19, 24 and all that..

[Ben Longden]

Sorry about the basic question...

 

I see posts referring to rule this that and the other and aircraft with 19, 24 as part of their registrations.

 

Anyone care to make a quick, simple english translation?

 

Ben

 

 

[Captain]

Not necessarily "simple English" ... but see http://www.raa.asn.au/operations/regulations.html#9510 and read on down the page.

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Hi Ben,

 

the simple bit is that aircraft like the Tecnam at Shep are registered in accordance with CAO 95.55 paragraph 1.6 & 1.7 and are entitled to "24" rego.

 

Home built are registered in accordance with another para of 95.55 and are entitled to 19 rego. So a Tecnam built from a kit would be 19-xxxx.

 

LSA can be registered in accordance with 95.55 para 1.8 again with 24 rego.

 

I'm not abreast of the older 55 regos - leave that explanation to others.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

To add to Chris’ explanation reference the following may be of use to you avid ‘aeroplane spotters’, show some of the underlying simplicity of the registration system – and how it can be practically useful to you. I will however expand the point a little to cover the general registration system and Ian may want to copy this to a reference file like Chris’ if he so wishes to do so.

 

 

NUMBERS AND LETTERS. If it has numbers on the side then it is an RAAus aircraft and you have to be a current RAAus member to fly it as pilot in command – or – it may belong to one of the other Honorary Rec Aviation control bodies (eg ASRA – but I do not know what their codings are). The RAAus code group is six figure and includes a hyphen after the first two figures eg 12-3456

 

 

If it has letters on the side then it is a General Aviation (GA) aircraft that is directly controlled by CASA and is a five letter code group with a hyphen after the initial or second letter. In Australia these will portray as eg VH-ABC. VH is the international code for Oz and each country has it’s own code that comes before the hyphen - so you can tell at a glance where the aircraft is registered if you know the code which may be one or two letters before the hyphen (eg N – USA, G – UK, I – Italy, D – Germany, EO - Austria etc). Several of the countries actually code aircraft identity in numerals but the letter prefix is the give-away.

 

 

The exception to the general rule implied above is Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA) sailplanes that also carry a VH –xxx registration but are operationally controlled by GFA rather than CASA. Balloons may also carry VH regos but I am not sure.

 

 

MANDATORY CARRIAGE OF REGISTRATION. Displaying registration markings is mandatory on civil aircraft and these must be of a certain minimum size and in contrasting colours with their background so they may be read at a distance. Note that on RAAus aircraft, dimensions are given in the Operations Manual. Note also that it is ILLEGAL to fly an RAAus aircraft that is not correctly marked and you could be prosecuted for doing so.

 

 

There are quirks of course! RAAus Powered Parachutes generally do not comply as the crew pod is simply not large enough to put an adequate sized registration onto.

 

 

Ex military aircraft now on the Civil Register (Warbirds) have dispensation so they may be made to look authentic. They still carry a registration though and this is generally smaller and parked usually below the tailplane where it is not obtrusive and spoils the image.

 

 

Scale Replica Warbirds are becoming increasingly popular in RAAus but again I am not sure if the same CASA dispensation applies. Owners would be wise to check before assuming the dispensation does apply and they leave themselves liable for prosecution. Perhaps another reader may indicate what actual ruling applies here?

 

 

RECREATIONAL AIRCRAFT ORDINANCE. I am covering this area as it is bound up intimately with the RAAus registration coding system.

 

 

All light recreational aircraft in Australia are covered by legislation that describes what they must be in order to fly legally. This was made initially in the ANOs (Air Navigation Order) and the name was later changed to CAOs (Civil Aviation Orders). The ANOs/CAOs are vast documents with sections of them being allocated to various areas of aviation and aviation control.

 

 

Recreational aircraft appear in the 95.xx listings and are generally organized to the style of aircraft (and therefore broadly to the control groups that do practical operational and airworthiness control over them). So 95.10, 95.25, 95.55 are almost exclusively the province of RAAus and are tri axis control aircraft. 95.32 is weight shift control so is shared jointly by RAAus and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA) as they both operate Trikes.

 

 

95.55 was further enhanced as ultralights steadily became more sophisticated and had sub-divisions of 101.55 (that broadly covered manufactured aircraft) and 101.28 that covered aircraft built from manufactured kits.

 

 

RAAus made more inroads that allowed full home design and building of single and two seat aircraft, or from plans or kits, to a higher minimum design standard and this area is known as Amateur Built.

