21 March 2007
A number of gliders in the UK could become illegal at the end of next week, the CAA has warned.
From 29 March 2007 UK gliders will have to comply with European airworthiness regulations. (When the EASA was established in 2003 its airworthiness regulations stated that gliders would need EASA Certificates of Airworthiness (CofA) by 29 March 2007 to continue to fly legally.) The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Department for Transport (DfT) and British Gliding Association (BGA) have agreed a plan of action to transfer these aircraft into the new regulatory regime. However, there are a small number of gliders whose owners need to take further action to comply with the changes.
The CAA believes that there are about 20 such gliders. “Unless the owners of these gliders either comply with the new regulations, or obtain a certificate of airworthiness from the BGA, they cannot legally fly their aircraft. The owners of any such aircraft should contact the CAA for advice as soon as possible.”
When the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was established in 2003 its airworthiness regulations stated that gliders would need EASA Certificates of Airworthiness (CofA) by 29 March 2007 to continue to fly legally.
The CAA says that it has put in place arrangements, or has established, that gliders which have:
– certificates of airworthiness issued by the CAA; or
– BGA Certificates of Airworthiness; or
– approvals to fly granted by the Air Cadet Organisation of the Ministry of Defence
can continue to fly during the transition to European rules, which will end in September 2008.
The new EASA regulations do not apply to foot-launched aircraft such as hang gliders and paragliders.
