A microlight plane takes off in Ibaraki.

Super-lightweight planes enjoy popularity despite accidents

Thursday 02nd July, 06:00 AM JST

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kanadamanada at 09:35 AM JST - 2nd July

Agan with the brilliant translation. These are called "ultra-lights" or "micro-lights". "Super-lightweight" is a weight class in boxing's WBA. Google the word "super-lightweight" and this article appears 3rd in the list. Where do they get these "translators"?????????
amerijap at 09:51 AM JST - 2nd July

Super-lightweight planes

Yeah, it sounds weird. We don't usually count the plane's weight in general.
nandakandamanda at 09:52 AM JST - 2nd July

Please correct me if this is wrong, but I believe they have to land at the same place from where they took off. I suspect this is one rule that causes 'illegal' flights.
electric2004 at 01:00 PM JST - 2nd July

Nandakamanda:

This might be the rule in Japan. I did not yet check.

In Germany and Switzerland, it is allowed to fly from one airport to the next. Almost same rules for ultra-lights and for gliders. There, many pilots of gliders and ultra-lights actually are or were students at technical universities nearby. So if they study aeronautics and related topics, they can get hands-on experience.
michelelisa at 01:07 PM JST - 2nd July

I've flown an ultra light before, and even though I will admit its a lot of fun, its an aircraft - people should have a license or a certain amount of training to fly one. We have similar problems in Australia with people ignoring regulations. Licences don't have to be as stict as pilots licences usually are, but something like the certificates for Gliding would work. The lowest grade Gliding certificate (A certificate) isn't hard to get, and only really restricts the pilot to landing at the same feild as taking off. As you advance in certificates your restrictions change to be more flexible (ie, carrying passengers).
sharky1 at 07:35 PM JST - 2nd July

More regulations do not prevent those who break the rules, from flying. They only restrict those who are intent on obeying the laws.
sharky1 at 07:37 PM JST - 2nd July

What about mountain climbing? Lets make a comparison to the dangers and deaths so that we can have a proper perspective. How about those who died in marine sports activities since 1981? Lets put this issue in perspective.
gogogo at 07:46 PM JST - 2nd July

Title should read:

"Super-lightweight planes enjoy popularity despite being illegally used"...

I think this article is silly, if you drive a car without a license or shaken you goto jail, why is it "socially okay" to fly without permission?
himasan at 10:00 PM JST - 2nd July

regulations are made in japan so someone can cash in on it.
ca1ic0cat at 05:38 AM JST - 3rd July

The safety rates for aircraft are pretty good, really. But they make news when one crashes. There are more mountaineers killed, probably because any fool can start up a mountain. It takes more planning and money to get an ultralight flight going and most pilots understand the implications of screwing up.

I don't know where the permit thing came up, in most cases you only kill yourself. Maybe if you were carrying passengers? But even R/C planes are a bureaucratic pain if you follow the rules. Have to join a club, then join the national sanctioning body, then make sure the insurance is up to date. Phew!
the_harper at 01:15 PM JST - 3rd July

Interesting - I wrote an article in 2002 based on a trip to an ultralight flying club in Mito but it was a different one to that mentioned above. From my observation in Ibaraki the main dangers were high winds, high trees and high power lines. The costs to operate an ultralight in Japan are horrendous. The 9 mile restriction makes flying an ultralight in japan pretty pointless. You might as well organise a club to share a GA registered aircraft to enjoy flying from place to place. The point of the article is people breaking the rules. It's probably the usual case of a few people giving a whole sport/recreation a bad name. In Australia I've met people who have flown single seat ultralights thousands of kilometres on long trips. But the risk to the general public is far lower in Australia than Japan, where finding an empty piece of land to put down in can be impossible.
Badsey at 01:18 PM JST - 3rd July

True nutters know gyrocopters are the only way to go, with hang-gliders a close second.
BurakuminDes at 09:08 PM JST - 3rd July

As long as they don't fly within 100km of any residential areas, I say let them fly and crash wherever they want. These guys are the ultimate in extreme sportsmen, for whom death holds no fear!
BeaverCleaver at 10:19 PM JST - 3rd July

gogogo-"I think this article is silly, if you drive a car without a license or shaken you goto jail, why is it "socially okay" to fly without permission?"

Simple. In an ultra-light crash you only kill yourself and those who decided to fly with you at their own risk. The odds of even hurting another are astronomically small. But crash a car and you could kill several people in one go and happens plenty too. That is why.
SwissToni at 11:19 PM JST - 3rd July

Flying a microlight plane is very much like making love to a beautiful woman. Its never recommended if theres too much wind. Always try to avoid treetops for fear of falling to the ground. Once you’ve got her going handle her controls gently and steer her according to her mood. Finally, when you’ve finished, wipe her down with a damp sponge.