Ultralight aviation (called Microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailerons, elevator and rudder, calling the former "Microlight" and the latter "ultralight".
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mostly stimulated by the hang gliding movement, many people sought affordable powered flight. As a result, many aviation authorities set up definitions of lightweight, slow-flying aeroplanes that could be subject to minimum regulations. The resulting aeroplanes are commonly called "ultralight aircraft" or "Microlights", although the weight and speed limits differ from country to country. In Europe, the sporting (FAI) definition limits the maximum stalling speed to and the maximum take-off weight to , or if a ballistic parachute is installed. The definition means that the aircraft has a slow landing speed and short landing roll in the event of an engine failure.Boric, Marino, Spoilt For Choice, Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al (editors): World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 10. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011.
In most affluent countries, Microlights or ultralight aircraft account for a significant percentage of the global civilian-owned aircraft. For instance, in Canada in February 2018, the ultralight aircraft fleet made up to 20.4% of the total civilian aircraft registered. In other countries that do not register ultralight aircraft, like the United States, their proportion of the total fleet is unknown. In countries where there is no specific extra regulation, ultralights are considered regular aircraft and subject to certification requirements for both aircraft and pilot.
Definitions
+ Definitions of ultralight aircraft Country Type Capacity Time Licence Other conditionsAustralia Recreational AircraftAn overview of the legislative framework enabling sport and recreational aviation Accessed 7 January 20122; for seaplanes———Light Sport Aircraft2; for seaplanes———BrazilUltralight2Daylight visual conditions—Used mainly (or intended for) sports or recreationCanadabasic ultra-light aeroplane2Daylight visual conditionsUltralight Pilot PermitCraft may be operated from land or wateradvanced ultra-light aeroplane2Daylight visual conditionsUltralight Pilot PermitCraft may only carry a passenger if the pilot has an Ultralight Aeroplane Passenger Carrying Rating; may operate at a controlled airport without prior arrangementEuropeJoint Aviation Authorities (1 November 2004), JAR 1, , retrieved 7 February 2015land plane/helicopter, single-seater1300 kgDaylight VFRUltralight Pilot PermitSport or recreation onlyland plane/helicopter, two-seater2Daylight VFRUltralight Pilot PermitSport or recreation onlyamphibian or floatplane/helicopter single-seater2Daylight VFRUltralight Pilot Permitwhere operating both as a floatplane/helicopter and as a land plane/ helicopter, it falls below both MTOW limits, as appropriateland plane, two-seater equipped with an airframe mounted total recovery parachute system2Daylight VFRUltralight Pilot PermitSport or recreational use onlyland plane single-seater equipped with an airframe mounted total recovery parachute system1Daylight VFRUltralight Pilot PermitSport or recreational use onlygyroplane1–2Daylight VFRUltralight Pilot PermitSport or recreational onlyIndia—2 without parachute—current permit to fly—Italyultraleggero1–2Max Take Off Weight MTOW 2 persons, ( without parachute)
Hydroplanes, Single, Hydroplane single,
Stall speed Daylight, minimum of .certificate exam, insurance and a medical examination.Requires a helmet only for open cockpit aircraft. Flying over populated areas and assemblies of people are prohibited.JapanUltra light power machine
(undefined in Civil Aeronautics Act)1–2Max empty weight: (1 seat) (2 seats), with extra weight allowed for emergency parachute up to and for floats up to Daylight visual conditionsMinister's permission carried on board for each year instead of licence Passengers also need permission.Sports or recreational use only Other minister's permissions:
flight permission (for each 2 – 4 months) Permission of land owner for landing and for take off
Flyable area: uncontrolled airspace over unpopulated areas, within from departure point and landing at another point forbidden.
Aircraft:
powered, non-certified, propeller aircraft, including autogyro, with landing gear Minimum required equipment: airspeed indicator and altimeter Maximum stall speed: Minimum wing area: 2 Maximum speed: Maximum fuel capacity: New ZealandNZ Class 11Single seat , for seaplanes; Stall speed .Daytime VFRMicrolight Licence requiredPart 103 Microlight Aircraft Operating Rules, Part 103 advisory circularsNZ Class 222 Seats , for seaplanes; Stall speed Daytime VFR Microlight Licence requiredPart 103 Microlight Aircraft Operating Rules, Part 103 advisory circularsPhilippinesnon-type certified aircraftAngeles City Flying Club , Excerpt from part 11 of the Civil Aviation Regulations.Civil Aviation Authority Philippines , download page for all regulations.——Daytime VFR—recreational and sport useUnited KingdomSub- Unregulated, Single seat deregulated, 2-seat regulated.1–2Several definitions, from 70 kg with full fuel to maximum weight at take-offDaytime VFRLicence not required for Sub-70 kg, NPPL licence required otherwiseBritish Microlight Aircraft Association. "". Retrieved 24 July 2015British Microlight Aircraft Association. "Licensed Flying, so you want to be a pilot? ". Retrieved 24 July 2015Recreational. No paid work.United Statesultralight aircraft1Empty weight of less than Daylight hoursno license requiredless than fuel capacity, empty weight of less than 254 pounds, a top speed of , and a maximum stall speed not exceeding (). May only be flown over uncongested areas.light-sport aircraft2; for seaplanes.Daytime VFRsport pilot certificateMax. Speed (CAS) in Level Flight Max. Stall Speed
Must have fixed landing gear, and a single engine with fixed pitch propeller.
