I have had quite an interesting weekend including my first forced landing, crash if you really insist, and I thought I would put down what I can remember for the record. The bottom line is that I am fine but my aircraft needs some tender loving care and it might be a week or two before I can fly it again.

    The plan was that a group of “Trike” pilots, myself included, would fly our weight-shift ultra-lights to a 5 star beach resort, Tanjung Lesung, about 80 miles away on the West Java coast. We planned to spend a day doing beach things, flying around maybe, some diving for some, and generally an interesting way of practicing cross-country skills and having a good time in the process. I had promised a friend of mine, John McBeth who has a beach house a few miles north of the resort, that I would buzz his house after had I rested from my cross-country flight. 

    A weight-shift trike is basically a triangular confection of aluminium tubes and struts, an engine, a Dacron sail or wing, tandem seats, an instrument binnacle and great potential for unadulterated fun.

    My aircraft is a Solowings Aquilla, made in South Africa. It has great suspension which is actually important given every flight should result in a controlled landing - a good suspension helps the machine track well on landing and saves the airframe lots of stress. Think of it as a Harley with wings but a damn sight safer. Indeed, the trike is probably the safest recreational aircraft type flying.