As you can imagine, pilots using Wingly do not fly large Airbus or Boeing aircrafts. The smaller planes you will experience during your trip with us have no comparison to their large counterparts. With smaller aircrafts, it is much easier to observe your surrounding and the hustle and bustle on the ground.
What kind of aircrafts can you expect to fly with?
When talking about light aviation, we are talking about amusement, sports and the pure joy in flying. There are quite a number of manufacturers out there. You may have stumbled upon a few of them like: Cessna, Cirrus, Diamond Aircraft, Robin, Piper and many more.
Which similarities between all these different models of planes?
Usually the aircrafts are designed for 1 to 6 passengers. All of them have one or two piston engines (no turbines) in different performance classes. Most of the planes are powered by engines with 80 to 350 horse power.
Planes you can fly on Wingly. From top left to bottom right: Robin DR400, Diamond DA20, Cessna 172, Piper PA28
Wait, are there only planes on Wingly?
Of course not! We do have pilots flying rotary wings. The most common two are the Robinson R22 and R44. Both are single-engine helicopters with 2 or 4 seats. Their vast glass-cockpits and the low altitudes they are authorised to fly at, make them the perfect aircafts to take for a sightseeing tour. You will literally have the impression of flying.
A R22 helicopter
Robinson R44
Who owns these aircrafts?
In most cases, pilots on Wingly are members of an Aero or flight club at an airfield. Those clubs rent out these aircrafts. Same holds for flight schools and classic aircraft charter services. There you can simply rent aircrafts (after a thorough briefing and test flight). Therefore, the majority of pilots do not own an aircraft themselves. They rent a plane and pay by minute or hour, including fuel and maintenance and take-off and landing fees.
How does an Aero Club work?
Pilots in training but also licensed pilots register in a club and pay a monthly or yearly membership fee. A plane can usually be rented online. Clubs as well as charter services often offer different models. With a membership, a pilot is normally required to help with maintenance and cleaning of the aircrafts and, with that, has the opportunity to learn more about the planes they are using. If you care about becoming a pilot, do check out our blog article on this topic.
Ready for your first trip? Have a look at our flights and book today.
Comment
Are there any helicopter pilots on Wingly?