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{{Redirect|Ultralight|the style of backpacking|Ultralight backpacking}}{{Short description|Aviation field involving lightweight aircraft}}(File:huntair.pathfinder.arp.jpg|thumb|Huntair Pathfinder Mark 1 ultralight)Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailerons, elevator and rudder, calling the former “microlight” and the latter “ultralight”.During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mostly stimulated by the hang gliding movement, many people sought affordable powered flight. As a result, many aviation authorities set up definitions of lightweight, slow-flying aeroplanes that could be subject to minimum regulations. The resulting aeroplanes are commonly called “ultralight aircraft” or “microlights”, although the weight and speed limits differ from country to country. In Europe, the sporting (FAI) definition limits the maximum stalling speed to {{convert|65|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} and the maximum take-off weight to {{convert|450|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}, or {{convert|472.5|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} if a ballistic parachute is installed. The definition means that the aircraft has a slow landing speed and short landing roll in the event of an engine failure.Boric, Marino, Spoilt For Choice, Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al (editors): World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 10. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}In most affluent countries, microlights or ultralight aircraft now account for a significant percentage of the global civilian-owned aircraft. For instance, in Canada in February 2018, the ultralight aircraft fleet made up to 20.4% of the total civilian aircraft registered.WEB,wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CCARCS-RIACC/smACtRes.aspx?ym=201802, Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Number of Aircraft by Category Result, 20 March 2018, Transport Canada, Transport Canada, February 2018, In other countries that do not register ultralight aircraft, like in the United States, it is unknown what proportion of the total fleet they make up. In countries where there is no specific extra regulation, ultralights are considered regular aircraft and subject to certification requirements for both aircraft and pilot.

Definitions{| class“wikitable“|+ Definitions of ultralight aircraft

! Country !! Type !! Capacity !! {{abbr|MTOW|maximum take-off weight}} !! Time !! Licence !! Other conditions

Australia

Recreational Aviation Australia

An overview of the legislative framework enabling sport and recreational aviation {{Webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223085728flysafe.raa.asn.au/regulations/regulations.html

600

lbs

abbr=on}}; {{convert

kg

0

|—

Light Sport AircraftHTTP://WWW.RAA.ASN.AU/OPERATIONS/LSA_EXPLAINED.HTML	URL-STATUS = DEAD	TITLE = SYNOPSIS: THE LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT CATEGORY	LAST = KIEHN	DATE = 15 JULY 2013,	2	{{convert	kg	0	650	lbs	abbr=on}} for seaplanes	—	—	—

			750	lbs	abbr=on}}	Daylight visual conditions	—	Used mainly (or intended for) sports or recreationHTTP://WWW.ANAC.GOV.BR/BIBLIOTECA/RBHA/RBHA103.PDF>TITLE = RBHA 103A REGULATION, IN PORTUGUESE	URL-STATUS = DEAD	ARCHIVE-DATE = 29 JANUARY 2011,

Canada	basic ultralight aircraft (Canada)	>		1200	kg	abbr=on}}	Daylight visual conditions	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|Craft may be operated from land or water

		1232	kg	abbr=on}}	Daylight visual conditions	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>	Pilot licensing in Canada#Passenger-carrying—ultra-light aeroplane rating>Ultralight Aeroplane Passenger Carrying Rating; may operate at a controlled airport without prior arrangementHTTP://WWW.TC.GC.CA/CIVILAVIATION/REGSERV/AFFAIRS/CARS/PART1/SUBPART1.HTM >TITLE = CANADIAN AVIATION REGULATIONS, PART I - GENERAL PROVISIONS, SUBPART 1 - INTERPRETATION	AUTHOR = TRANSPORT CANADA	ACCESS-DATE =22 MARCH 2009,

EuropeJoint Aviation Authorities (1 November 2004), JAR 1, {{webarchive	www.jaa.nl/publications/jars/500969.pdf >date=26 May 2006 }}, retrieved 7 February 2015	land plane/helicopter, single-seater	1	300 kg	Daylight VFR	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|Sport or recreation only

		450	lbs	abbr=on}}	Daylight VFR	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|Sport or recreation only

		495	lbs	abbr=on}}	Daylight VFR	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|where operating both as a floatplane/helicopter and as a land plane/ helicopter, it falls below both MTOW limits, as appropriate

		472.5	lbs	abbr=on}}	Daylight VFR	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|Sport or recreational use only

		315	lbs	abbr=on}}	Daylight VFR	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|Sport or recreational use only

