Today’s we have a brochure cover that would’ve seemed modern, contemporary when new, but is clearly a product of its time too, with the fonts – the late seventies. It reflects the start of a revolution in aviation, the ultralight.

Over to Fiona Shanahan who suggested the story: “Then it was known as a minimum aircraft (you can understand why), as the sport/ aircraft advanced it became known as ultralight in Australia.
 
“The Mk III Scout was the last model – the commercial operations began in 1976 and by the mid 1980s he stopped making them all together. So it is between those two periods.
 
“The Scout was advertised as the ‘poor man’s aircraft’ at about A$1800, so not cheap at that time, but a lot cheaper than any other aircraft. It was built so it could be disassembled and driven to and from the field on a family car roof. You didn’t need a licence or to register the Scout so it was low cost to operate. The engine was a lawn mower so little fuel consumption. Most people didn’t really get high in them or really fly them. They were well known for people taxiing them. We rebuilt one recently and can only fly it in the early morning/ late afternoon.”

The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney has one in the collection, with floats. Details here.

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.