Hi folk.
Trust you are all well.
I have not been active for a while, but would like to help with this speculative debate.
Please note the following is my interpretation of the law. If I am incorrect , please correct me, with the correctly quoted legislation. Thanks.
1.
RADIO LICENCES - either for the station(aircraft - if a fixture) or for a portable
It is a legal requirement, that in terms of ICASA promulgated laws, you require a radio licence if you use a radio, and it is found on your aircraft. Either as a permanent fixture, or as a portable hand-held plugged into your comm systems or otherwise.
However, CAA Autho to Fly section, MAY NOT refuse you an authority to fly if you do NOT submit an ICASA receipt with your renewal or initial application for an Autho To Fly document. They are trying this trick....
CAR's, Operation of Non Type Certified Aircraft, Subpart 4: Communication and Navigation Equipment. 94.04.1 (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 91.05.1 of these regulations (that's where it states that radio's are needed under certain airspaces etc., ), the PRESCRIBED COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT IS NOT REQUIRED for aircraft operated in Class G airspace under VFR.
There you have it. So, if you operate on about 98% of SA airspace, namely class G, you don't require a radio on a NTCA, and therefore CANNOT be forced by CAA to produce an ICASA certificate.
Now, off course, if you wish to strap a radio onto your plane and you do not have a licence for that radio, and you get bust, well that's your problem.......
But, if you are a farmer in the Norther Cape, and you just fly around your cabbage patch, then don't let CAA bulls*#t you...
2.
Logbooks and POH(pilots operating handbooks - we call them pilots manuals in NTCA)
2.1 CAR's, Operation of Non Type Certified Aircraft, Subpart 3: Documentation and Records. 94.03.1(7)
(d). Provide the flight crew (ie pilot) with their own personal copy OF THE SECTIONS of the operations manual which are relevant to the duties assigned to them.
my comments is that this means you only need the page or section on flight performance data if you fly a trike, or the additional section under mass and balance etc., if fixed wing. This is all you need. NOT the entire aircraft manual, which in the case of an Aquilla trike for example, is an A4 hard back file. In part 103 of the CAR's, microlights are specifically exempted from carrying the up to date owners manual
(f) Keep the operators manual in a safe place.
my comment is that keeping the POH on the aircraft can hardly be interpreted as keeping it in a safe place. Actually, I'd like to think that on my aerie is actually the safest place
2.2 CAR's, General Maintenance Rules (part 43), Preservation of Logbooks. 43.01.4 (2) Logbooks shall preferably NOT be carried in the aircraft to which they relate.....unless there is no other means of transporting them to the place of maintenance etc.,......
Compasses
OK now I am going to start abbreviating things.
General operating Rules Subpart 4
flight, navigation and associated equipment for aircraft operated under VFR 91.04.4 No owner or operator of an aircraft shall operate the aircraft in accordance with VFR unless such aircraft is equipped with -
(a) magnetic compass
Subpart 5 Communication and Navigation equipment
Navigation Equipment 91.05.2 (1) No owner or operator of an aircraft shall operate the aircraft unless such aircraft is equippped with navigation equipment enabling it to proceed in accordance with its flight plan.... Provided that the provisions of this regulation shall not apply to flights operated in accordance with VFR, if such flights can be accomplished by visual reference to landmarks.
What this means is that if I do a VFR, below 1499feet AGL flight around South Africa, and I stay in class G airspace, I don't need a radio nor do I need a compass if I am going to fly by following roads from one town to the next
I also know that from personal experience, when we had one of our microlights grounded at an Annual School Inspection, because it did not have a compass on, that on receipt of my official written objection to such grounding, the grounding was withdrawn. The reason I argued was that a compass is only required on Cross Country flights, and this microlight was used for circuit and GFA training.
So, if you only fly locally, and dont really leave the cabbage patch, you do NOT require a compass on board your microlight.
First Aid Kit, signal strips, fire extinguishers etc.,
Operation of Microlights Part 103
Subpart 2: Operating rules Equipment 103.02.5
No owner or pilot-in-command of a microlight aeroplance shall operate such microlight aeroplance unless it is equipped with the equipment as prescribed in Cocuments SA-CATS-OPS 103
SA-CATS-OPS 103.02.5 EQUIPMENT .
a microlight aeroplane must be equipped with -
(1) a seat with an approved safety belt for each person on board
(2)a map which covers the complete route of the proposed flight
(3) in the case of flight above 3000 feet mean sea level, one altimeter, and
(personally I don't understand what above sea level has got to do with this. Just another example of a stupid law)
(4) in the case of over water a life jacket (para 4 abbreviated by myself).....
this applies to all microlights, fixed wing and trikes. There is no law as yet for LSA. Will wait and see...........
So now, you decide. This section 103 is specifically written for microlights, and acts as the exemption from all the other laws of operation which apply to other types, both blik aeries and NTCA. I am trying to find when 103 was or still is to be promulgated.
As far as the above laws are concerned, all you need on your microlight is the following:
Stay below 1500 feet AGL and in uncontrolled class G airspace
1. A seat with a seat belt
2. An AVI Map book - got all the maps of SA in it
That's it. And oh, before I forget, for those low flights over Harties a Lifejacket
These then are just fome facts to help get direction to this topic, and to help you and your AP not get messed around by CAA
Regards.