30 years for crazy little flying things

[Guest ozzie]

30th Anniversary of Ultralight Aviation

 

In 1980, the FAA, for the first time, considered a new approach to handle the "crazy little flying things." Three very uncharacteristic men(for the FAA) were tasked to find a way to handle these new activities that were growing all over the country. FAA did not have the funds, or the will, to chase them all as certified aircraft. This is when they were first called "Ultralight Vehicles". With that potent concept was conceived the nucleus of FAR Part 103.

 

Mike Sacrey, Art Jones, and Ken Peppard, having been chartered with the edict to find a way to handle crazy little flying things, sat in a room one day and thought. The problem is aircraft and pilots have specific requirements that do not really apply to very light planes. From that came new inspiration, "What if they weren't aircraft? What if no knowledge was required to fly them? Then major parts of the rules would not apply and a very simple set of rules would be enough. We simply need to protect those on the ground. The flyers are taking their own risks with single seat vehicles." And so, Part 103 was conceived.

 

Our plan is to celebrate FAR Part 103 at the 2010 Sun n' Fun, April 13-20, 2010. This will be the 30th anniversary of the idea, the kernel, that made so much innovation possible. Today hundreds of Ultralight designs exist. These budding ideas have now spawned over 100 new models in Light-Sport Aircraft that would not exist without the brave new approach called Ultralights.

 

True to the concept, Ultralights have been safe. There have been no identifiable ground injuries that have resulted from Part 103 operations in over 39 years. Being only two pages long, Part 103 is the only FAA regulation to fully meet and exceed its charter.

 

lucky them to have three smart people

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Somewhere Ozzie I have a copy of the original FAR 103 stuck away. It's only a one page thing, and one of the few totally realistic documents that I have ever seen an aviation regulator produce.....hell it's like they were on drugs or something !....You don't suppose ?.........Maj...