 

 

Later on a decision was made to entirely scrap the CAO 95 system and replace it with entirely new ordinance. This is known conventionally as ‘Part 103’ of the new ordinance and is still in development process at the time of writing. Some of it is laid down already however and this opened a new category of RAAus registration that was allocated the 24-xxxx series. Indications are that this will also encompass LSA (Light Sports Aircraft) that are registered under RAAus – but that could possibly change so nothing is fixed in cement yet!

 

 

RAAus REGISTRATION CODING. As our numeral system is obviously different from GA letters, and ultralights do not frequently travel internationally, the first two numerals are used to identify the registration category of the aircraft and the remaining four the identity of the aircraft itself. Note that the final four numerals are not unique to the aircraft! You could have two aircraft side by side, one with 25-1234 and the other 55-1234. The first two numerals that identify the registration category are directly tied to the ANO/CAO ordinance reference number (or at least were) so the code is actually unique to the aircraft.

 

 

Identifying ultralights in this manner is very useful for buyers and inspectors as you can see at a glance basically what the aircraft’s origins are and status is. The following gives you the breakdown of the registration code according to the ordinance that they come under.

 

 

95.10. 10-xxxx

 

95.25. 25-xxxx

 

95.55. 55-xxxx

 

101.55. 55-xxxx

 

101.28. 28-xxxx

 

Amateur Built. 19-xxxx

 

Part 103/LSA ? 24-xxxx

 

 

SOME MORE QUIRKS. Back in the early AUD days, when things were really only just starting to get going in an organized manner, a lot of the 95.10 aircraft were very small and there was not much to them. Some alleviation on marking display was therefore given.

 

 

The entire prefix could be dropped and any zeros could also be dropped that were prior to the number. As examples: 10-0023 could be simply displayed as 23; 10-0230 could be simply displayed as 230. These are still quite legal so nobody needs to panic!

 

 

In 95.25 the then AUF took a slightly firmer line but still gave some alleviation. The 25- prefix had to be retained but the first redundant prefix zero could be dropped. Eg 25-0286 could be displayed as 25-286, but 25-0086 would have to be displayed as 25-086.

 

 

Once the 55- and onward registrations began being allocated the AUF/RAAus insisted that the entire six figure hyphenated number be displayed eg 19-0004.

 

 

PERMANANCY & ALLOCATION OF REGISTRATION NUMBERS. An AUF/RAAus number, once allocated, is fixed and will never be re-allocated. It is normally also wedded to the aircraft serial number (if there is one). This means that an owner who maybe buys a derelict and re-builds it, and has either the original rego number and/or the serial number may apply for re-registration and will get the original registration number back. You do not have to re-register the aircraft if it has been prior registered – only pay the renewal fee. The RAAus data base is capable of tracking the original aircraft in seconds and a hard copy master file is permanently kept for each aircraft that has been registered.

 

 

While once members could pick their rego number (if still unallocated – ‘personalized plates’ and all that) you now have to take the number that is next on the list. You can pre-order the next number for other airworthiness reasons and manufacturers can take a block of numbers in advance – or once could. Not sure how that one is going as some manufacturers never took up the booked numbers and that left holes in the system!

 

 

That is the principle – the practice can be sometimes different and people have ‘played’ with the system! Here are some examples of ‘rorting’ the system!

 

 

25-0001 was requested by the manufacturer to be reallocated both a serial number and registration number. AUF broke policy and did this but retained the original file and cross referenced them. Now RAAus is refusing to acknowledge requests to put the aircraft back where it once was registration wise!

 

 

An AUF President wanted the then redundant 10-0001 rego number for his much more modern 95.10 ultralight – so steamrollered the system to get it!

 

 

An aircraft owner with a 95.10 ultralight allegedly ‘re-built’ it from the tailwheel up and converted a humble aircraft into a Warbird replica – so had absolutely no difficulties with registration!

 

 

In fairness those are isolated cases and generally the system works well. But it may be a little more complex than it first looks. Now you know!

 

 

Aye

 

 

Tony

 

 

[Guest brentc]

To add to Tony's post, there are also 24 registered aircraft in the 95.55 category such as the Gazelle. This occurred when the MTOW for ultralights increased to 544kg's. Originally the Gazelle couldn't be registered because it was too heavy for the 450kg limit. Any aircraft (I think) between 450 and 544 and now 600kg's seems to have a 24 prefix. I hope I got that history right.

 

LSA are indeed also prefixed with 24 for Factory Built.

 

I'm yet to see the rego on a home built LSA registered aircraft, presumably this will be 19- prefix.

