Authority: Secs. 307, 313(a), 601(a), 602, and 603, Federal Aviation
Act of1958 (49 U.S.C. 1348, 1354(a), 1421(a), 1422, and 1423); sec. 6(c),
Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1655(c). Source: Docket No.
21631, 47 FR 38776, Sept. 2, 1982, unless otherwise noted.
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.
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. [103.20 was amended 9/11/01 as per Federal Register page 66 FR 47378]
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.
See also the
Chapter 9: Airspace
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.
|
Airspace
|
Flight Visibility
|
Distance From 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.
|
|
Class E - 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 surface (regardless of MSL altitude)
|
1 statute mile
|
Clear of clouds.
|
|
Class G - More than 1,200 feet above the surface but less than 10,000 feet MSL
|
1 statute mile
|
- 500 feet below.
- 1,000 feet above.
- 2,000 feet horizontal.
|
|
Class G - More than 1,200 feet above the surface and at or above 10,000 feet MSL
|
5 statute mile
|
- 1,000 feet below.
- 1,000 feet above.
- 1 statute mile horizontal.
|
