FAR Part 103 Ultralight Vehicles & Ultralights
SOURCE: Docket No. 21631, 47 FR 38776, Sept.
2, 1982, unless otherwise noted.
Subpart A - General
§103.1 Applicability.
This part prescribes rules governing the operation of ultralight vehicles in
the United States. For the purposes of this part, an ultralight vehicle is
a vehicle that:
(a) is used or intended to be used for manned operation in the air by a single
occupant;
(b) Is used or intended to be used for recreation or sport purposes only;
(c) Does not have any U.S. or foreign airworthiness certificate; and
(d) If unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds; or
(e) If powered:
Weighs less than 254 pounds empty weight, excluding floats and safety devices
which are intended for deployment in a potentially catastrophic situation;
Has a fuel capacity not exceeding 5 U5. gallons;
Is not capable of more than 55 knots calibrated airspeed at full power in level
flight; and
Has a power-off stall speed which does not exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed.
§103.3 Inspection requirements.
(a) Any person operating an ultralight vehicle under this part shall upon request,
allow the Administrator or his designee, to inspect the vehicle to determine
the applicability of this part.
(b) The pilot or operator of an ultralight must, upon request of the Administrator,
furnish satisfactory evidence that the vehicle is subject only to the provisions
of this part.
§103.5 Waivers.
No person may conduct operations that require a deviation from this part except
under a written waiver issued by the Administrator.
§103.7 Certification and registration.
(a) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to certification of aircraft
or their parts or equipment, ultralight vehicles and their component parts
and equipment are not required to meet the airworthiness certification standards
specified for aircraft or to have certificates of airworthiness.
(b) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to airman certification operators
of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge,
age, or experience requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman
or medical certificates.
(c) Notwithstanding any other section pertaining to registration and marking
of aircraft, ultralight vehicles are not required to be registered or to bear
markings of any type.
Subpart B - Operating Rules
§103.9 Hazardous operations.
(a) No person may operate any ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a
hazard to other persons or property.
(b) No person may allow an object to be dropped from an ultralight vehicle
if such action creates a hazard to other persons or property.
§103.11 Daylight operations.
(a) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle except between the hours of
sunrise and sunset.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, ultralight vehicles may
be operated during the twilight periods 30 minutes before official sunrise
and 30 minutes after official sunset or, in Alaska, during the period of civil
twilight as defined in the Air Almanac, if:
(1) The vehicle is equipped with an operating anticollision light visible for
at least 3 statute miles; and
(2) All operations are conducted in uncontrolled airspace.
§103.13 Operation near aircraft right-of-way rules.
(a) Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so
as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.
(b) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a
collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.
(c) Powered ultralights shall yield the right-of-way to unpowered ultralights.
§103.15 Operations over congested areas.
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city,
town or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons.
§103.17 Operations in certain airspace.
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle within an airport traffic area,
control zone, airport radar service area, terminal control area, or positive
control area unless that person has prior authorization from the air traffic
control facility having jurisdiction over that airspace.
[Doc. No. 23708, 50 FR 9259, Mar. 6, 1985]
EFFECTIVE DATE NOTE: By Amdt. 103-4, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17 1991 §103.17 was
revised, effective September 16, 1993. For the convenience of the user, the
revised text follows.
§103.17 Operations in certain airspace.
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle within Class A, Class B, Class
C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area
of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior
authorization from the ATC facility having jurisdiction over that airspace.
[Doc. No 24456, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17 1991]
§103.19 Operations in prohibited/restricted areas.
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in prohibited or restricted areas
unless that person has
permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
§103.20 Flight restrictions in the proximity of certain
areas designated by notice to airmen.
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in areas designated in a Notice
to Airmen under §91.143 or §91.141 of this chapter unless authorized by ATC.
[Doc. No. 24454, 50 FR 4969, Feb. 5 1985, as amended by Amdt. 103-3, 54 FR
343311, Aug. 18, 1989]
§103.21 Visual reference with the surface.
No person may operate an ultralight except by visual reference with the surface.
§103.23 Flight visibility and cloud clearance
requirements.
No person may operate an ultralight vehicle when the flight visibility or distance
from clouds is less than that in the table found below. All operations in Class
A, Class B, Class C, and Class D airspace or Class E airspace designated for
an airport must receive prior ATC authorization as required in §103.17 of this
part.
