Location:

Under development
CASR Part 103 – Sport and recreational aviation operations

CASR Part 103 is a major consolidation of the rules applying to people who carry out recreational aviation private flight operations, maintenance, and training for recreational aviation in the following kinds of aircraft:

  • Gliders (including sailplanes, hang gliders, paragliders and powered variants thereof meeting defined criteria);
  • Manned balloons and hot-air airships;
  • Rotorcraft that meet defined criteria and are administered by a recreational aviation administration organisation; and
  • Ultralight aeroplanes (defined by weight and stall speed) that are administered by a recreational aviation administration organisation.

These rules are currently contained in the CAO 95-series of exemptions that relate to activities administered by named administering organisations. The criteria for the establishment and operation of these administering organisations will be contained in the related CASR Part 149.

The rules in Part 103 will form the basis of CASR Part 115, dealing with the requirements for those hire-and-reward operations that may be carried out in these aircraft.

The rules are to be drafted so as to be "simple rules for simple aircraft" and to state in a concise manner what may and may not be done using these aircraft. Operating limitations will be based on the capability of the aircraft, the kind of equipment fitted to it, and the capability of the pilot (and of the sport aviation bodies to train the pilot). Operations will be limited to VFR, with night operations being available only to balloons. (It may be necessary for CASA to continue to issue exemptions for the very rare occasions when it is appropriate to allow other sport aircraft to fly at night.)

This is a new Part that will parallel CASR Parts 42 and 91, and apply to persons flying and maintaining these aircraft by applying appropriate requirements that may be unique to these kinds of aircraft. The rules will be consistent with Part 91 in areas of common coverage and will invoke personnel standards from Parts 61 and 66.

All rules relating to private or recreational use of balloons or gliders will be found in Part 103.

Who Part 103 affects

  • Organisations involved in sport aviation as defined in the Part; and
  • Sport and recreational pilots.

Key proposals

  • Rules are stated as positive requirements rather than exemptions.
  • The Part will incorporate, in its maintenance subpart, standards for the maintenance of sport and recreational aircraft, including reference to maintenance personnel standards, in order to spell out CASA requirements more clearly than at present.

Contact details

Project Leader: Andrew Ward, Flight Operations Standards

Contact: Andrew.Ward@casa.gov.au