Days Out NI
Air sports Newtownards

NI Microlights

Take the controls on a trial microlight flight over Strangford Lough.

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Open to allBook a trial flight as a one-off; full co…
Check pricesBook ahead
NewtownardsUlster Flying Club, Newtownards Airport
Get directionsOfficial website
Club & schoolWhat it is
Check pricesCost
Max ~90kgLimits
Open to allAccess
Book aheadEssential

NI Microlights — Take the controls on a trial microlight flight over Strangford Lough.

  • What you can do: Book a 45-minute to 2-hour trial flight with hands-on time at the controls, or train toward an NPPL(M) licence.
  • Who can go: Book a trial flight as a one-off; full courses for those going on to train.
  • Age, weight & health: Passenger weight limit 14st 2lb (90kg); should be fit to drive a car; take advice if any serious medical condition.
  • Weather: Weather-dependent; flights may be rearranged for safety.
  • Booking: Essential — call ahead, give plenty of notice.
  • Cost: Check current prices with the school; gift vouchers valid 12 months.
Plan your visit

Fly a microlight over the Ards Peninsula

A trial flight starts on the ground with a brief on how the aircraft works and how you control it, then a walk-round inside and out. Once airborne the CAA-registered instructor begins teaching you the effects of the controls, so you genuinely get hands-on rather than just riding along. Shorter 45-minute and 1-hour flights take in Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula; 90-minute and 2-hour flights can reach over to County Antrim or down to the Mourne Mountains. The same trial flight counts as a first lesson if you decide to go on toward an NPPL. Gift vouchers are available and are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Trial microlight flights Take the controls Strangford Lough views Book ahead Weather-dependent Weight limit 90kg
Good to know before you go:

Flying here runs on the weather, so slots move at short notice — take the reschedule, it’s part of the sport. Some of the sites and clubs listed on Days Out NI are for members and qualified pilots rather than walk-in visitors, so check what’s on offer before you set off. And check the age, weight and health limits before you book: they’re set by the aircraft, not by anyone being fussy.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 📱A bookingAlmost everything up here runs on a slot you’ve arranged ahead — clubs included.
  • 🧥Warm layersIt’s colder up there than it is on the ground, and colder again waiting on the airfield.
  • 🗓️A flexible dayFlights move with the wind. Keep the day loose and you’ll enjoy it far more.
  • 📷A cameraThe view is the whole point — coast, lough and mountain, all in one lap.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
club & school (microlight) selling trial flights
What you can do
Book a 45-minute to 2-hour trial flight with hands-on time at the controls, or train toward an NPPL(M) licence
Public access
Book a trial flight as a one-off; full courses for those going on to train
Age / weight / health limits
Passenger weight limit 14st 2lb (90kg); should be fit to drive a car; take advice if any serious medical condition
Booking
Essential — call ahead, give plenty of notice
Weather
Weather-dependent; flights may be rearranged for safety
Cost
Check current prices with the school; gift vouchers valid 12 months
Location / airfield / site
Ulster Flying Club, Newtownards Airport
Parking
On site at the Ulster Flying Club
Address
Ulster Flying Club, Newtownards Airport, Portaferry Road, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 8SG
Questions

Before you go

Can anyone go, or is it members only?
Book a trial flight as a one-off; full courses for those going on to train
What actually happens on the day?
Book a 45-minute to 2-hour trial flight with hands-on time at the controls, or train toward an NPPL(M) licence
Are there age or weight limits?
Passenger weight limit 14st 2lb (90kg); should be fit to drive a car; take advice if any serious medical condition
Do I need to book?
Essential — call ahead, give plenty of notice
What happens if the weather turns?
Weather-dependent; flights may be rearranged for safety
Getting there

NI Microlights is at Ulster Flying Club, Newtownards Airport, Portaferry Road, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 8SG. On site at the Ulster Flying Club. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About it

NI Microlights is run by a CAA-registered Flight Instructor and Flight Test Examiner with over 7,000 hours of instruction across more than 20 years teaching people to fly microlights. The school flies British-built Thruster aircraft and operates from the Ulster Flying Club at Newtownards Airport.

As well as trial flights and gift vouchers, it offers full National Private Pilot's Licence training, flight testing, and aircraft sales, servicing and repairs.