A 2-Place Ultralight May Look Good But, In Fact, There Is No Such Thing

A flight instructor, and a sport pilot Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), gave us a call the other day to talk about what he perceives as a lack of understanding between a true ultralight, and what some people call a two place ultralight. Once again, he said that there still seems to be a major misunderstanding about the definition of an ultralight. Okay, here’s a review.

First, it’s important to clarify the term ultralight as it applies to the certification rules for the country it resides in; the definition of the ultralight in this article is for those in the United States. The terms ultralight, or microlight, is used in other countries, but their regulations are significantly different from those in the U.S.

There are airplanes that have the appearance of an ultralight yet they have 2 seats. However, an ultralight may only be a single place vehicle that qualifies under the U.S. FAR 103. For a number of years the FAA used to allow certain 2-place ultralight trainers to be operated under an FAA exemption from certification, but they were never classified as ultralights. This exemption no longer exists.

A lot of the exempted ultralight trainers may still be around, but if they do not hold an FAA airworthiness certificate, and are not registered (meaning they have an N-number), they are not legal to fly.

To be classified as a true ultralight under the U.S. regulations, the vehicle (they are not referred to in the regulations as an aircraft) must meet a specific definition. This definition includes:

• It must be a single occupant vehicle
• It may be used for recreational purposes only
• It may not hold an airworthiness certificate of any kind, from any country
• If powered, the empty weight must be less than 254 pounds (extra weight is allowed for a parachute)
• The fuel capacity may not exceed 5 U.S. gallons
• It may not cruise more than 55 knots with full power
• The power off stall speed may not exceed 24 knots
• The operator of an ultralight does not have to hold any pilot certification

Here’s an added irony, if a drone weighs more than about ½ pound, it must be FAA registered, and some commercial drone operations require the drone operator to be a certificated pilot. A true ultralight requires no certification or registration, and no pilot certificate for the operator.

(Image of an ultralight from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov