New rules apply to aircraft weighing up to 115 kilograms
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree according to which ultralight manned aircraft weighing up to 115 kg will need to be registered. The document amends the already existing Rules for the state registration of unmanned civil aircraft (UCA) with a maximum take-off weight of 0.15 to 30 kilograms. From now on, these Rules will also apply to manned aircraft with a structural mass of 115 kilograms or less: they will be counted according to the same rules as light drones. The changes will come into effect on September 1, 2024, from which point owners of ultralight aircraft will have to register them within 60 days.
Ultralight manned aircraft now need to be registered in the same way as drones
The ministry also notes that in 2021, 10, and in 2022, 16 accidents were recorded with ultralight manned aircraft that are not subject to registration in accordance with the current requirements of air legislation. In most cases, problems arose with the establishment of the owners of these vessels. In addition, no statistics are available on the number of piloted aircraft weighing 115 kilograms or less, as they are currently not subject to registration. That is why it was decided to make appropriate changes to the Air Code of the Russian Federation – this will improve the level of flight safety and reduce the number of accidents with aircraft of this type, according to the Ministry of Transport.
