The Team

The Microlight Aero Team (MAT) was founded in 1990 by Jac Gootjes, former vicechairman of the MLA department of the Royal Dutch Aviation Association.

The team is proud to be the first and only MLA demonstration team in the world. The team has at its disposal, five identical aircraft, which are stationed at "Budel Airport" in The Netherlands.

Before MAT started to give demonstrations, the team members followed an intensive training programme. All pilots and aircraft satisfy the strict conditions as laid down by the government's Aviation Organization. This organization also officially qualified the team to give demonstrations during air shows. All pilots have flown more than 900 hours in microlights, 350 hours of which, were in formation flying.

Given the low weight and airspeed of Microlight aircraft, flying in formation is a very intensive and complex task. Several team members are former Dutch champions in Microlight flying and some have even participated in the world championships. All pilots are amateurs and have busy jobs besides their flying hobby.

The summer period is best suited for Microlight flying. The wintertime is mostly used for aircraft maintenance and to prepare the flying programme for the next season. A ground crew supports the team both during demonstrations, as well as travelling to and from flying events.