Solent Lights Sports Flights

A warm welcome awaits at Lower Upham airfield from pilots and members alike when you arrive for your flying lessons near Southampton! This is a fabulous corner of the country to take a flight, combining the countryside and coastline around the Solent, with all the vibrancy and bustle of Portsmouth - and all as seen from the air!

These fun flying lessons take off from Lower Upham, a small private General Aviation aerodrome adjacent to the village of the same name. It's just north east of Southampton and Eastleigh, so within minutes you'll be flying over the Solent and out towards the English Channel.

All flights are in modern light sport aircraft, namely the Ikarus C42. This renowned and much-loved high-wing aircraft is fully enclosed and boasts superb range, performance and stable handling too. In amongst the classic aircraft and helicopters that are hangared here at Lower Upham, the Ikarus is a firm favourite, especially as it's so agile and quiet.

For your lesson, there will be a ground briefing and you'll be introduced to your pilot instructor who will be taking you into the skies around Southampton and beyond. As soon as take off has been deftly handled by your pilot and you're in straight and level flight, it's over to you (if you want to) to have a go at flying the Ikarus to learn some basic aviator skills.

If you're on the 30 minute lesson, your flight path will head along the Solent and over Portsmouth, taking in the Spinnaker Tower at Gunwarf Quays and HMNB Portsmouth, the Royal Navy's largest dockyard. When you spend 60 minutes in the Ikarus, your flight will take you over the chalk stack Needles that look simply stunning from the high-level cockpit view. And you might circle around the Isle of Wight too.

On a land away experience it's your outward flight, a landing at another local airfield, time for cuppa and chat, another take off and the return flight back to base at Lower Upham Airfield. Whichever flying lesson duration you choose, its superb scenery in and around Southamptonand top notch tuition all the way!