What aircraft can you have in Oz?

[Spooks]

Might be an odd question but not sure of your rules. Do aircraft need to pass a CASA test or anything like that to be used in Oz? In the UK we are very limited on what we can use as aircraft need to meet UK standards (costs a lot, and too much for many manufacturers)

 

The reason I ask is that a friend of mine is moving to Melbourne this October and has a C42 Ikarus. Would he be able to register it out there? I did search for Comco in Australia but they don't show in any results.

 

Cheers, just that he needs to know whether to sell or hire a container!

 

 

[Downunder]

Contact the RAA Home - RAA

 

This is the registration body for ultralight pilots and aircraft which is the class of this aircraft.

 

Looking at the Wiki page, I do think it could be rego'd here and even may have a MTOW weight increase..........

 

Easier to do if there was already one on the register here. Might help to contact the manufacturer too.

 

 

[Nobody]

In Australia there are 2 ways of flying small aircraft, as CASA registered or RAAus registered.

 

To be CASA registered an aircraft must either be factory built to an approved standard or be an Experimental Amaturer Built aircraft. The approved standards are limited but your friends aircraft might be designed to such a standard. To fly it he would need a CASA issued pilots license, either a full PPL or or a Recreational Pilot License. To go down this path would likely need a fair bit of work done to get the initial registration and airworthiness paperwork done, but once done there is no ongoing annual registration costs. Maintenance would need to be done by an Licensed Aircraft Maintenance engineer (LAME) unless it is amaturer built and he is the builder.

 

RAAus(Home - RAA) is an organization that administers the light end of recreational flying. It allows a wider range of factory built aircraft standards and would have less work to get the initial registration and paperwork done. Amatuer built aircraft can not be used for training/hire while factory built aircraft can. The MTOW for aircraft registered by RAAus is currently 600kg but there are ongoing attempts to increase this. Registration has an annual fee but maintenance can be done by the owner if not used for training/hire, otherwise maintenance can be done by a "L2". To fly it will require a pilot certificate issued by RAAus. RAAus aircraft are day vfr only and cannot be used for aerobatics. To access controlled airspace you need both a RAAus pilot certificate and a PPL.

 

It is likely that the RAAus path is the easiest for your friend.

 

Nobody

 

 

[facthunter]

Or experimental GA. Less restrictions to deal with. I think that's where most warbirds are. Nev

 

 

[Nobody]

Many of the warbirds are in the "Limited" category under the administration of Australian Warbirds. This allows them to give "adventure" rides that are not ermitted under the experimental category. See:

 

Australian Warbirds Association - AWAL

 

The aircraft described in the Original post is not a warbird and so the categories of registration available to those aircraft are not available to this one.

 

 

[facthunter]

I know it's not a warbird but the owner of AAK at Taree has always advocated EXP GA for "different" planes with modifications etc as a more suitable "umbrella". Nev

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

There are few, if any, COMCO aircraft here as they are limited to 450kg. Ultralights here can be flown up to 600kg MTOW hence there is a much wider selection of possible aircraft and the C-42 would, frankly, have limited appeal.

 

Nevertheless it does meet the BCAR-S standard to be able to fly in the UK and that's accepted here so they would be able to register it with RAAus as an "ultralight".

 

Whether importing it would be a sensible decision or not ........

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[hihosland]

It is my understanding that if an aircraft complies with UK registration requirements then it can be registered in AUS with the same conditions/limitations as applied to its UK registration.

 

eg many aircraft that are registered in the UK under a 480kg MTOW limitation could be registered with a 544kg in Australia but if brought into Australia with the UK documentation can only have the 480kg limit.

 

To acquire the 544kg limit the whole certification process would have to be initiated and completed again within Australia.

 

At that is my understanding,

 

the proposed importer would need to obtain definitive rulings from RAA, SAAA and CASA and make their own decisions.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

sell it in England and buy a Jabiru, ~150Kgs more payload

 

 

[kasper]

Crezzi is spot on - the UK certification to BCAR-S will allow registration in OZ as an RAAus Ultralight BUT will limit the MTOW to that of the UK certification - if the C42 has the BRS fitted and has been re-signed off at the 472.5 thats the max you can bring it in under - without the BRS its 450kg.

 

You make your choices - my UK machines I brought out in my container of house and aircraft and are going on the OZ register with limits that others here do not due to the BCAR-S recognition limits but I am happy with them personally.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Spooks]

Cheers. The C42 is available in the USA with a MTOW of 540kg so it is capable of more (for the larger pilots out there!)

 

Thanks for the pointers :)

 

 

[kasper]

Cheers. The C42 is available in the USA with a MTOW of 540kg so it is capable of more (for the larger pilots out there!)Thanks for the pointers :)

But be careful planning on 540kg ... if its not CERTIFIED to 540kg but simply accepted RAAus are not going to be able to accept higher than the max it is certified to ... please be well aware of this and talk to RAAus Tech before you make a decision if you are aiming on 540kg ... we have already had a rash of MTOW restrictions placed on airframes in OZ for exactly the reason that MTOW ALLOWED to be recognized in Australia was not the highest MTOW used somewhere in the world..

 

 

[Spooks]

My friend will be happy with the 472.5 kg. he only weighs 70kg! Any more would be a bonus!

 

I'll let him know the info, thanks everyone for the help :)

 

 

[Mick]

I believe there is at least one C42 in Australia registered with RAAus.

 

I am pretty sure that the C42's German type certificate at 472.5kg with a chute will be accepted here.

 

I visited Comco in 2007 & looked at taking on an Australian dealership but the lower MTOW put me off.

 

The C42 is a nice flying aircraft & well made too.