There were quite a lot of tiny engines for powering back-mounted fans and the like for the paramotors and footlaunched brigade, and it has to be said that those engine manufacturers seem to be paying much more attention to styling and appearance than the Rotax offerings that are generally a bundle of wires and plumbing. The Simmonini looked the business though and MSA took several orders at the show. We are all watching to see how reliable it s going to prove. From a triker s point of view it was a pretty disappointing show and it s obvious that all the excitement is in the fashion conscious sports like paramotoring, and hang-gliding. They seem to be attracting the young and beautiful leaving the triking and fixed wing scene to a load of old farts like me.
Some members don t like it and say so.
Keith Negal explained that although relationships with the PFA were and are excellent, the PFA s natural strength in engineering work with 3 axis machines may lead to them picking up all the work on new Eastern European kits that BMAA members wish to build. Worse still from BMAA s point of view was PFA s declared intention to take responsibility for approving factories that would build production versions of these aircraft. The only way that BMAA could compete was to boost its engineering capabilities and this would cost money. After some heated discussion and arguments put by 3 axis members who were also members of PFA the membership fee increase was put to a vote and carried. Apparently it wasn t necessary to put the permit increases to the vote.