CAA consultation considers moving light aircraft designs
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has today launched a consultation to seek views on a proposal to move new designs of light aircraft weighing between 450kg and 600kg from pan-European certification, under the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to national CAA regulations.
Above:
CAA Gatwick offices.
Copyright CAA
European regulations allow national regulators the ability to choose to extend their oversight to include these aircraft.
The proposal includes the views of a working group of general aviation stakeholders brought together to advise the CAA.
The consultation states that opting out may introduce greater flexibility for certifying sub-600kg aeroplanes, helicopters and sailplanes and bring them into more direct and potentially more proportionate national oversight.
However, it also points out that national certification removes the common standards and mutual recognition that EASA aircraft have. It states that EASA’s own oversight of aircraft intended for sport and recreational use is likely to become more proportionate due to EASA introducing new proposals in 2020.
The consultation summarises the key changes proposed and their implications from an airworthiness, flight crew licensing and operational perspective.
This consultation closes on Friday 29 November 2019 and is available at https://consultations.caa.co.uk and https://consultations.caa.co.uk/ga/450-600kg-regulation
The proposals support the CAA’s aim, via its General Aviation Unit, to radically improve the regulation of the General Aviation (GA) sector in the UK.