PART 103 -- ULTRALIGHT VEHICLES
Subpart A -- General
103.1 Applicability.
103.3 Inspection
requirements.
103.5 Waivers.
103.7 Certification
and registration.
Subpart B -- Operating Rules
103.9 Hazardous
operations.
103.11 Daylight
operations.
103.13 Operation
near aircraft; right-of-way rules.
103.15 Operations
over congested areas.
103.17 Operations
in certain airspace.
103.19 Operations
in prohibited or restricted areas.
103.20 Flight
restrictions in the proximity of certain areas designated by notice to
airmen.
103.21 Visual
reference with the surface.
103.23 Flight
visibility and cloud clearance requirements.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g),
40103-40104, 40113, 44701.
Source: Docket No. 21631,
47 FR 38776, Sept. 2, 1982, unless otherwise noted.
Subpart A -- General
§103.1 Applicability.
This part prescribes rules
governing the operation of ultralight vehicles in the United States. For
the purposes of this part, an ultralight vehicle is a vehicle that:
(a) Is used or intended to
be used for manned operation in the air by a single occupant;
(b) Is used or intended to
be used for recreation or sport purposes only;
(c) Does not have any U.S.
or foreign airworthiness certificate; and
(d) If unpowered, weighs less
than 155 pounds; or
(e) If powered:
(1) Weighs less than 254 pounds
empty weight, excluding floats and safety devices which are intended for
deployment in a potentially catastrophic situation;
(2) Has a fuel capacity not
exceeding 5 U.S. gallons;
(3) Is not capable of more
than 55 knots calibrated airspeed at full power in level flight; and
(4) Has a power-off stall
speed which does not exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed.
§103.3 Inspection
requirements.
(a) Any person operating an
ultralight vehicle under this part shall, upon request, allow the Administrator,
or his designee, to inspect the vehicle to determine the applicability
of this part.
(b) The pilot or operator
of an ultralight vehicle must, upon request of the Administrator, furnish
satisfactory evidence that the vehicle is subject only to the provisions
of this part.
§103.5 Waivers.
No person may conduct operations
that require a deviation from this part except under a written waiver issued
by the Administrator.
§103.7 Certification
and registration.
(a) Notwithstanding any other
section pertaining to certification of aircraft or their parts or equipment,
ultralight vehicles and their component parts and equipment are not required
to meet the airworthiness certification standards specified for aircraft
or to have certificates of airworthiness.
(b) Notwithstanding any other
section pertaining to airman certification, operators of ultralight vehicles
are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience
requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman or medical certificates.
(c) Notwithstanding any other
section pertaining to registration and marking of aircraft, ultralight
vehicles are not required to be registered or to bear markings of any type.
Subpart B -- Operating Rules
§103.9 Hazardous
operations.
(a) No person may operate
any ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a hazard to other persons
or property.
(b) No person may allow an
object to be dropped from an ultralight vehicle if such action creates
a hazard to other persons or property.
§103.11 Daylight
operations.
(a) No person may operate
an ultralight vehicle except between the hours of sunrise and sunset.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph
(a) of this section, ultralight vehicles may be operated during the twilight
periods 30 minutes before official sunrise and 30 minutes after official
sunset or, in Alaska, during the period of civil twilight as defined in
the Air Almanac, if:
(1) The vehicle is equipped
with an operating anticollision light visible for at least 3 statute miles;
and
(2) All operations are conducted
in uncontrolled airspace.
§103.13 Operation
near aircraft; right-of-way rules.
(a) Each person operating
an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft
and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.
(b) No person may operate
an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with
respect to any aircraft.
(c) Powered ultralights shall
yield the right-of-way to unpowered ultralights.
§103.15 Operations
over congested areas.
No person may operate an ultralight
vehicle over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over
any open air assembly of persons.
103.17 Operations
in certain airspace.
No person may operate an ultralight
vehicle within Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within
the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated
for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from the ATC
facility having jurisdiction over that airspace.
[Amdt. 103-17, 56 FR 65662,
Dec. 17, 1991]
§103.19 Operations
in prohibited or restricted areas.
No person may operate an ultralight
vehicle in prohibited or restricted areas unless that person has permission
from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
§103.20 Flight
restrictions in the proximity of certain areas designated by notice to
airmen.
No person may operate an ultralight
vehicle in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under §91.137, §91.138,
§91.141, §91.143 or §91.145 of this chapter, unless authorized
by:
(a) Air Traffic Control (ATC);
or
(b) A Flight Standards Certificate
of Waiver or Authorization issued for the demonstration or event.
[Doc. No. FAA-2000-8274, 66
FR 47378, Sept. 11, 2001]
§103.21 Visual
reference with the surface.
No person may operate an ultralight
vehicle except by visual reference with the surface.
§103.23 Flight
visibility and cloud clearance requirements.
No person may operate an ultralight
vehicle when the flight visibility or distance from clouds is less than
that in the table found below. All operations in Class A, Class B, Class
C, and Class D airspace or Class E airspace designated for an airport must
receive prior ATC authorization as required in §103.17 of this part.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distance from
Airspace
Flight visibility clouds
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A.........................
Not applicable.... Not Applicable.
Class B.........................
3 statute miles... Clear of Clouds.
Class C.........................
3 statute miles... 500 feet below.
1,000 feet above.
2,000 feet
horizontal.
Class D.........................
3 statute miles... 500 feet below.
1,000 feet above.
2,000 feet
horizontal.
Class E:
Less than 10,000 feet
MSL..... 3 statute miles... 500 feet below.
1,000 feet above.
2,000 feet
horizontal.
At or above 10,000
feet MSL... 5 statute miles... 1,000 feet below.
1,000 feet above.
1 statute mile
horizontal.
Class G:
1,200 feet or less
above the 1 statute mile.... Clear of clouds.
surface (regardless
of MSL
altitude).
More than 1,200 feet
above the 1 statute mile.... 500 feet below.
surface but less
than 10,000
1,000 feet above.
feet MSL.
2,000 feet
horizontal.
More than 1,200 feet
above the 5 statute miles... 1,000 feet below.
surface and at
or above
1,000 feet above.
10,000 feet MSL.
1 statute mile
horizontal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Amdt. 103-17, 56 FR 65662,
Dec. 17, 1991]