A WORLD microlight and paramotor championships is being held at Popham Airfield this year.

The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) announced that the historic airfield, which is home to the Spitfire Flying Club, is hosting the event until tomorrow.

The BMAA looks after the interests of microlight pilots and enthusiasts in the UK and aims to further the sport of microlight aviation, keep flying costs down to a minimum and represent members in national and international microlight matters.

Pilots and their aircraft arrived at Popham Airfield last week for practice sessions and training flights for the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) World Championships.

An opening ceremony was held on Saturday from 11am, and was followed by the first of the flying competitions at 2pm.

The competition culminates this Saturday when there will be an awards and closing ceremony at 11am.

Each class of microlights and paramotors will fly a series of tasks throughout the week for the contest, depending on the weather conditions.

These include long-distance flying for which pilots cross a start gate and navigate a route through a series of points for 90 minutes; landing tasks which involve engines being switched off at a certain height or gliding to land on a specific target; and taking off with a measured quantity of fuel to fly for as long as possible.