A remarkable machine
Review and photos: E.D.Gray

In1999 I completed a change over HG to PG course with Godfrey’s team in Manilla. Last year, very sceptically, I strapped a fan on my aged back and went powered. To my surprise, I enjoyed the experience thoroughly. (A good social group as well)
With the impetus of the world championships at Manilla last Feb. My good mate, flying buddy and neighbour Andrew Polidano, CFI planned that we should get it together and be a part of the air display, with the paramotors.
For us to participate in the air display some preparation was required. Endorsements, a flight plan, practise days etc., then disaster struck me in the form of a ruptured ACL. Anterior Cruciate Ligament, to the uninitiated. Usually associated with football, tennis and skiing. Foot launching and landing while do-able is not with out risk of pain. A Knee reconstruction and healing process takes up to 12 months!
Enter the FLYKE. German engineered and manufactured. An enormous amount of R&D has gone into this machine. The Flyke has a very clean 7-speed hub gear set up, hydraulic brakes, weight shift steering, comfy laid back seating, room for a wing and a small amount of gear eg. lightweight camping and you can fly it as well. A XC bivouac adventure is a definite reality. They have literally taken off in Europe and the USA. Andrew has been flying them for a few years and I’ve watched with some amusement and fear- a cross between the flying bicycle scene in ET and those magnificent men…
The main attraction for me (stuffed Knee) was the wheels but its best feature is the pedals. They give the Flyke some legitimacy on the road and enable it to be used in and around towns. Part of my physio routine is light pedal exercise. (It has a motor as well)
Andrew went to Germany for instruction and he convinced me that after learning some technique it was easy to fly. He had taught a 60+year old gentleman to fly the Flyke. He had at best flown a paper plane, and was by no means an athletic type.
Operating the Flyke in the air like all our flying is weather dependant. Still, stable mornings and evenings are magic. Thermaling in rowdy Manilla afternoons can be challenging and rewarding. Taxiing about is straightforward, launching the wing has a few tricks that need some mastery, and flying and landing are a piece of piss. As a bicycle the flyke is very stable and comfortable. There is over 100mm of dampened suspension travel. Taxiing with the motor is very different to having driven wheels it’s a bit like rolling down an endless slope more gas steeper slope. The launch is exacting in the early stages. I practiced it over and over. The wing is laid out down wind then connected to the carrabinas. A thorough pre-flight is carried out. A launch assist line is clipped to the ‘A’ risers this pulls the ‘A’s as in a normal forward inflation once the glider is overhead all tension on this line is off. A wall is built with a short blast of motor. When ready power is applied with controlled forcefulness one doesn’t want to be timid at this point. Control of the wing is all-important at this time it must come up straight. You brake the surge with brake and throttle if it goes wrong kill the motor and start again or it will eat wing ☹ . Once the wing is overhead give it the fat. Roll out is short take off a joy. Flying is a dream. With the Silex wing the flyke has good penetration and speed. It thermals well which is good for fuel consumption. It is equipped with trimmers and a throttle cruise control so hands off for filming and snacking and navigation are a breeze. Landings are easy with the motor to position the flyke low over the LZ or with no motor a few S’s sinks it easily flair as the wheels touch no running. I love it.
The Flyke is the only fully DULV approved flying, recumbent, tricycle and loads of fun – A Remarkable Machine,