• Magni Gyroplane

  • Airborne Microlight

  • Aeros ANT Nanolight

  • Moyes Gecko Hang Glider

LOCATION

Strathalbyn Airfield

GIFT VOUCHERS

Give the gift of flight

MARKETPLACE

Used aircraft and equipment

CONTACT

Contact us

FLYING LESSONS

Learn to fly

Magni Gyroplanes

Gyroplanes

Airborne Microlights

Microlights

Aeros & Flylight

Nanolights

Hang Gliders

Hang Gliders

Flying Accessories

Accessories

Adelaide Airsports commenced operating as a business in 1985 under the name South Coast Hang Gliding Centre. Initially we serviced the local hang gliding community here in South Australia as a specialty hang gliding school. The following year we expanded our services to include microlight aircraft and continued to operate under the banner of South Coast Hang Gliding Centre. In 1988 we moved our base from Christies Beach to Sellicks Beach, setting up our home, office and workshop there. Hang gliding and microlight lessons were conducted from a variety of sites in and around the Fleurieu Peninsula and coordinated from home base at Sellicks.

In 1991 we established a permanent facility for our microlight school at the Strathalbyn Airfield and in June of 1992 became one of only a few microlight schools to ever gain full approval from the then Civil Aviation Authority. 1996 saw us introduce Skyfloating to the Australian market with the import of a range of lightweight, easy to fly floater style hang gliders from America. A move that helped rejuvenate the sport of hang gliding Australia wide and led to the eventual release of similar such floaters from the Australian hang glider manufactures.

With a growing interest in sport aviation and an ever-expanding market place that saw us gaining students and customers from throughout Australia and overseas, we decided in January of 1997 to change our name to Adelaide Airsports. A name that better pin points our location and diversity of products and services on offer.

In 1998 we included powered hang gliding with lessons and sales of a range of lightweight, foot launched powered hang gliding harnesses. This was then followed up with the release of a lightweight powered trike unit suitable for use with most hang gliders and skyfloaters.

Early 2003 was a time for considerable soul searching with both reflections on the past and a desire to plan our future direction. The hang gliding school had been where it all started but the microlight school now well established and well respected worldwide was demanding more time and more energy; a decision had to be made. June 2003 saw us celebrate the end of 18 years of successful hang gliding instruction here in South Australia with a decision to concentrate all our teaching skills on the microlight school.

 

July 2003 and with our microlight flight training facility now well established at the Strathalbyn Airfield, Adelaide Airsports stands out as Australia’s foremost Microlight Aircraft Specialist. An on site flight office and briefing room offering lessons from beginner to instructor level and beyond. A sales and service centre for a full range of new and used microlight aircraft and all associated equipment.

          

December 2008 and we begin to import the "Dragonfly" a single seat, retractable undercarriage trike with soaring capabilities. August 2009 and we add the Bailey single cylinder 4-stroke engines (as used on the Dragonfly) to our growing list of products now available to the Australian market.

Dragonfly

During 2013 we work towards introducing a quality amphibian microlight aircraft that is truly capable of operating with ease from either land or water. Deciding to take on the Australian dealership of the US manufactured “Cygnet” amphibian our first unit arrives in September and we begin the process of type acceptance and registration of the first Cygnet in Australia. By December 2013 we are up and running with trial flights, lessons and waterborne endorsements available. What a great area for an amphibian aircraft with Lake Alexandrina only 5 Nautical Miles from our Strathalbyn based training facility. Full sales and service of the Cygnet is now available to the Australian market.

Interest in lightweight single seat trikes (nanolight trikes) have continued to gain in popularity ever since Adelaide Airsports introduced the Dragonfly to the Australian market back in 2008. The Dragonfly was indeed the basis for the Airborne T-Lite and V-Lite single seat trikes. In 2014 we now offer yet another nanolight trike to our friends and customers with the release of the Aeros ANT.

In 2015 we celebrate our 30th year of successful business serving the hang gliding and microlight flying community. In that time we have been responsible for giving several thousand people a taste of flight with many hundreds going on the learn to fly, gaining their Pilot Certificates, purchasing equipment and enjoying regular flying activity.

Adelaide Airsports is one of the few microlight flying schools in Australia approved to teach instructors and help them set up their own flight training facilities. We have trained more instructors than any other school in Australia and acted as supervising Chief Flying Instructor and/or Examiners, therefore helping in the establishment of such schools as South West Microlights, Bunbury (Western Australia), Gawler Microlights, Gawler (South Australia), Mallee Microlights, Lameroo (South Australia), DTK Microlights, Latrobe Valley (Victoria) and Birds Eye View, Exmouth (Western Australia). 

2016, our 31st year of operation and time to once again look ahead and expand into yet another unique area of fun flying. The Gyroplane has come of age with some magnificent aircraft now available, fully certified and quality assured we are pleased to become the SA dealer for the Magni range of Gyroplanes.

2019 and business is good. The gyroplanes have become a big part of our school as we see increasing interest in this unique style of flying. With a continued stream of microlight students and with an ever-growing enthusiasm for our little single seat nanolight trikes our instructors are busy.

          

We make plans to head to Europe in 2020. Firstly arriving in Germany to attend Aero Friedrichshafen (Europe’s biggest aviation trade show) in the hope of making new contacts and finding new products to offer our customers in Australia. Then on to Ukraine to visit the Aeros factory and check out their latest developments in the world of hang gliding, microlight and nanolight trikes. From there we head to Italy to visit our friends at the Magni factory and fly some of their latest gyroplanes.

Excitement grows as departure nears but sadly Covid is also growing and at an alarming rate. The world shuts down, Aero Friedrichshafen is cancelled and our plans come to a grinding halt. We find ourselves instead becoming Covid Marshals, asking customers to check in with QR codes. Signs go up in the briefing office and hangars, bottles of hand sanitizer, disposable covers for the headsets and wiping down aircraft in between students becomes the norm.

Forced shutdowns and restrictions follow us into 2021. Adelaide Airsports plods along and we keep our heads above water but it has become difficult to supply many of our products and services to our loyal customers. Difficult too to keep staff and by end of 2021 we need to restrict the number of students we take on.

Throughout 2022, I found myself struggling to look after both our microlight and gyro students; I need to concentrate all my efforts on just one flight discipline. Gyro flying is less weather dependent, less physically demanding, more comfortable and quite simply suits me better at this stage of my career. A conscious decision is made to wind back, take on fewer students and have more fun!

So it is that, by the end of December 2022, I finish some 45 years of weightshift flight training (hang gliding & microlight), with 37 of those years full time with Adelaide Airsports.

April 2023 and we finally get to Aero Friedrichshafen, checking out all the magnificent aircraft and making new contacts. We catch up with companies and people we've dealt with over the years via the internet and it is great to finally meet face to face. After the expo we head to Italy to visit our friends at Magni Gyroplanes and get a grand tour of their factory.

                      

We return home to our hangar full of gyroplanes and are pretty happy with our place within the Australian flying community. We take on a small number of keen students, teaching them to fly a gyroplane to the best of their abilities. We invite them to become part of our growing group of gyroplane pilots and encourage them to join our flying adventures.

 

Larry Jones

Proprietor 

 Larry 1976

 

 Larry 2022

Facebook