Bantam B22s

[StevoNZ]

What to do when recovering from surgery at 65? What else, buy a microlight and learn to fly. Just passed passenger rating.

 

 

[SSCBD]

Well done!!! - And they are more fun fly than the hi tech go fast plastic toys,

 

 

[Phil Perry]

What to do when recovering from surgery at 65? What else, buy a microlight and learn to fly. Just passed passenger rating.

I had the great pleasure of flying a Bantam when they first appeared in the UK many years back. Basic, but brilliant fun. Very stable, and nice handling. Originally, The BMAA didn't like the Push = Pull aileron cables,. . . and due to my early onset dementia,. . .I cant,. . .AH YES. . .BOWDEN CABLES ! ! ! ! much concentration needed to remember that !

My friend Kev Bettington was going to be the Importer, but it all went wrong with bank financing etc,. . and he only imported two of them from the NZ manufacturer. I think,. . .( memory again ) that one had a Jabiru engine, and the other one was fitted with a Rotax 582.. . . The only thing that I thought was odd, was that it did not have a decent front windscreen, just two tiny ones. . .so that the crew were subject to the prop blast. . . .most uncomfortable. I think there is still one rotting away in a barn at a private airfield near Bewdley in Worcestershire, called Pound Green. I believe that Kev emigrated and runs a bar on some Pacific Island somewhere. . he used to be a professional DJ after all . . . .irrelevant, but thanks for sparking the memory bank.. . .

 

The other Bantam was destroyed by my mad friend 'Sam The Scaffold' Moore. . .' who was a very low hours pilot, 70 years young ( he ran a fairly large scaffolding company employing around 50 blokes ). .. and against his better judgement, ( where have I heard that before ? ) he was badgered into taking a nice Lady friend up on a day when even the birds were grounded, ie, there was a solid, steady 35 Kt wind from the S/W. . .and he got caught in the 'Downwind Trap' where he slowed the machine down, looking at the groundspeed instead of his bloody ASI as he thought they were going too fast to turn onto base and stalled it on the Base turn ( ! )

 

I got there just after the air ambulance and saw them both being extricated from the wreckage. Both had very serious injuries to their lower legs when the cockpit bottom collapsed in the near vertical impact at the bottom of the spin,. . which was witnessed by two Trike pilots. . . They both recovered anyway. . .and the Insurance paid out so everyone was happy. I visited the daft Sod in hospital several times (and ate most of his grapes and chocolates) Sam married his damaged passenger and they live in Spain, Sam will now be 82 Yrs old, and his Wife ( in her forties when they married ) will be rich real soon . . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

What to do when recovering from surgery at 65? What else, buy a microlight and learn to fly. Just passed passenger rating.

Proud of Ya Stevo.

 

 

[microman]

Good on ya Stevo.

 

 

[Aerodavetoorbul]

Hey Stevo, welcome aboard. You don’t have to recover from surgery to want to learn to fly, I’m 70 and have just learned, anyway enjoy!