		560	lbs	abbr=on}}	Daylight VFR	Pilot licensing in Canada#Ultra-light pilot permit	>|Sport or recreational only

			450	lbs	abbr=on}} without parachute	—	current permit to flyHTTP://MICROLIGHT.IN/INDEX_FILES/FAQS.HTML>TITLE = MICROLIGHT/ULTRALIGHT FAQS	LAST = MICROLIGHT AVIATION	ARCHIVE-URL = HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20150105093421/HTTP://MICROLIGHT.IN/INDEX_FILES/FAQS.HTML	|—

|Max Take Off Weight MTOW2 persons, {{convert|472.5|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} ({{convert|450|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} without parachute) Hydroplanes, {{convert|500|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} Single, {{convert|300|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} Hydroplane single, {{convert|330|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} Stall speed {{convert|65|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}}

Daylight, minimum of {{convert

ft

0|abbr=on}}.

certificate exam, insurance and a medical examination.HTTP://WWW.ULM.IT/INFO/LEGGI/LEGGI.HTM>ACCESS-DATE =2 MARCH 2011

LANGUAGE=IT

TITLE=PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 9 JULY 2010, N.133

YEAR = 2011

ARCHIVE-DATE = 22 JULY 2011, live,

|Japan

WEBSITE=WWW.MLIT.GO.JP

DATE=2015-03-20

ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20190128082907/HTTP://WWW.MLIT.GO.JP/COMMON/001087993.PDF

URL-STATUS=DEAD, (undefined in Civil Aeronautics Act)|1–2|Max empty weight: {{convert|180|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} (1 seat) {{convert|225|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} (2 seats), with extra weight allowed for emergency parachute up to {{convert|11|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}} and for floats up to {{convert|28|kg|lbs|0|abbr=on}}

DATE=2007-09-03

ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20110323203153/HTTP://WWW.MLIT.GO.JP/KOKU/04_OUTLINE/02_ANZEN/03_KEIRYO/02_ANZEN/ULP28_3-1.PDF

URL-STATUS=LIVE,

WEBSITE=WWW.MLIT.GO.JP

DATE=2009-04-01, 日本法令外国語訳データベースシステム Japanese Law Translation, Passengers also need permission.|Sports or recreational use onlyOther minister’s permissions: flight permission (for each 2 – 4 months) Permission of land owner for landing and for take off Flyable area: uncontrolled airspace over unpopulated areas, within {{convert|3|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from departure point and landing at another point forbidden.Aircraft: powered, non-certified, propeller aircraft, including autogyro, with landing gear Minimum required equipment: airspeed indicator and altimeter Maximum stall speed: {{convert|65|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} Minimum wing area: {{convert|10|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}2 Maximum speed: {{convert|185|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} Maximum fuel capacity: {{convert|30|L|usgal|0|abbr=on}}

New Zealand

NZ Class 1

1

Single seat {{convert

kg

0

550

lbs

abbr=on}} for seaplanes; Stall speed {{convert

kn

0

date=September 2022}}

Part 103 Microlight Aircraft Operating Rules,HTTPS://WWW.AVIATION.GOVT.NZ/RULES/RULE-PART/SHOW/103>TITLE=PART 103 MICROLIGHT AIRCRAFT OPERATING RULES | AVIATION.GOVT.NZ

WEBSITE=WWW.AVIATION.GOVT.NZ,

600

lbs

abbr=on}}, {{convert

kg

0

45

km/h mph

abbr=on}}

Daytime VFR

Microlight Licence required{{Citation needed

|Part 103 Microlight Aircraft Operating Rules, Part 103 advisory circulars

	Angeles City Flying Club, Excerpt from part 11 of the Civil Aviation Regulations.Civil Aviation Authority Philippines {{webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422213641www.caap.gov.ph/web/downloads.htm					|recreational and sport use

	70	lbs	abbr=on}} Unregulated, Single seat deregulated, 2-seat regulated.	1–2HTTPS://WWW.BMAA.ORG/ABOUT-MICROLIGHTING/EXACTLY-WHAT-IS-A-MICROLIGHT->TITLE=THE BRITISH MICROLIGHT AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, NEW PAGE 3786	ACCESS-DATE=21 MAY 2018,	Several definitions, from 70 kg with full fuel to {{convert	kg	0			weblink”. Retrieved 24 July 2015British Microlight Aircraft Association. “Licensed Flying, so you want to be a pilot?”. Retrieved 24 July 2015>|Recreational. No paid work.

