YLAC

FAQs

What is YLAC?

YLAC, The Yeoman Light Aircraft Company Limited, is a privately-owned UK company founded in 2003 to make the latest developments in personal aviation available to the broadest possible audience. Our principal current activities are the sale and support in the UK (including Northern Ireland) of the whole range of Tecnam factory-built aircraft, as well as the sale and support in the UK and Ireland of the revolutionary Dynamic aircraft. In addition, we also carry out a limited range of aerospace design consultancy services, as well as management consultancy services focussed on cost modelling and reduction.

Who owns YLAC?

YLAC is owned by five individual shareholders including its two founding partners.

What aerospace Approvals does YLAC hold?

YLAC hold the prestigious UK Air Navigation Order (ANO) Primary Companies Group (A1) company approval reference DAI/9916/06, awarded 31st August 2006, as well as F1 approval for flights under "B" Conditions. In addition, YLAC is currently pursuing an EASA Part 145 Maintenance Organisation Approval with the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

What are the future plans for YLAC?

YLAC intends to build upon the current success of the Dynamic on the UK and Irish markets, and add further products to its portfolio over time. In addition, in co-operation with its partners YLAC plans to expand its activities to cover more of the aerospace value chain, becoming a major player in aircraft certification, design, sales and marketing. YLAC's business plan sees the company floating on the London Alternative Investments Market (AIM) following realisation of defined growth milestones.

Can I invest in YLAC?

Whilst YLAC has never to date accepted investment from anyone outside of the business, please contact us if you would like to be kept informed of any future opportunities to invest that may arise, including at floatation.

How can I join the YLAC team?

YLAC is constantly looking to expand its team of talented and focussed professionals with other high calibre individuals. For up-to-date information on positions currently being sought, please visit our recruitment pages.

Dynamic

I read that the Dynamic is a microlight, but it doesn't look like one. Can you explain?

The term 'microlight' has been in use for a number of decades, and describes small light aeroplanes for one or two people. The definition has a special meaning in the sense of UK regulation, as in UK primary legislation microlights are defined (basically) as aeroplanes with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) not more than 450kg, and a stall speed of not more than 35 knots In order to keep below the weight limit, the original microlights were of a tubular construction, with canvass wings under which hung a 'trike' in which one or two pilots sit, controlling the aircraft by holding a bar and moving their weight around. Whilst this type of microlight is still very popular, and may be the type with which the name is still most commonly associated, revolutions in materials science have allowed normal aeroplanes to be constructed which actually weigh less than the limit for microlights. In very recent years, the use of super-strong and light carbon and glass fibre materials have allowed extremely high-performance aeroplanes - such as the Dynamic - to be built within the microlight limits.

The advantages of designing and building such aeroplanes as microlights are numerous, but principally they benefit from a reduced regulatory burden, allowing quicker and lower-cost pilot training and modifications, and use of the simpler (although nevertheless rigorous) Permit to Fly airworthiness regime.

Won't all microlights soon be coming under EASA, with the 450kg weight limit raised?

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has an ongoing consultation into "a concept for better regulation in General Aviation", led by its MDM.032 group. An Advance Notice of Proposed Amendment (ANPA) was published in 2006, followed by a full NPA in 2008.

In short, there are a range of possible outcomes to the EASA activity which may lead to an increase or decrease in regulation or indeed to no change at all. In the event that a higher weight limit were to be proposed, this would require a change to EU law and hence passage through the European Parliament. Overall, it is far from certain that any change will take place and if it does it will certainly take some considerable time to come to fruition. In the meantime, UK microlights remain well regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA), and customers buying a UK factory built microlight can be confident that they are buying a product certified to the highest standards in the world.

What is the safety record of microlights compared to other types of aircraft?

Microlight aircraft are some of the safest aircraft flying in the UK. The fatal accident rate, at around 3 per 100,000 flying hours, is similar to that of General Aviation overall, and considerably better than helicopters.

Modern microlights do enjoy some notable safety benefits over traditional GA aircraft, including more modern engine technology, lower take-off and landing speeds, and much better short-field performance - greatly increasing options in the event of engine failure.

Can I fly the Dynamic on my full JAR or UK PPL?

Yes, in fact the Dynamic can be flown on any UK or JAR aeroplane licence. For PPL (and CPL and ATPL) holders it is required that (i) a valid Single-Engine Piston (SEP) rating is held and (ii) differences training has been carried out on any microlight type, and recorded in the pilot's logbook.

I can't count hours on the Dynamic towards keeping my PPL current on Dynamic, can I?

Flying time on microlights indeed can't be counted towards the 12 hours per 24 months for maintaining a JAR or UK CAA PPL, however in reality this has little consequence for a pilots flying the Dynamic on their PPLs.

In order to revalidate their PPL, a pilot flying the Dynamic only needs to carry out a skills test with an examiner every 2 years. Given the requirement to fly with an instructor every 2 years anyway as part of the currency requirement, the additional requirement to fly with an examiner and carry out a test is of little significance. As the Dynamic is a real aeroplane which actually cruises faster than most GA types, a current Dynamic pilot will have no difficulty in successfully completing the skills test.