Australia In Australia, ultralight aircraft and their pilots can either be registered with the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA) or Recreational Aviation Australia (RA Aus). In all cases, except for privately built single seat ultralight aeroplanes, microlight aircraft or trikes are regulated by the Civil Aviation Regulations.
Canada
United Kingdom Pilots of a powered, fixed wing aircraft or paramotors do not need a licence, provided its weight with a full fuel tank is not more than , but they must obey the rules of the air.
For heavier microlights the current UK regulations are similar to the European ones, but helicopters and gyroplanes are not included.British Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft Types
Other than the very earliest aircraft, all two-seat UK microlights (and until 2007 all single-seaters) have been required to meet an airworthiness standard; BCAR Section S.CAP 482 British Civil Airworthiness Requirements Section S - Small Light Aeroplanes, , retrieved 8 December 2020 In 2007, Single Seat DeRegulated (SSDR), a sub-category of single seat aircraft was introduced, allowing owners more freedom for modification and experiments. By 2017 the airworthiness of all single seat microlights became solely the responsibility of the user, but pilots must hold a microlight licence; currently NPPL(M) (National Private Pilots Licence).
New Zealand Ultralights in New Zealand are subject to NZCAA General Aviation regulationsCivil Aviation Rules, Accessed 1 October 2022 with microlight specific variations as described in Part 103Part 103 - Microlight Aircraft - Operating Rules, Accessed 01 October 2022 and AC103-1.Advisory Circular 103, , Accessed 7 October 2021
United States
The United States FAA's definition of an ultralight is significantly different from that in most other countries and can lead to some confusion when discussing the topic. The governing regulation in the United States is FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles. In 2004, the FAA introduced the "Light-sport aircraft" category, which resembles some other countries' microlight categories. Ultralight aviation is represented by the United States Ultralight Association (USUA), which acts as the US aeroclub representative to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Types There are several categories of aircraft which qualify as ultralights in some countries: Fixed-wing aircraft: traditional airplane-style designs. Weight-shift control trike: use a hang glider-style wing, below which is suspended a three-wheeled carriage which carries the engine and aviators. These aircraft are controlled by pushing against a horizontal control bar in roughly the same way as a hang glider pilot flies. Powered parachute: fuselage-mounted engines with parafoil wings, which are wheeled aircraft. Powered paraglider: backpack engines with parafoil wings, which are foot-launched. Powered hang glider: motorized foot-launched hang glider harness. Autogyro: rotary wing with fuselage-mounted engine, a gyrocopter is different from a helicopter in that the rotating wing is not powered, the engine provides forward thrust and the airflow through the rotary blades causes them to autorotate or "spin up" thereby creating lift. Helicopter: there are a number of single-seat and two-place helicopters which fall under the microlight categories in countries such as New Zealand. However, few helicopter designs fall within the more restrictive ultralight category defined in the United States of America. Hot air balloon: there are numerous ultralight hot air balloons in the US, and several more have been built and flown in France and Australia in recent years. Some ultralight hot air balloons are hopper balloons, while others are regular hot air balloons that carry passengers in a basket.
Electric Advancements in batteries, motors, and motor controllers has led to some practical production electric propulsion systems for some ultralight applications. In many ways, ultralights are a good application for electric power as some models are capable of flying with low power, which allows longer duration flights on battery power.
In 2007, the first pioneering company in this field, the Electric Aircraft Corporation, began offering engine kits to convert ultralight weight shift trikes to electric power. The 18 hp motor weighs and an efficiency of 90% is claimed by designer Randall Fishman. The battery consists of a lithium-polymer battery pack of 5.6 kWh which provides 1.5 hours of flying in the trike application. The company claimed a flight recharge cost of 60 cents in 2007.
A significant obstacle to the adoption of electric propulsion for ultralights in the U.S. is the weight of the battery, which is considered part of the empty weight of the aircraft despite efforts to have it considered as fuel. As the specific energy of batteries improves, lighter batteries can be used.
See also Aerosport (airshow) Backpack helicopter Jetpack Nanolight Experimental Aircraft Association Recreational Aviation Australia United States Ultralight Association United States Powered Paragliding Association Volksflugzeug
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