In researching this series of Pterodactyl microlights of New Zealand and talking to some of their early pilots, one thing that came across was how much FUN they had flying back in those days. So here are some photos:
On Blue Cliff Beach in Southland for toheroas (when you were allowed to gather them)
Jim Barnett flying to Opotiki for a flyin with another microlight off to starboard. This is well before GoPros were even thought of and Jim told me he mounted his ordinary camera on the wing and took the photo by squeezing a hand held bulb which set off the shutter.
Pete James had an Ascender fitted with a special cage to keep a towrope clear of the propeller and he towed hang gliders aloft, here from Waitohi (photo from Murray Hagen).
Early microlighters were never short of an audience!
You could just go flying and drop into a local paddock.
Evan Gardiner and Ann Thompson flying down Ninety Mile Beach during shooting of a North Cape to Bluff film with Peter Hillary that never saw the light of day, only lasting until around Kerikeri.
A bit of early morning fun at a Waitohi flyin with a Hovey Delta Bird (more on these later).
There are many more stories and I am not quite sure how to do them justice.
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