Light Personal Aircraft win Approval

The CAA aims to achieve these goals by establishing three classes of ultralight aeroplanes.

The first category will be privately built single place aeroplanes with an empty weight not exceeding 150 kilograms. These home-built aeroplanes will be covered by CAO 95. 10 and will not be required to meet any airworthiness standards unless subsequently sold to another person. Prior to sale for the first time a CAO 95. 10 aeroplane must pass an airworthiness check conducted by the Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF). All CAO 95. 1O aeroplanes must be registered with the AUF and be flown by pilots holding an AUF pilot certificate. Operations will be limited to the personal transportation of the pilot and some farming uses such as aerial inspection of stock, fencing and farm equipment. Aerial spraying operations will be prohibited. Otherwise the limits on the operation of CAO 95. 1O aeroplanes will be linked to the privileges of the AUF pilot certificate, outlined later in this article.

The second category will be commercially manufactured weight-shift-controlled aeroplanes (also known as trikes or powered hang gliders) and powered parachutes. These aircraft will be covered by CAO 95. 32 and must meet the airworthiness standards of SCAR Section S or a design standard acceptable to the CAA. Owners of weight-shift-controlled aeroplanes will have the choice of registering their aircraft with the AUF or the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA). Powered parachutes must be registered with the AUF. Operations will be limited to the personal transportation of the pilot, some farm uses, flying training for the issue of an AUF or HGFA pilot certificate and, in the case of weight shift controlled aeroplanes, for the aero-towing of hang gliders. Aerial spraying operations will be prohibited. Otherwise, the operating limitations will be linked to the privileges of the AUF or HGFA pilot certificate as outlined later.

The final category will be those commercially manufactured single or two place aeroplanes having a maximum takeoff weight not exceeding 450 kilograms and which meet the airworthiness requirements of CAO 101. 55, these are now commonly referred to as Light Personal Aircraft (LPA). It is this new class of lightweight aeroplanes that the CAA believes will have the greatest impact on the GA and ultralight scene.

Whilst on the subject of CAO 101. 55 this CAO will be amended in the near future to allow for the fitting of engines such as the Rotec, with the proviso that the fitting of such engines may result in some limitations being placed on that particular aeroplane’s certificate of airworthiness. If a CAO 101. 55 aeroplane is fitted with an engine that meets the requirements of CAO 101. 55, FAR 33, JAR E or JAR 22H the owner will have the choice of registering it with the CAA and having a ‘VH’ callsign allocated or alternatively registering it with the AUF and having an AUF registration number allocated.

Should an owner elect to register his aeroplane with the CAA that aeroplane must then be maintained to CAA requirements (in other words all but minor maintenance would have to be carried out by a LAME). An aeroplane fitted with, say, a Rotec engine must be registered with the AUF. All aeroplanes registered with the-AUF must be maintained in accordance with the-AUF maintenance requirements and will not have current CAA certificates of airworthiness.

Suitable two place CAO 101. 55 aeroplanes will be able to be used for flying training for the issue of a pilot certificate by the AUF or for the issue of a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) by the CAA. Where the training tor a PPL is undertaken on a CAO 101. 55 aeroplane the PPL will be endorsed to limit the holder to acting as pilot in command of aeroplanes having a maximum takeoff weight of less than 450 kilograms. If a pilot then wished to fly heavier single engine GA aeroplanes he/she would simply undertake endorsement training with a GA flying school and have the single engine group endorsement placed on his/her licence. Conversely, a current PPL holder will not be able to act as pilot in command of a CAO 101. 55 aeroplane that is registered with the CAA until he/she has undertaken endorsement training with a GA flying school.

So the day is not far off when we will see CAO 101. 55 aeroplanes on the flight lines of GA flying training schools, these aeroplanes will have to be fitted with a type certificated engine, be registered with the CAA and maintained to CAA requirements. CAO 101. 55 aeroplanes used for flight training for an AUF certificate must be registered with the AUF and maintained to AUF requirements.

Pilots holding an AUF certificate will be able to gain credit for hours flown in ČAO 101. 55 aeroplanes for the issue of a PPL.

All CAO 95. 10 and 95. 32 aeroplanes and any CAO 95. 55 aeroplane flown by a person holding only an AUF pilot certificate can be flown below 5,000 feet outside controlled airspace and, when the pilot has been suitably endorsed by the AUF, land or takeoff from licenced country aerodromes. Flying below 500 feet agl will only be permitted over the property of the pilot or someone who has given permission for low flying to take place. Ultralight pilots will be able to fly above 5,000 feet ams! if the height of the terrain is over 4,000 feet amsl provided a strobe light is fitted and Flight Service is notified. AUF pilots who have been approved by the AUF will be able to carry passengers provided no charge is made. Operations in controlled airspace and over populous areas will continue to be prohibited for AUF qualified pilots and all CAO 95. 10 and CAO 95. 32 ultralights, regardless of the pilot’s qualifications.

A CAO 101. 55 LPA aeroplane registered with the CAA and flown by a pilot who holds at least a Private Pilot Licence can be flown above 5000 feet amsl and within controlled airspace (other than a capital city primary control zone) provided the aeroplane is fitted with the appropriate equipment which meets normal airworthiness standards, ie compass, altimeter, VHF radio and, if radar is used for traffic separation and control, a transponder All three classes of ultralight will be limited to day VFR operations only, regardless of the qualifications of the pilot.

The two to three hundred CAO 95. 25 ultralights currently flying will be able to continue operating to the expanded operating privileges as AUF registered aeroplanes.

At the time of writing the new CAOS are in the final stages of preparation and approval by the CAA and it is anticipated that they will come into effect before Christmas.