26 November 2021
There’s a new term in General Aviation: Light Sport Microlights. The first three LSMs have had their permits issued by the BMAA.
The term ‘Light Sport Microlight’ has been invented by the British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) to cover the various max weights of aircraft covered by the new 600kg catgeory.
Rob Hughes, CEO of the BMAA, writes in the latest issue of FLYER, “The term ‘600kg microlight’ is misleading as many of the new types are being introduced at a lower MTOM. Instead, we refer to the new breed of ‘somewhere-between-450kg-and-600kg’ aircraft as Light Sport Microlights, or LSM for short.”
The BMAA has issued the first three permits to various EuroFox aircraft with a max weight of 560kg, just three months after the 600kg category was made legal by the CAA.
“While the updated design code, BCAR Section S, is still to be agreed by the CAA, the BMAA Technical Office took a pragmatic approach, using existing design codes and then collaborating closely with suppliers to eliminate delay,” said Rob. “More types will follow very soon…”
Roger Cornwell, Director of Ascent Industries which is the EuroFox agent, said, “We are very grateful for all the hard work and commitment of the BMAA, particularly Roger Pattrick and Rob Mott, who are always so supportive and a great asset to our microlighting community.”