United States

ultralight aircraft (United States)

>

254

kg

abbr=on}} HTTP://ECFR.GPOACCESS.GOV/CGI/T/TEXT/TEXT-IDX?C=ECFR&SID=550836984D4438AF2F5C15D80DFF5C99&RGN=DIV5&VIEW=TEXT&NODE=14:2.0.1.3.16&IDNO=14>TITLE = TITLE 14: AERONAUTICS AND SPACE, PART 103 - ULTRALIGHT VEHICLES

LAST = FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

DATE = JANUARY 2007

ARCHIVE-URL = HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20110119113806/HTTP://ECFR.GPOACCESS.GOV/CGI/T/TEXT/TEXT-IDX?C=ECFR&SID=22C6BA54693E62E34F8A50AE01C5CEC3&RGN=DIV5&VIEW=TEXT&NODE=14:2.0.1.3.16&IDNO=14

ACCESS-DATE =4 FEBRUARY 2011

AUTHOR-LINK = UNITED STATES ULTRALIGHT ASSOCIATION

5

L

abbr=on}} fuel capacity, empty weight of less than 254 pounds, a top speed of {{convert

kn

0

stall speed not exceeding ({{convert>24

mph km/h

abbr=on}}). May only be flown over uncongested areas.

light-sport aircraft>		1320	kg	abbr=on}}; {{convert	lbs	0			sport pilot certificate>| Max. Speed (CAS) in Level Flight {{convert|138|mph|kn km/h|0|abbr=on}} Max. Stall Speed {{convert|51|mph|kn km/h|0|abbr=on}} Must have fixed landing gear, and a single engine with fixed pitch propeller.

File:Pegasus quantum 15-912 microlight g-byff kemble arp.jpg|thumb|Pegasus Quantum 145-912 ultralight trikeultralight trikeFile:CTSW N646MA.jpg|thumb|Flight Design CTSWFlight Design CTSWFile:PPGInFlight.jpg|thumb|upright|A powered paraglider ]]File:DFEAscenderIIIC01.jpg|thumb|A US-made Pterodactyl AscenderPterodactyl AscenderFile:UltraflightLazairSeriesIII.jpg|thumb|Canadian Lazair ultralight covered in clear MylarMylarFile:PseudopediaHangmotor.jpg|thumb|A foot-launched powered hang gliderpowered hang glider

Australia

In Australia, ultralight aircraft and their pilots can either be registered with the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA)WEB,www.hgfa.asn.au/HGFA/HGFA.htm, The HGFA, 25 May 2008, Hang Gliding Federation of Australia, n.d., or Recreational Aviation Australia (RA Aus).WEB,www.auf.asn.au/admin/mission.html, About the RA-Aus association and our mission, 25 May 2008, Recreational Aviation Australia Inc, August 2007, dead,www.auf.asn.au/admin/mission.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20080519233742www.auf.asn.au/admin/mission.html,">web.archive.org/web/20080519233742www.auf.asn.au/admin/mission.html, 19 May 2008, In all cases, except for privately built single seat ultralight aeroplanes,WEB,www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013C00316/Html/Volume_4#_Toc358792547, PART 200 Aircraft to which CASR do not apply, 25 May 2008, Legal Services Group Civil Aviation Safety Authority, July 2007, microlight aircraft or trikes are regulated by the Civil Aviation Regulations.

Canada

United Kingdom

Pilots of a powered, fixed wing aircraft or paramotors do not need a licence, provided its weight with a full fuel tank is not more than {{convert|75|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}, but they must obey the rules of the air.WEB,www.bmaa.org/information-library/pilot-licensing/learning-to-fly-in-sub-70-kg-aircraft, The British Microlight Aircraft Association, new page 3852, www.bmaa.org, 21 May 2018, For heavier microlights the current UK regulations are similar to the European ones, but helicopters and gyroplanes are not included.British Civil Aviation Authority Aircraft TypesOther than the very earliest aircraft, all two-seat UK microlights (and until 2007 all single-seaters) have been required to meet an airworthiness standard; BCAR Section S.CAP 482 British Civil Airworthiness Requirements Section S - Small Light Aeroplanes, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226011742publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP482_BCARS_Issue7_19Dec_2018.pdf |date=26 February 2021 }}, retrieved 8 December 2020In 2007, Single Seat DeRegulated (SSDR), a sub-category of single seat aircraft was introduced, allowing owners more freedom for modification and experiments. By 2017 the airworthiness of all single seat microlights became solely the responsibility of the user, but pilots must hold a microlight licence;WEB,www.bmaa.org/information-library/pilot-licensing/the-nppl, The British Microlight Aircraft Association, new page 3852, www.bmaa.org, 21 May 2018, currently NPPL(M) (National Private Pilots Licence).

