Neil Douglas FI(R)

Neil’s first experience of flight was as a 12 year old on a short commercial flight from Glasgow to Edinburgh. The flight may have been short but he was hooked. He joined the RAF section of the cadet force and had flights in Chipmunks before going on to solo in a glider at age 16 after 12 launches and only a couple of hours in the air.

Life then got in the way until finally in late 2014 he found himself in a weight-shift microlight at 8000’ over the Scottish Borders on a stormy day and he absolutely loved it. He cleared his diary, booked a course starting May 2015, and within 5 months had his licence.

He lent his first plane, a QuikR, to the British team at the World Air Games in Dubai (the person flying it won gold in it), so it was to be 6 months after he got his licence before his plane made its way back to him. Since then he has logged many happy hours flying friends all over the place. Neil has hooked up with a Scout Troop local to his home and offers them free flights as part of their aviation badge.

In 2022 he trained as a Flying Instructor and subsequently joined the team at Kemble Flying Club where he does the majority of the training on the school’s weight shift (or flex wing) microlight; a QuikR.

Neil lives in Gloucester and his own plane, now a Deltajet Stingray 500 having sold his QuiikR, is hangered nearer home but it does make the odd flight over to Kemble and is very visible in its striking green colours. Neil is a dealer for the Deltajet.