Ultralight aircraft

Rules amending the Rules on ultralight aircraft

The amendment to the Rules on ultralight aircraft introduces a different regulation for ultralight aircraft up toand including 120 kg (devices with basic weight of the empty device not exceeding 120 kg). Due to thesimplicity of the device and its potential impact on the environment, such devices are subject to simplified(milder) requirements which make it easier for the owner to use such a device. Similar regulation exists inneighbouring countries, whose devices with foreign registration numbers already fly in Slovenian airspace.

The changes are formed on the basis of the German regulation, where special certification specifications aredesigned for such devices. This category of devices also does not require certification (device type certificate)exclusively from the competent aviation authority, but such type approval for safe flying may also be carried outby an organization accredited for general conformity assessment of products for the European market or‘certification house for general technical goods’, such as SIQ, TUV Slovenia, etc. These organizations arecertified in a similar way to certified organizations in aviation, they have a certified scope of work, are subject toconstant supervision by the competent state authority, etc. Likewise, the type of ‘device up to 120 kg’ is alsoapproved (certified) by the competent aviation authority according to the certification specifications applicableto ultralight aircraft (e.g. motor aircraft up to MTOM 600 kg), which is contained in the proposal of theregulation and considering that so far there are no ‘certification houses’, which would have in their scope ofwork designs for certifying aircraft with an internal combustion engine, nor machines with an internalcombustion engine.
The amendments also include the requirements for pilots of ‘devices up to 120 kg’ as well as some other minorchanges that have proved necessary in the implementation of the current Rules, such as constructionrequirements or certification specifications for those types of devices that do not yet exist in Slovenia,requirements for sufficient fuel, the size of the notification of the use of the device and other changes.