New Zealand

Ultralights in New Zealand are subject to NZCAA General Aviation regulationsCivil Aviation Rules, Accessed 1 October 2022 with microlight specific variations as described in Part 103Part 103 - Microlight Aircraft - Operating Rules, Accessed 01 October 2022 and AC103-1.Advisory Circular 103, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217041226www.aviation.govt.nz/assets/rules/advisory-circulars/ac103-1.pdf |date=17 February 2022 }}, Accessed 7 October 2021

United States

The United States FAA’s definition of an ultralight is significantly different from that in most other countries and can lead to some confusion when discussing the topic. The governing regulation in the United States is FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles. In 2004, the FAA introduced the “Light-sport aircraft” category, which resembles some other countries’ microlight categories. Ultralight aviation is represented by the United States Ultralight Association (USUA), which acts as the US aeroclub representative to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

Types

There are several categories of aircraft which qualify as ultralights in some countries:

• Fixed-wing aircraft: traditional airplane-style designs.
• Weight-shift control trike: use a hang glider-style wing, below which is suspended a three-wheeled carriage which carries the engine and aviators. These aircraft are controlled by pushing against a horizontal control bar in roughly the same way as a hang glider pilot flies.
• Powered parachute: fuselage-mounted engines with parafoil wings, which are wheeled aircraft.
• Powered paraglider: backpack engines with parafoil wings, which are foot-launched.
• Powered hang glider: motorized foot-launched hang glider harness.
• Autogyro: rotary wing with fuselage-mounted engine, a gyrocopter is different from a helicopter in that the rotating wing is not powered, the engine provides forward thrust and the airflow through the rotary blades causes them to autorotate or “spin up” thereby creating lift.
• Helicopter: there are a number of single-seat and two-place helicopters which fall under the microlight categories in countries such as New Zealand. However, few helicopter designs fall within the more restrictive ultralight category defined in the United States of America.
• Hot air balloon: there are numerous ultralight hot air balloons in the US, and several more have been built and flown in France and Australia in recent years. Some ultralight hot air balloons are hopper balloons, while others are regular hot air balloons that carry passengers in a basket.

Electric

Advancements in batteries, motors, and motor controllers has led to some practical production electric propulsion systems for some ultralight applications. In many ways, ultralights are a good application for electric power as some models are capable of flying with low power, which allows longer duration flights on battery power.WEB,www.avweb.com/news/snf/SunNFun2008_Electraflyer_TrikeMotorglider_BatteryPower_197632-1.html, Electraflyer Flies Trike, Motorglider On Battery Power, 13 April 2008, Grady, Mary, April 2008, In 2007, the first pioneering company in this field, the Electric Aircraft Corporation, began offering engine kits to convert ultralight weight shift trikes to electric power. The 18 hp motor weighs {{convert|26|lb|abbr=on}} and an efficiency of 90% is claimed by designer Randall Fishman. The battery consists of a lithium-polymer battery pack of 5.6kWh which provides 1.5 hours of flying in the trike application. The company claimed a flight recharge cost of 60 cents in 2007.WEB,www.electraflyer.com/tech.html, ElectraFlyer Technical details, 13 April 2008, Electric Aircraft Corporation, 2007,www.electraflyer.com/tech.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20071016052647www.electraflyer.com/tech.html,">web.archive.org/web/20071016052647www.electraflyer.com/tech.html, 16 October 2007, dead, A significant obstacle to the adoption of electric propulsion for ultralights in the U.S. is the weight of the battery, which is considered part of the empty weight of the aircraft despite efforts to have it considered as fuel.WEB,experimenter.epubxp.com/i/108002-february-2013/20, Experimenter, February 2013, epubxp, 16 August 2015, As the specific energy of batteries improves, lighter batteries can be used.

See also

• Aerosport (airshow)
• Backpack helicopter
• Jetpack
• Nanolight
• Experimental Aircraft Association
• Recreational Aviation Australia
• United States Ultralight Association
• United States Powered Paragliding Association
• Volksflugzeug

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category-inline|Ultralight aircraft}}{{Authority control}}