 

95.10. 10-xxxx

 

95.25. 25-xxxx

 

95.55. 55-xxxx

 

95.55 24-xxxx

 

101.55. 55-xxxx

 

101.28. 28-xxxx

 

Amateur Built. 19-xxxx

 

Part 103/LSA ? 24-xxxx

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Back to Ben's question. The a/c that he is most commonly going to have an interest in are probably covered by 95.55. Further the LSA aircraft are currently covered by 95.55 para 1.8 (factory built) with a 24-xxxx rego and by para 1.9 (kit built) with a 19-xxxx.

 

Ben it is worth a read of 95.55 if nothing else. Some key text from the RAAus site. What is omitted from this text is 95.55 para 1.7 which sets out some important issues relating to a/c covered under para 1.6. Your ops manual has a (non-current) copy of 95.55. I think that the LSA stuff is missing from that copy.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

Civil Aviation Order 95.55

 

CAO 95.55 is an operational standard which provides exemption, for certain single engine ultralight aeroplanes with valid RA-Aus registration, from some provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations. The current version [ May 31, 2006] of CAO 95.55 can be viewed in pdf format. There are seven classifications within 95.55  two 'Amateur-built', three commercially built and with the introduction of the light sport aircraft category an additional commercially built and an additional kit-built experimental category. The relevant paragraphs of the CAO, are:

 

– Para 1.2: the amateur built aircraft acceptance [ABAA] category. An amateur-built aircraft is an aircraft, the major portion of which has been fabricated and assembled by a person or persons who undertook the construction project solely for their own education or recreation.

 

The single engine ultralight aeroplane is built under supervision from the Sports Aircraft Association of Australia [sAAA] and must comply with the airworthiness certification requirements of CAO 101.28, plus – MTOW = 450 kg; maximum Vso = 40 knots; maximum Vs1 = 45 knots; (maximum weight and Vso can be 480 kg and 42 knots respectively under certain conditions) and with no more than two places. The cruise speed at maximum power should not exceed 100 knots CAS.

 

If built from an eligible (under the 51% rule) commercially supplied kit that kit must comply with the minimum airworthiness certification requirements of CAO 101.55 and the major portion (51% +) of the aircraft must be fabricated and assembled by the owner. The aircraft is intended for educational or recreational purposes. The aircraft need not be of an approved design, or constructed from certified type materials, and can be of any origin but it must be owner built under supervision of CASA if the 'first of type', or built under the supervision of SAAA, with mandatory stage inspections, if a subsequent model. When flight testing is satisfactorily concluded, CASA issues a certificate as an aircraft accepted under an ABAA – Amateur Built Aircraft Acceptance or SAAA issues a Certificate of Compliance. The aircraft is then registered by RA-Aus as 28-xxxx. The RA-Aus amateur built ultralight [see para. 1.5 below] has now largely replaced para. 1.2 for homebuilt ultralights.

 

– Para 1.3: a commercially built ultralight aircraft type certificated by CASA as complying with the airworthiness certification requirements of CAO 101.55 and built in a factory – in Australia or elsewhere – holding a CASA Certificate of Approval to Manufacture for its manufacturing technique. CASA approved Maintenance Manuals and approved Flight Manuals are required. MTOW = 450 kg; maximum Vso = 40 knots CAS; maximum Vs1 = 45 knots CAS; Maximum weight and Vso can be 480 kg and 42 knots CAS if, and only if, the product of the square of Vso and the MTOW does not exceed 768 000. Straight and level speed under full power is not to exceed 100 knots but may be approved with a control flutter substantiation. Maximum 2 places. Can be used for training. RA-Aus registration 55-xxxx.

 

– Para 1.4: covers the two place ultralights commercially built in a CASA approved factory to a CASA certificated design and registered under the old CAO 95.25. The latter was originally issued in 1985 – as both an operational and a quasi-design standard – when, because of a high accident rate in 95.10 aircraft, the need for 2 place training aircraft was determined. The specified airworthiness conditions included rather basic performance and structural tests and a demonstrated history of safe operation. CAO 95.25 also introduced the CASA certificated design for factory built single seaters with a 340 kg MTOW such as the Sapphire and Vampire.

 

The CAO 95.25 was an emergency document, finally cancelled in 1990, and is now superseded by CAO 101.55 for airworthiness certification requirements and CAO 95.55 for operations, although 95.25 aeroplanes can still be manufactured if they were approved before the order was cancelled. There were various iterations of acceptable MTOWs as 95.25 was developed, the final one being 450 kg for two place aircraft meaning that the MTOW for any particular 95.25 aeroplane is the MTOW specifically approved for that aeroplane either at the time of manufacture or as later approved under the regulations by an engineer with CAR 35 qualifications.

