Powered Hang Gliding History

Isle of White meet

2nd-9th May1981

This is a photo of one the cloth badge to commemorate the powered Hang Glider meeting that took place on the Isle of White, and most active flying members from all over the country attended. It was also the time when a meeting took place to vote on a future name for the club, at that time being known as the 'British Minimum Aircraft Association', to prove it just scroll down to the 2nd photo.

There were three names up for the vote, 'Minimum'. 'Microlight' and 'Ultralight', all three names were highly supported and at times the meeting became quite heated and got very loud, but in the end as you all know 'MICROLIGHT' was agreed on

It was also a time when the club was nearly hi-jacked from us and delivered into the hands of the Air Authorities. The following years that many of us early flyers enjoyed owe a lot to common sense that prevailed at that meeting. I'm sorry to have to add that it was members who already had licence's that wanted us to go down the same road they'd had to travel, and a costly one at that.

On a sad note, it rained almost every day and flying time was a little limited.

Both photos from Terry Aspinall