The Adventures of Mike the Microlight.

Mike spent most of the time in his cosy hanger at East Fortune wrapped up to keep the wind and rain out, but since his Dad has lost his covers he was feeling a bit cold and miserable. To keep himself happy he recounted stories of his adventures to all the other Microlights. He tried not to make them too jealous as most of them didn’t go very far from home and just went round and round, up and down.

Today he said, I am going to tell you about my great summer adventure when Dad and I were at Plockton at the East of Scotland Microlights summer fly out. I flew into Plockton on a glorious summers evening and was packed away in the hanger by Dad. He told me get some rest as we were going to have an adventure the next day and that after a few soft drinks with his tea, he was going to have an early night. Anyway at dawn, well mid morning, Dad appeared. He was holding his head saying a goblin must have hit him during the night. I knew that wasn’t true as Goblins don’t live in the Highlands. It was more likely to be a Haggis. After a couple of black coffees Dad’s sore head had gone, so he pulled me out the hanger and started to check that none of vital parts had fallen off in the night. He also filled me up with petrol and oil until my tummy was full. Dad then had a chocolate bar to fill up his tum.  I told him that Mum would not approve but he said that it was emergency rations. By this time other people with Goblin heads appeared, in fact at least one looked just like a Goblin. Other microlights were being pulled out onto the grass.  I asked them if they were going on an adventure as well as me and was told, yes, some were going on adventures but not with me!  I asked Dad where we were going and he just said he was going to get a Barrow or at least that’s what I thought he said.  As we all sat outside in the sunshine preening our wings and shaking them about in the wind I gazed longingly at the two fast girls the GT450’s.  I asked Dad if they were going with us and he said, no we are off on our own across the sea!  Well we have been across sea before so that was not a problem. What sea I asked. The Minch Dad replied. Well that meant nothing to me, I knew what a Midge was as there were plenty of them in Plockton, but had never heard of a Minch.  Is it far I asked. Well its not really far, said Dad as he strode off to the big white hut, to check his itch. He didn’t look as if he had an itch so perhaps he was checking the ATIS. He always did this before a long flight, as he said, to make sure the Red Arrows don’t get in our way. I was always grateful because I certainly didn’t want any Arrows being fired at me no matter what colour they were. 

By this time some of the others microlights Dads and Mums had climbed onto them and they had soared off into the Sky.  Some said they were going to Sky but of course that’s where we all were going as that where we always went. Dad said we would just wait until the white GT450 had left, as it was better for her to be in front of us, I think it is just because she is very pretty and Dad wants to look at her.

After what seemed hours we were ready to go. A few magical words from Dad such as STAMP and CHIEFTAP followed by hitting the instrument panels and the radio for good luck we were off. But then Dad remembered something and we went back to get a blue baby harness that he tied around himself. I thought that was a bit strange as I was his baby but then he does lots of unusual thing so I was not that surprised. So with more magic words some not familiar to me we were off, and up and away.  I thought that we would have problems getting airborne with all that emergency chocolate but eventually we made it with the help of a kind wind that seemed to have just appeared.  As I did my best climbing up out of Plockton the friendly wind tried to trick Dad a few times but we got ourselves the right way up again. Now I am not scared but normally we don’t go very high, I like being able to see the ground, but Dad said not to worry we wouldn’t see any ground for a while. I thought this was one of his tricks, like hiding above the clouds but he was right we went up and up and up and eventually all we could see was sea! I gave a few gulps, but every time I did this Dad stuffed more fuel into me so I stopped gulping and asked where was our nice little green field or nice long concrete runway. Dad just laughed and said we don’t need any of that where we are going. Now that kept me quiet for a while as everywhere I had landed before looked that that.  I hoped that we were not going to land on the sea, is that what Dad meant? I didn’t think that I would float but then realised that Dad would not float either so decided that we would not be landing on the sea.

I asked Dad well where will be landing and he said, I will give you a hint, its yellow. Yellow!!! I am not landing on a Banana!  Dad laughed and at that point a nasty wind pulled one of my wings and the great aviator pulled me the other way at which point the wind pushed me up and Dad pulled me down. We carried on in this merry way for some time until I could see a small rock some miles in front of us. Dad let out a cheer and said its either America or Barra. Well I hoped he had found his barrow, as I didn’t have my Passport with me.  I know you cant fly anywhere without a passport these days but I just don’t have one, I have a Permit which Dad says is far better than a passport for a Microlight. I don’t know what it permits me to do. I ask Dad if he has a Permit and he says Mum gives him one to go flying so that must be ok.  Dad seems to fighting with his gloves and is shouting into his helmet about his barrow so he must be getting excited about finding it. I looked down to see that Dad must have been giving me less fuel as we were a lot nearer the sea. Dad shouted there it is. Well not knowing what he was looking at I couldn’t see anything like a banana ahead. Then I saw it wasn’t a banana after all. Just shows who does the cooking at home, it was a pancake, a big yellow pancake just between the sea and the green bits. Now Dad had gone a bit barmy by this point, no doubt he needed more emergency chocolate, and told me that we were landing on the pancake. I said I didn’t want to and wanted my runway.   He said He decided where we were landing, not me, and down we were going.

The wind was still having fun with us and as we turned we nearly dropped down but thanks to my expertise I made it easy for Dad and I landed with little or no help from him on the pancake.  Once we slowed down I realised it was like a pancake and dad had to rev me up to taxi across to the nice green bit. Two friends of Dad appeared and grabbed my wings and I was not happy.  When we stopped on the green I was so tired I just dropped my wing to touch the ground. I can’t move another step I said. But  now one of Dads friend wanted me to move. I had a tantrum and said I wouldn’t so when no one was looking, I put my front wheel in a rabbit hole. Over I went but with lots of magic words from everyone, I was saved. My dangly bits hurt so I must have bent something.  Dad telephoned someone and I had a wee cry when no one was looking. They took my wing off and put me in a small shelter. Dad and friends then went away looking for some lively water. Or was it Water of Life, I can’t remember.

The next day, Dad came visit me and said that had been quite a brave boy but a bit naughty so Mum was coming with the car and a trailer on the boat and we would all be going home together on the boat.  Now that’s what I call an adventure going on a boat.   Mum arrived later looking a bit white, no doubt she had found dad’s secret supply of chocolate. She put he arms around me and told me that she and Dad were taking me home to uncle Colin who would mend my bumps. Mum and Dad emptied out all my petrol and covered me up and after what seemed like a 2-week journey I was home here at East Fortune.

All the other Microlights gazed at Mike in amazement. None of them had had such and adventure but one of the Gt450s started to tell a story his dad had told him about landing in a gravel beach. But by this time all the other microlights had gone to sleep in their cosy hanger at East Fortune.