Two wheels good... It's a deeply odd feeling. You stand on the small platform mounted between two large, low-pressure tyres, grip the handlebars, lean gently forward and, despite no very obvious form of propulsion, you trundle forward. Lean backwards and you stop, then go into reverse. Twist a controller under your left hand and you turn left or right, or even pivot on the spot. This initially feels very weird. It also has the curious side-effect of bringing an idiotic grin to the face of virtually anyone attempting the manoeuvre for the first time.
To prevent novices hurtling into the middle distance on their first attempts (risky here with an active runway close by), an electronic key enables users to limit the HT's speed until they feel proficient.
Visitors to Farnborough may see examples of the HT whizzing round the show site, but most will be corralled beside the BAE Systems' pavilion for demonstrations. It is fair to predict there will be queues. As for this reporter, if he can just sneak one off the site, it's the ideal form of transport for going to the pub of an evening. Or, indeed, for coming back from the pub three hours later…
Source: Flight Daily News
