http://trikerio. com. br/microlighting (or ultralighting, as it is sometimes called) is the ultimate way to get a bird's-eye view of rio de janeiro -higher than any mountain in the area, and with more longevity (and comfort) than hang-gliding. from here one can see all the sights of rio at once; think a two-hour aerial tour of christ the redeemer, sugarloaf, all the beaches of the south zone, guanabara bay, the famous hillside favelas, the city center, and all of the surrounding natural areas. microlights leave from jacarepaguá airport in barra da tijuca.
at its most basic, a microlight is a hang-glider with an engine. the very first microlight was built in 1908 by french aviator demoiselle de santos dumont, but they did not appear in their current form until the 1970s with the appearance of the structure underneath the wing that supports the pilot and the engine (i. e. the 'trike' configuration). paul gaiser constructed the first microlight in brazil in 1978, when he equipped his glider with a 10-horsepower engine in order to fly above rio de janeiro.
