If You Want To See Ultralights At Their Best, EAA AirVenture Is The Place To Be

It’s day number four at EAA AirVenture 2016 and the ANN crew has finally had some time to hang out at the ultralight strip on the south end of the airport. Ultralights take to the air in all shapes and sizes in the early morning and in the evening after the airshow. Some are fixed wing airplanes, but there are also gliders, powered parachutes, rotorcraft, weight shift aircraft, and even hot air balloons.

While the ultralight movement got its real start in the early 1980s with the advent of FAR 103, there still seem to be lots of folks that don’t really understand what they are and how they are regulated. The neat thing about flying ultralights is that FAR 103 pretty much says that if you follow the basic guidelines, you’re on your own to have fun.

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, are used in other countries, but their regulations are significantly different from those in the U.S.

It can get confusing because 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, and 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 UAV (drone) weighs more than about ½ pound, it must be FAA registered and, under the new FAR 107, non-hobbyist drone operations require the drone operator to be a certificated drone operator or a licensed pilot. A true ultralight requires no certification or registration, and no pilot certification of any kind is required for the operator. Go figure!

(Image of an ultralight from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov  www.eaa.org