What aircraft owners need to know

The flight safety situation of general aviation in the Republic of Belarus, concerning the operation of ultra-light aircraft (ULA), is characterized by aviation accidents with fatalities.

In the Republic of Belarus, in 2017, the number of aviation accidents increased by 14.2% compared to 2016, from 14 to 16.

Despite the fact that an incident may be related to technical reasons, a contributing factor is often the lack of appropriate professional training and a license to operate ultra-light aircraft (ULA) by the person conducting the flight.

On January 11, 2018, a "Delta-Leto D-02" motor hang glider crashed in the Ushachi district of the Vitebsk region, resulting in the death of the pilot.

It was established that the aforementioned single-seat aircraft belonged to a resident of Polotsk, who had purchased it in July 2017 for subsequent resale. This ultra-light aircraft was not registered in the State Register of Civil Aircraft of the Republic of Belarus, and flights conducted on it on the specified day were carried out without permission from the relevant air traffic control authorities for the use of airspace.

Owners and other persons who acquire aircraft do not always register them in accordance with the law, which means that flight safety and proper airworthiness maintenance cannot be ensured during their operation.

Ultra-light aircraft are defined as aircraft with a maximum take-off weight not exceeding 750 kg, which are divided into unpowered (hang gliders, paragliders, and similar) and powered (motor hang gliders, motor paragliders, autogyros, etc.), and their number is increasing.

When operating ULA, the owner (pilot) is obliged to have the following documentation on board: a valid civil pilot's license (or a private pilot's license), an aircraft registration certificate,

the valid airworthiness certificate of the aircraft, as well as the Flight Manual or other document establishing the operational limitations of the aircraft.

If the owner of the light aircraft does not have the specified documents, permission when applying for airspace use is not issued by the bodies of the Unified Air Traffic Management System. Flight without permission for airspace use is a violation of the requirements of clause 95 of the Rules for Airspace Use of the Republic of Belarus, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 04.11.2006 No. 1471 and is classified as an administrative offense provided for by Art. 18.41 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

To operate a very light aircraft (SuperLA), piloted by one person on board and intended for sports competitions or recreation (unpowered has a structural mass of less than 70 kg, powered - 115 kg), in accordance with the above aviation rules, a certificate of airworthiness and its registration in the State Register of Civil Aircraft of the Republic of Belarus are not required.

Flights of light aircraft, gliders, hang gliders, paragliders, amateur-built aircraft, aerostatic aircraft of general aviation are carried out with the cloud base altitude - not lower than 450 m and visibility - not less than 5000 m, while the flight along the route is carried out at an altitude not lower than 100 m above obstacles.

Operation of SuperLA is permitted in visual meteorological conditions, with a cloud base altitude of not less than 300 meters and horizontal visibility of not less than 5000 meters.

In the Republic of Belarus, the use of model aircraft by citizens is becoming increasingly popular – aircraft without a person on board, which can be controlled provided there is visual contact with them, as well as uncontrolled free-flying aircraft.

Currently, the legislation does not provide for obtaining permission for the use of these aircraft in the airspace of the Republic of Belarus from the bodies of the Unified System.air traffic control. However, a number of restrictions on their launch have been established, for non-compliance with which administrative responsibility is provided for under Art. 18.41 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Belarus.

Thus, the use of aviation models must be carried out at an altitude not exceeding 100 meters from the ground (water) surface. Also, drones with a total mass of more than 0.5 kg are subject to mandatory marking.

Their launch is prohibited within restricted zones without coordination with the state bodies (organizations) in whose interests such zones are established. By the Resolution of the Ministry of Defense dated 22.08.2016 No. 18, in agreement with the Ministry of Transport, a List of zones prohibited for the use of aviation models in the Republic of Belarus has been established.

The official website of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) contains recommendations on the safety of drone flights, in connection with which attention should be paid to the following: always keep the drone within its visual line of sight; ensure that the launch area is clear for flights; exclude flights in prohibited zones; do not perform flights, including any maneuvers, that may create danger to others; do not fly over people, structures, vehicles, power lines; check the serviceability of the drone before each flight.

In the Republic of Belarus, since March 2017, the Belarusian Federation of Unmanned Aviation has been operating, which carries out both the registration of its members and the accounting of drones. The Federation also promotes the development of drone racing in the Republic of Belarus as an international sports movement.

Enjoy your flight and a safe landing!

Vitebsk Transport Prosecutor
Senior Counselor of Justice A.A. Tsarikov.