Specification of ultralight aircraft maintenance standardisation

Abstract

The exact definition of an Ultralight Aircraft is still defined very differently from country to country. Internationally, there are different Ultralight Aircraft (UL) classes with nationally varying certification regulations. Accordingly, the term Ultralight Aircraft is used colloquially more or less comprehensively for Very Light Aircraft or Light Sport Aircraft. However, the latter are subject to much stricter certification and maintenance regulations. This work aims to compare the current legal situation in the European Union countries, extract the best practices, and create a proposal of how a new “state zero” should define the laws and regulations to create the best possible environment for UL maintenance. This thesis is written based on information and directions published on the websites of the responsible authorities of the respective countries, as well as communication with these authorities and first-hand knowledge obtained by conducting numerous interviews with people in the field of UL maintenance. The results indicate how different each country regulates the maintenance and continuing airworthiness of ULs and how important a harmonized regulation would be. It is especially important in order to have clarity as with larger aircraft and thus also to prevent numerous accidents and hazardous situations in the future.