maybe this winter, perhaps).
Joan & Ginge on holiday in Portugal .
Joan also
writes occasional magazine articles, mostly about microlight flying. An example
available online are:
‘Did somebody say
it was easy?' about when she was learning to fly microlights, or [this one] about a ‘challenge’ flight
around East Essex
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A little history
Having
spent some time based as a private aircraft at the farm, our aeroplane was
temporarily moved to Rayne Hall Farm near Braintree in 2004. We flew her from
here to Sheepcoates Farm near Maldon whenever we needed to do flight training
while we assessed the suitability of the site as a permanent base for the
school. The aeroplane was moved there in the early summer of 2005 and we
continued training using Sheepcoates Farm as our base. We received no serious
complaints and applied for planning permission to base there permanently, but
this was refused at the start of 2006. We were given the opportunity to move
back to the farm, which has been the home to light aircraft since the 1950s and
is operated by Yak-11 display pilot, Angie Soper. This
field, while still definitely a farm strip, had better facilities and we built
a small office and briefing room within one of the factory units there. It also
became the home of our flight procedures trainer. In early 2007 we were given
permission to operate training flights at North Weald Airfield, and later that
year we moved our Thruster there along with the hut which had been our home at
Sheepcoates Farm. In 2009 we were able to move our ground training facilities
to North Weald too. We still retain a link with the farm because we visit there
for the club ‘summer camp’ and get our pilots used to operating within the
restrictions of a farm strip.
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And finally – why ‘Saxon’ Microlights
We’re often
asked.
For
starters, Saxon is an appropriate name for any organisation operating in Essex;
during the dark ages it was the county of the East
Saxons.
That’s not
our real reason though. Before we started flying microlights, Ginge was a
working fisherman licensed to operate out of Maldon, on the River Blackwater.
He owned a series of boats through his fishing career, but the last one (and
his favourite) was a fast dory which he named after the Saxon
heritage of the town. Along with the boat Ginge had a goodly collection of
fish-boxes, all marked with the boat’s registered name “Saxon”. It seemed
logical to us, to name the business after the boat – especially as it meant we
wouldn’t have to change the name on the boxes. It’s as simple as that.
..
Our logo
takes the Seaxe heraldic symbol used in
many Essex coats of arms and, unconventionally, crosses them. The addition of
feathered wings represents lightweight flight. In our club badge, we represent
the feathers in silver except for those pilots who have been given their wings
by our CFI whose badges have golden feathers.
So there you have it.
The nearest towns to us in London, Essex and Hertfordshire (Herts) are
Brentwood, Romford, Ongar, Epping, Harlow, Chelmsford, Waltham Abbey, Basildon,
Maldon, Whitham, Braintree and Bishops
Stortford