The ultralight or microlight aircrafts called trikes were first brought onto my attention in 1999 after seeing some awesome photos from the “South to South” expedition in a Dutch magazine. The imaginations and feelings I got just thinking of these guys flying free as a bird around the world just struck me. Two adventure pilots (Mike Blyth from South Africa and Olivier Aubert from Swiss) flew their trikes around the world from Buenos Aires to Capetown: 

“…The 1999 South to South Expedition holds the current World Record for the longest ever unsupported flight by trike. For 8 months in 1999 Olivier Aubert and Mike Blyth covered 43,000 km in a flight around the world that goes beyond the imagination. Also known as the Millennium Microlight Adventure, this flight was dubbed the 'last great flying adventure of the 20th century.'…”

These 2 pilots gained fame within the ultralight community all over the world and have ever since been an inspiration for many of us.The trike flown by Olivier happened to be French-made, and the model called “Voyageur”. I was impressed by its beefed-up appearance and the fact it did not have a control bar limiter in front of the pilot, giving the pilot an unparalleled suburb panoramic view.

A new job brought me to South-Africa, where trike flying appeared to be the national spare time activity. I signed up for flight training in a school on the coast of Kwazulu Natal and took part in various cross-country trips. Being amongst the most fanatic enthusiasts and best flight instructors, I gained a wealth of experience in trike flying between 2001 and 2002. Their instructions run still through my mind when flying in adverse conditions and help me to keep my cool. During an interval back in Holland I visited the ultralight airshow in Blois, France. It was there where I saw my favorite flying machine, the Voyageur, for the first time. If only I knew I would own one of these one day and fly it in Brazil...