20 November 2014
For the first time under a new authorisation system, a microlight manufacturer has been given design, production and flight test approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The move will allow the Light Aircraft Company (TLAC) to sell its aircraft as finished ‘factory-built’ types – previously, the company, based at Little Snoring airfield in Norfolk, could only sell its products as amateur-build kits.
The CAA said that the TLAC approval is the latest element in CAA’s wider GA Programme, which it aims to help create a more vibrant GA sector within the UK.
Mark Shortman, from the CAA’s GA Unit, said: “This is the first approval of its kind to be assessed using a more pragmatic and proportionate interpretation of the microlight company approval requirements which we hope to develop further with the manufacturing community in due course. I’m also pleased with our ongoing collaboration with the British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA), who assisted us in reviewing this application as part of a project to assess the viability of the BMAA obtaining delegation from the CAA to oversee the manufacturers on our behalf.”
Speaking of their new approval, Paul Hendry-Smith, Chief Executive said, ”This approval presents new opportunities for my company in being able to supply complete ready-to-fly microlights to customers who, for whatever reason, do not want to build their own but previously did not have the option of buying a factory-built machine from TLAC.”
The certificates of approval will be presented to TLAC at the Flying Show at Telford this coming weekend.
<a href=’http://www.g-tlac.com/’ target=’_blank’>www.g-tlac.com/</a>
