Just a little bit SCARY!

Yesterday, I finally managed to get a break and found a good weather day when my 3 times cancelled microlight flight (I now know it’s really called a “flex wing”) was a GO GO GO!

Mrs DeeJay and I had to get up at 6 a.m., drive to the back of beyond near Rochester (UK that is) to meet my pilot at 8:30 a.m. After climbing into my flight suit, donning gloves, a weird type of balaclava, earphones and a helmet I had a very brief briefing and we were away!

A 1000cc engine propels this thing at anywhere between 40m/p/h and 80m.p.h. and we were incredibly quickly at 1700 feet. For 60 minutes we flew along the Medway River, across The Thames and up as far as the QE2 Bridge at Dartford before we had to turn as at that point you start to encroach on the airspace of London City Airport and you certainly don’t want to start playing with those boys – they are in an entirely different league.

Back to Rochester, once again avoiding that airfield, flying over

- Bluewater shopping mall (already filling with cars),

-The London Golf Course (deserted – but hey what do you expect at the sort of membership fees they charge!),

- Brands Hatch (getting ready for next weekend’s World Superbikes)

and many other really fascinating views that you only normally see from the motorway.

I don’t think it is something that I now want to take up as a hobby. It is far too cold, noisy and hard work in any sort of turbulence. Oh yes, I did actually fly it when we were airborne. That was the SCARY bit!!