YLAC MD Nick Marley flies the Dynamic on his old UK CAA PPL(A); his last revalidation skills test took 50 minutes flying time, and 2.5 hours overall (including driving to and from the airfield) - which maintains his PPL validity for 2 more years. This corresponds to only 1 hour 15 minutes per year - hardly a significant encumbrance.

I am an airline pilot, do hours flown on the Dynamic count against my annual flight time limit?

No, flying in an aircraft with a Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) of less than 1,800kg for non-aerial work purposes is not considered as reckonable flying time within the meaning of commercial pilot's flight time limitations

What does the Dynamic cost?

The UK/Ireland variant of the Dynamic is available from (EDIT) �?65,914.89 (EDIT)excluding VAT but including delivery and registration. A wide range of optional extras are also available. For details on the specification, as well as prices of a selection of options, please see our page.

How do I order a Dynamic?

Please contact us.

Is the Dynamic available as a kit?

Due to overwhelmingly greater market demand for the ready-to-fly variant, currently we do not offer the Dynamic as a kit in the UK and Ireland. However, if there was sufficient demand to render it viable, we would consider supplying kits. Please contact us if you are interesting in the kit variant Dynamic.

Which engine is the Dynamic available with?

The Dynamic is available with the 80HP Rotax 912 UL engine as standard, with the 100HP Rotax 912 ULS as an upgrade option. The 100HP variant is fitted with an airbox, ram air and carburettor heat as standard.

Is the Dynamic available as a "Group A"/VLA?

No, the Dynamic is only available as a microlight. Whilst in order to obtain UK Type Approval the Dynamic has been certified to the key Structure and Design and Construction sub-parts of the CS-VLA certification code, the Dynamic has never been certified as a VLA and there are plans to do so.

Is the Dynamic available in the UK/Ireland with retractable undercarriage?

No. Unlike in other European countries, UK/Irish microlight weight limits do not allow for the additional weight of the retractable version of the Dynamic.

In addition, retractable undercarriage significantly increases the complexity - and therefore the insurance premium - of an aircraft, whilst conferring surprisingly little benefit in terms of greater cruise speed. For these and other reasons, all Cirrus, Diamond, Colombia and Cessna single-engined piston aircraft have fixed undercarriage.

As the Dynamic doesn't have a Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A), does this mean that I can't take it abroad?

No. The system of Certificates of Airworthiness was set up under the terms of the Chicago Convention in 1944 to facilitate the development of international air transport, and remains a system controlled by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to provide an internationally-recognised system for establishing the airworthiness of aircraft.

The Dynamic is issued in the UK and Ireland with a Permit to Fly. Whilst this doesn't confer the same quasi-automatic right of entry into another country's airspace as a C of A, in practice UK and Irish Dynamic owners and operators will find little difficulty in visiting other countries. Our nearest neighbour France unilaterally offers automatic access to microlights, as do many other countries. Those that don't will normally grant entry to UK and Irish aircraft on completion of a simple administrative procedure.

UK microlights have been taken to countries all around the world, from Greenland to Namibia, and international travel is particularly rewarding for owners of such a fast, comfortable and economical machine as the Dynamic.

Does the Dynamic have UK Type Approval/Certification?

Yes. The Dynamic received UK Type Approval on 2nd March 2007 after a 4-year certification process. Please visit our page to view a copy of the Dynamic's Airworthiness Approval Note (AAN) or Type Approval Data Sheet (TADS).

Where is the Dynamic manufactured?

The UK/Irish version of the Dynamic is manufactured in Slovakia under sub-contract with the original manufacturer, Aerospool s.r.o. The Yeoman Light Aircraft Company Limited is the Type Approval holder and oversees the entire design and production process, as is required by UK/Irish legislation and as to ensure the highest levels of quality control. For more information on Aerospool, please read our Aerospool pages.

Can I fly the Dynamic in bad weather, or at night? How much can I expect really to be able to use it given the weather in the UK and Ireland?

Whilst, as for any aeroplane, care must be taken in turbulent and windy conditions, it is both lawful and safe to fly the Dynamic in sight of the ground when visibility is at least 3km. Night flying is currently unlawful for all microlight aircraft, although this may change in the future. Flying in cloud or very poor visibility (in 'Instrument Meteorological Conditions' or 'IMC'), as well as flying in known icing conditions, is also not allowed.

Practically speaking, UK and Irish customers can expect to be able to fly their aeroplanes with little limitation. We know of one microlight pilot in Ireland who, even in the windy Irish winter, is only very rarely unable to fly. With proper planning and equipment, appropriate training and experience, and knowledge of the limitations of the aeroplane, Dynamic pilots will not find undue weather-imposed restriction to their flying.

Can the Dynamic be fitted with a BRS/rescue parachute?

All UK/Irish Dynamics are fitted with the fuselage preparation - essentially, embedding of steel cables - for the parachute recovery system, as standard.

Currently, unlike in most other European countries, in the UK and Ireland there is no weight allowance for microlights to accommodate the installation of a parachute recovery system. Thus, whilst it is possible to install a rescue system, there is currently no regulatory provision for it.

However, the establishment of an additional 5% on the Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) for the fitting of parachute recovery systems was recently enshrined in EU legislation, and this is being reflected in the current revision of the British Civil Airworthiness Requirements (BCAR) Section S.

In short, it may in due course become possible to fit parachute rescue systems to UK/Irish Dynamics. More information will be made available as and when we have it.

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