RA-Aus Air Law cheat sheet

Recreational Aviation Australia administers the sport aviation self-administration system under Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 103; RA-Aus Operations Manual issue 8 is the current governing document set for members.

CASA retains overarching authority: CAR/CASR apply to all RA-Aus flights, and the RA-Aus Technical Manual is the controlling maintenance standard for registered recreational aircraft.

Pilot in command is directly responsible for the aircraft's operation and safety; the PIC may deviate from rules to the extent necessary in an emergency but must report the deviation if asked.

RA-Aus registration and pilot certificate privileges apply only to aircraft and operations within the RA-Aus defined categories; flight into controlled airspace requires a current controlled airspace endorsement or an ATC clearance held by an appropriately endorsed pilot.

Maintenance must be performed by an RA-Aus Level 2 or higher maintenance authority, or by the owner under permitted owner-maintenance provisions; all maintenance is recorded in the aircraft maintenance record.

Reportable safety occurrences (accidents, serious incidents, airspace infringements) must be reported to RA-Aus and, where required, to the ATSB; the ATSB defines which occurrences are reportable.

Aircraft must carry the RA-Aus registration certificate and the aircraft's maintenance release/record documentation on board; the pilot certificate must be carried or produced on request.

Regulatory documents are issued by CASA and RA-Aus; where a conflict exists, the Civil Aviation Act and Regulations prevail over RA-Aus operational documents.

VFR minima in Class G below 10,000 ft: 5,000 m flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontally and 1,000 ft vertically from cloud; at or above 10,000 ft: 8,000 m visibility with the same cloud clearances.

VFR flight is not permitted at night in RA-Aus aircraft unless the pilot holds the appropriate endorsement and the aircraft is suitably equipped; standard RA-Aus VFR operations are day VFR only.

Right-of-way: converging aircraft of the same category give way to the one on the right; an aircraft overtaking another passes on the right; head-on aircraft both alter course to the right.

Aircraft on final approach or landing have right-of-way over aircraft on the ground or in the traffic pattern; a lower aircraft on final has right-of-way over a higher one, but the higher aircraft must not cut in.

Minimum fuel: the pilot must plan to land with at least 30 minutes fixed reserve for day VFR (45 minutes for night VFR), plus any variable reserve and taxi fuel.

Cruising levels under the hemispherical rule: magnetic tracks 000-179 use odd thousands (e.g., 3,500, 5,500 ft); tracks 180-359 use even thousands (e.g., 4,500, 6,500 ft).

Position reports at non-controlled aerodromes are made on the CTAF with the aerodrome name, aircraft type, position, altitude, and intentions; standard calls include inbound, joining, base, final, and clear of runway.

Aircraft must not be operated closer than 500 ft vertically or horizontally to a person, vessel, vehicle or structure except with the permission of the person or in accordance with the regulations.

Class G airspace is uncontrolled; Class C and D are controlled and require an ATC clearance; Class E requires a clearance for IFR and radio contact for VFR in some cases, and RA-Aus aircraft generally operate in Class G.

CTAF is the common traffic advisory frequency used at non-towered aerodromes; pilots broadcast intentions and monitor for other traffic, but CTAF is not a control service.

Mandatory broadcast zones require radio-equipped aircraft to make specified position broadcasts on the CTAF before entering, and to monitor the frequency while in the zone.

Aerodrome traffic pattern: standard circuit direction is left-hand unless published otherwise; join on the downwind leg at circuit height, and do not join on base or final unless the pattern is clear.

Runway markings: white threshold bars mark the start of the landing surface; displaced thresholds are marked with arrows and a threshold bar indicating the landing surface begins further along.

Aircraft must give way to aircraft on the ground and to vehicles on the manoeuvring area; taxiing aircraft must yield to landing aircraft and to aircraft on final approach.

Prohibited, restricted and danger areas are depicted on aeronautical charts; restricted areas require permission to enter, prohibited areas may not be entered, and danger areas should be avoided unless the activity is known.

Radio failure in Class G: continue VFR, remain clear of controlled airspace, maintain a listening watch on the appropriate frequency, and broadcast intentions; land at the nearest suitable aerodrome.

RA-Aus pilot certificate categories include Student, Recreational, Cross-Country, and Passenger-carrying endorsements; each endorsement requires specified training and a flight test with an approved examiner.

A current aviation medical declaration (or self-declaration where permitted) is required for the pilot certificate to remain valid; the pilot must not fly when unfit due to illness, fatigue, medication, or alcohol.

Aircraft registration with RA-Aus is required before flight; the registration certificate must be carried on board and the registration markings displayed on the aircraft.

The pilot logbook must record all flights, including date, aircraft type and registration, departure and arrival points, and flight time; logbooks are retained as evidence of recency and experience.

Recency: a pilot must have completed at least three take-offs and three landings within the preceding 90 days to carry passengers; a flight review or proficiency check is required at intervals set by RA-Aus.

The aircraft maintenance release must be current and signed before flight; an aircraft with an expired maintenance release or unresolved defect must not be flown.

Passenger carriage requires the pilot to hold the passenger-carrying endorsement and to brief passengers on safety equipment, harnesses, and emergency procedures before flight.

Weight and balance must be calculated before each flight and remain within the aircraft's published limits; exceeding maximum take-off weight or the centre-of-gravity range renders the aircraft unairworthy for that flight.