Typical instructor', mutters Steve as I close the throttle at 1500 feet a mile from Draycott Farm and invite him to PFL our Streak Shadow on to the airstrip. We are on our way back from Cranfield '98 and it's been a cracking flying day with just a hint of haze reducing the visibility but otherwise 'epic' with lightish winds and not much cloud. He hasn't completely lost his touch since he's been flying blocks of flats around the sky, and sprints over the threshold at 85 knots, floating the Streak halfway down the strip to drop full flap at 55 knots and touch down gently on the upslope section of the 2000 foot grass runway. 'Not bad for a bloke with no hair', I think to myself, but I'm not going to tell him. It might encourage him. It's the end of another Cranfield Rally and another excellent day's flying

It's now two and a half years and nearly 500 flying hours since Streak Shadow G-MEOW first took to the air on New Year's Day 1994. During that time it's traveled fairly widely throughout England and Wales, with longer trips seriously thought about but on hold until young families grow older. G-MEOW, so registered to give the aircraft something of an identity, (but mostly because Tim's wife happens to be a cat lover), is owned by Steve Hicks and Tim Nicholas. Steve is a First Officer on 747s, where the long haul routine proved well suited to providing time at home to build the Streak from its kit basis, although that's not necessarily quite how his wife and three children saw it. Before joining the airlines Steve flew Jaguars and then Harriers with the Air Force and just in case he lost touch with aviation, did a bit of aeromodelling in his spare time, a skill that was to prove useful when building the Streak. Tim is an ex Navy pilot, now working for a company at RAF Shawbury where he is employed in a newly set up contract teaching military pilots to fly helicopters. Both Tim and Steve have been involved with popular flying since the seventies and have had a go at just about everything from conventional gliding through the early days of hang gliding and microlighting to paragliding and now Group A flying. To date, the line has been drawn firmly at parachuting.

In that period many days waiting for the right conditions to then enjoy about ten seconds of fun was the norm, and it eventually became evident that something with power and reasonable performance and weather capability was the only way to go. Steve, needless to say, wanted a Harrier substitute, (though preferably without the running costs). Any aircraft would do provided he could have his head an inch from the canopy (on both sides) and only enough room in the cockpit for a neatly folded map and a small pencil. Tim, being used to a side by side cockpit arrangement wasn't quite so particular, but after looking at and test flying a number of possibilities in the relevant price range, it was clear that only the Shadow series had the performance and track record they were looking for. The kit was purchased in 1991 and a mere two and a half years and sixteen hundred build hours later was ready for flight. Without going into lengthy details on the construction it should be said that Steve's build technique was perfectionist in every way, a fact which paid dividends at Cranfield '94 when his meticulous workmanship earned him Best Kit Built Aircraft and runner-up in the Concours D'Elegance. It should be added that virtually throughout the build period Tim had been conveniently appointed to an exchange job flying helicopters in Australia, leaving Steve exclusively in charge of the build. However, even those distances didn't stop him spending Tim's money.

Finally, on an ideal cold and clear test day on the 1st of January 1994, G-MEOW completed a successful and thankfully uneventful maiden flight. Since then, things haven t really looked back and the aircraft has been used at a rate of some 100 hours a year. G-MEOW is based either at Draycott Farm near Swindon, close to Steve's home or at RAF Shawbury where at present it is the only resident operational fixed wing aircraft.

So what makes the Streak fun? I believe there are three criteria you need to make an aircraft fun. It must have two seats (minimum), a reasonable performance and be relatively cheap to operate (cheap being a very relative term in connection with aviation). The running costs to date have worked out at about £30 an hour of which fuel and oil account for about £10, the rest being insurance and maintenance.

By aviation standards these costs are not too bad and do make it possible to fly for the pure fun of it. Certainly, not having to worry about whether you can afford to get airborne is a big plus.

Nearly one hundred different passengers have now flown in G-MEOW and without doubt sharing the fun of flying has made it a lot more enjoyable for both of us, whether taking someone on an airfield visit, or just showing a friend round the local area. So far, the youngest passenger has been four years old and the oldest seventy-four. For one sixty-eight year old it was her first ever flight in any type of aeroplane. Needless to say, she loved it. Touch wood, so far there have been no unhappy passengers nor any air sickness. That must be down to Steve and Tim's smooth and balanced flying... or maybe it's just a good aeroplane to be a passenger in.

Finally, the performance aspect. With some of the hot and hazy days we've had this summer, there's nothing better than climbing up into the cool, clear, smooth air above the haze to get away from the polluted stickiness below, especially if there are a few fluffy cumulus tops pushing through the inversion to go and play with. (Maintaining VFR of course)! As so many passengers have commented it is genuinely 'another world' up there. The good thing about the Streak is that it doesn't take too long to get up there. Full power gives a rate of climb approaching 1000 feet per minute, so 15 minutes to 10,000 feet is quite feasible even without maximum power. 'You go up to 10,000 in that', ask incredulous colleagues. 'Why not', I say. So far I've only managed to get the outside air temperature down to minus 13degC, though even that's a problem as breathing tends to produce instant freezing on the inside of the canopy. Height climbs aren't the only thing to do just because it can be done. The Streak really comes into its own with its slow speed performance, making it ideal for short farm strips, provided that they are smooth and well prepared to cater for the aircraft's small wheels and limited propeller clearance. It's quite possible it hold the stick fully back against the airframe stop and with a little power the aircraft will hold straight and level at around 40 knots. Even with power off it won't stall. Ideal for a helicopter pilot, and very nice to know in case you ever get caught out in poor visibility and need to bring the speed back.

At the other end of the scale, G-MEOW can just about reach 90 knots flat out straight and level, but 65 is a realistic cruise speed and although at times it would be nice to go faster generally its very pleasant just to potter along and enjoy the view. Having obtained a display authorization, Tim demonstrated the Streak at RAF Shawbury's annual Families Day and impressed many with its maneuverability and performance for a so-called 'microlight'.

It can't be all good so what are the drawbacks. Well, it is small. Two people, a map and a toothbrush is about the maximum for the aircraft,(although a toothbrush each can be squeezed in at a pinch). It's not particularly quick, despite the name and the fact that various people have flown to Australia, China etc, and it is limited to reasonably well prepared landing surfaces. But for all that, its good value for money and for an aircraft that's only a short development from the microlight version it does a lot. For my money,(and most of it was), it's excellent value and I believe the best in its class. At the end of the day, it's got a stick instead of a steering wheel, responsive controls and good performance. I only had to look at the smile on the Hungarian Mig pilots face as he sat in the Streak at Cranfield this year to see that the aircraft is obviously a closet jet jockey's dream. I mean, who'd buy an aircraft with a steering wheel instead of a stick and expect to enjoy it...