Definitions - a Discussion

There are two main types of microlight / ultralight; the 3-axis (or fixed wing) type which are similar in appearance to a conventional aeroplane and the flexwing type which consists of a delta or parachute type wing similar to that of a hang glider or paraglider with a 'tricycle undercarriage' unit suspended underneath it. The latter is also sometimes referred to as a Paramotor or Powered Paraglider (PPG). This type of microlight is controlled either by weight shift or by means of a paraglider control system. Most unpowered microlights are foot paragliders and hang gliders anf are foot launched. Now that there is no longer necessarily any obvious visually-detectable difference between 'conventional' small / light aircraft and 'very small' Microlight or Ultralight 3-axis aircraft, the term 'small manned aircraft' is often used whilst having no universally-accepted definition. However, this term is not analogous to the similar term Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) where regulatory agencies have begun to apply weight definitions to the term.