The team at e-Go aeroplanes is trying to change that with their new microlight, the first of which recently rolled off the production line into the hands of the first customer. Made of lightweight carbon fiber, the e-Go is powered by a compact Wankel rotary engine and sports a removable canard and wings so it can be parked in your garage.

Born out of a competition run by the Light Aircraft Association in 2007, e-Go is built with low-cost flying in mind. Power comes from a 30-hp (22-kW) Wankel rotary engine, which is an adaptation of a Rotron engine designed for work in UAVs. In total, the power plant, which runs on on garage forecourt fuel, weighs 23 kg (51 lb) and boasts a fuel efficiency of 65 mpg (3.6 L/100 km) at a speed of 90 knots (104 mph/167 km/h).

The aircraft's maximum take off weight is 595 lb (270 kg), which is 10 percent less than the UK's limit for single seat deregulated aircraft, with the light weight figure coming thanks to a carbon pre-preg construction. The carbon fiber wings benefit from a foam core, while the aircraft also makes use of machined aluminum and steel for parts like the canopy hinges and undercarriage axles.