 

Although the design specification was limited the 95.25 aircraft proved to be very successful, training most of the RA-Aus pilots; but nowadays operators need to remain vigilant in ensuring the continued airworthiness of the airframe. RA-Aus registration 25-xxxx.

 

– Para 1.5: RA-Aus Amateur Built ultralight. Introduced in 1998 and, in effect, an expansion of 95.10 allowing a heavier, but more durable, structure. (Sometimes referred to as "Experimental" but the RA-Aus Amateur Built is only a sub-set of the Experimental Category.) An amateur built ultralight where the major portion (51% plus) of the total construction input must be the owner's construction input. The aircraft is intended for educational or recreational purposes, plus – MTOW = 544 kg; maximum Vso = 45 knots CAS; maximum 2 places. In the case of a two place seaplane the weight is extended to 614 kg. The aircraft need not be designed to an approved standard, or constructed from certified type materials, and can be of any origin but must be built in accordance with the RA-Aus Technical Manual section 3.3.1.

 

Can be built from scratch [see the Scratch building guide] or from a kit supplied by a manufacturer who may or may not hold a CASA Production Certificate, but the kit must also be eligible to comply with the 51% 'Major Portion Rule' under CASR part 21.

 

There is no requirement that the aircraft be built under supervision. A pre-cover/pre-closure inspection is highly recommended, and there must be a pre-flight final inspection, observed by RA-Aus / CASA authorised inspectors, but that final inspection does not determine airworthiness – the owner/builder must accept entire responsibility for that, and sign a document to that effect before the first flight. As with 95.10 the aircraft must carry a cockpit placard warning that the aircraft is not required to comply with the safety regulations for standard aircraft and persons (passengers) fly in it at their own risk. RA-Aus registration 19-xxxx.

 

 

The photograph shows a Jabiru where Peter Kayne, the owner/builder, modified a standard tricycle undercarriage kit to produce an experimental taildragger configuration. This was so successful that the Jabiru company is now producing kits for the new model. These kits would comply with the Amateur Built (ABAA) category.

 

– Para 1.6: allows the commercial manufacture of a heavier aircraft than allowed under CAO 95.25 and CAO 95.55 para 1.3. The aircraft is commercially built in Australia or overseas for sale by the holder of a CASA Certificate of Approval or a Production Certificate or an equivalent overseas approval, plus – MTOW = 544 kg; maximum Vso = 45 knots; maximum 2 places; and the aircraft has a minimum useful payload. This minimum payload is calculated with a formula which allows 80 kg for each seating place plus about 23% of the engine rated hp, expressed in kg, for fuel. Thus the minimum payload for a two seat 100 hp aircraft would be 80 + 80 + 23 = 183 kg or, deducting that from MTOW, the empty weight (including engine oil and unusable fuel) must be less than 361 kg.

 

In the case of a seaplane MTOW is extended to 614 kg. Can be used for training. RA-Aus registration 24-xxxx. The MTOW at which an overseas factory-built aircraft is accepted for RA-Aus registration may be less than the weights stated in this paragraph, please read the weight and balance module of the Flight Theory Guide.

 

– LSA category in CAO 95.55 and 95.32: Light sport aircraft [LSA] is a new certification category of GA and ultralight sports/recreational aircraft which became legal for RA-Aus on January 7, 2006 by amendments to CAO 95.32 and 95.55 . LSA as a category does not replace any existing category nor is it intended for existing aircraft already operating under a different airworthiness category. It is a single propeller two seat aircraft with MTOW not exceeding 600 kg [650 kg as a seaplane], 45 knot Vso and either a trike, powered 'chute or three axis. It can be a ready-to-fly production aircraft [CAO 95.55 para 1.8] with a special certificate of airworthiness [s-LSA] and RA-Aus registration 24-xxxx or it can be a kit built aircraft of the same make and model as the production aircraft [CAO 95.55 para 1.9] with just an experimental certificate [E-LSA] and RA-Aus registration 19-xxxx. The 51% 'Major Portion Rule' does not apply to E-LSA i.e. the manufacturer can supply a much more advanced kit than allowable under the RA-Aus Amateur Built category however the kit-built aircraft must be inspected and issued with an experimental certificate by a CASA 'authorised person' before it can be registered with RA-Aus.