Part 131 (Balloons and Hot Air Airships) Manual of Standards 2024 (Cth)

Part 131 (Balloons and Hot Air Airships) Manual of Standards 2024

made under the

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 and the Acts Interpretation Act 1901

Compilation No. 1

Compilation date: 12 November 2024

Includes amendments: F2024L01348

Prepared by the Legal Services Branch, Legal, International and Regulatory Affairs Division, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Canberra. Contents Note This Table of Contents is for guidance only. It is not a formal part of the Part 131 (Balloons and Hot Air Airships) Manual of Standards 2024. See subsection 1.03.

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CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY AND DEFINITIONS.............................1 Division 1.1 Preliminary................................................1 1.01 Name of instrument..............................................1 1.03 Table of Contents................................................1 Division 1.2 Definitions — general........................................1 1.04 References to instruments and documents.............................1 1.05 References to TSOs, ETSOs, (E)TSOs................................1 1.06 Definitions, etc...................................................2 CHAPTER 2 PRESCRIPTIONS FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS IN THE CASR DICTIONARY 7 Division 2.1 Definition of special VFR.....................................7 2.01 Special VFR....................................................7 Division 2.2 Definition of VMC criteria....................................7 2.02 VMC criteria....................................................7 CHAPTER 3 OTHER PRESCRIPTIONS FOR DEFINITIONS FOR PART 131 OF CASR 9 3.01 Specialised balloon operation.......................................9 3.02 Part 131 recreational activity.......................................9 CHAPTER 4 PERSONNEL FATIGUE MANAGEMENT........................10 4.01 Purpose.......................................................10 4.02 Personnel fatigue management.....................................10 CHAPTER 5 FLIGHT RELATED DOCUMENTS..............................11 5.01 Carriage of documents — all flights.................................11 5.02 Carriage of documents — flights that begin or end, or are conducted entirely, outside Australian territory.................................12 5.03 Journey logs...................................................12 5.04 Documents kept with a person on the ground..........................13 CHAPTER 6 REPORTING AND RECORDING INFORMATION.................14 6.01 Purpose.......................................................14 6.02 Passenger lists..................................................14 6.03 Recording loading weights and fuel usage............................14 6.04 Other information to be recorded or retained..........................14 CHAPTER 7 EMERGENCY AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT INFORMATION.....16 7.01 Information about emergency and survival equipment...................16 CHAPTER 8 FLIGHTS OVER POPULOUS AREAS, PUBLIC GATHERINGS AND OTHER AREAS 17 8.01 Purpose.......................................................17 8.02 Minimum height for Part 131 aircraft — populous area or public gathering..17 CHAPTER 9 DROPPING THINGS FROM AIRCRAFT.........................18 9.01 Purpose.......................................................18 9.02 What may be dropped............................................18 CHAPTER 10 USE OF SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN EQUIPMENT, ETC...........19 10.01 Purpose.......................................................19 10.02 Requirements about the use of equipment to supply supplemental oxygen...19 CHAPTER 11 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIALISED BALLOON OPERATIONS 21 11.01 Purpose.......................................................21 11.02 RESERVED...................................................21 CHAPTER 12 FLIGHT PREPARATION......................................22 12.01 Purpose.......................................................22 12.02 Flight preparation (weather assessments) requirements..................22 CHAPTER 13 FLIGHT NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS......................23 13.01 Purpose.......................................................23 13.02 Flight notification requirements....................................23 13.03 Changes to flight plans and SARTIME nominations....................23 13.04 Cancelling SARTIME............................................24 13.05 Responsible persons for receipt of a flight note........................24 CHAPTER 14 MATTERS TO BE CHECKED BEFORE TAKE-OFF...............25 14.01 Purpose.......................................................25 14.02 Pre-flight checks................................................25 14.03 Checking systems for measuring and displaying pressure altitude — general.25 14.04 Accurate QNH and site elevation...................................26 CHAPTER 15 AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES — PRESCRIBED REQUIREMENTS......27 Division 15.1 Use of a class of airspace.....................................27 15.01 Purpose.......................................................27 15.02 Transition altitude, transition layer and transition level..................27 15.03 Australian domestic airspace — inoperative radio requirements...........27 15.04 Mandatory broadcast area requirements..............................28 Division 15.2 Control zones, control areas, controlled aerodromes and classes of airspace 29 15.05 Purpose.......................................................29 15.06 Controlled aerodromes...........................................29 15.07 Control zones and areas — entry into Class A, B, C or D airspace.........29 15.08 Control zones and control areas — operating within....................29 15.09 Readback of ATC clearances and instructions.........................30 Division 15.3 Prohibited, restricted and danger areas..........................30 15.10 Purpose.......................................................30 15.11 Prohibited areas................................................30 15.12 Restricted areas.................................................31 15.13 Danger areas...................................................31 CHAPTER 16 USE OF RADIO — BROADCASTS AND REPORTS...............32 16.01 Purpose.......................................................32 16.02 Prescribed broadcasts and reports — general..........................32 16.03 Non-controlled aerodromes — prescribed broadcasts...................32 16.04 Controlled aerodromes and controlled airspace — prescribed reports.......32 16.05 Class E or G airspace — prescribed reports...........................33 16.06 Flights in a mandatory broadcast area — prescribed broadcasts and reports..34 CHAPTER 17 OPERATIONS AT NON-CONTROLLED AERODROMES...........36 17.01 Purpose.......................................................36 17.02 Operating within 3 NM of a non-controlled aerodrome..................36 CHAPTER 18 FLIGHTS OVER WATER.....................................37 18.01 Purpose.......................................................37 18.02 Definition.....................................................37 18.03 Requirements for Part 131 aircraft flights over water....................37 CHAPTER 19 VISUAL FLIGHT RULES.....................................39 19.01 Purpose.......................................................39 19.02 VFR flight requirements..........................................39 CHAPTER 20 OPERATION OF TETHERED PART 131 AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN A SUBPART 131.Z TETHERED GAS BALLOON..................40 20.01 Purpose.......................................................40 20.02 Requirements for tethered flight....................................40 CHAPTER 21 FUEL AND BALLAST REQUIREMENTS........................41 21.01 Purpose.......................................................41 21.02 Definitions for this Chapter.......................................41 21.03 General requirements............................................41 21.04 Amount of fuel that must be carried for a flight........................42 21.05 Procedures for determining fuel before flight and fuel monitoring during a flight 42 21.06 Procedures if fuel reaches specified amounts..........................43 21.07 Operational variations — procedures and requirements..................43 CHAPTER 22 CARRIAGE OF PERSONS REQUIRING ASSISTANCE.............45 22.01 Purpose.......................................................45 22.02 Requirements – persons requiring assistance – any Part 131 aircraft........45 22.03 Requirements — balloon transport operators..........................45 CHAPTER 23 PASSENGERS — SAFETY BRIEFINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS......46 23.01 Purpose.......................................................46 23.02 Safety briefing and instructions before take-off........................46 23.03 Safety briefing and instructions before landing........................47 23.04 Operator's exposition............................................48 CHAPTER 24 LOADING WEIGHTS.........................................49 Division 24.1 Maximum loading weights...................................49 24.01 Purpose.......................................................49 24.02 Circumstances and methods for calculating maximum weight............49 24.03 Standard weights................................................49 Division 24.2 Minimum loading weights....................................50 24.04 Purpose.......................................................50 24.05 Circumstances and methods for calculating minimum loading weight......50 CHAPTER 25 CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS.................................52 25.01 Purpose.......................................................52 25.02 Application....................................................52 25.03 Maximum number of passengers...................................52 25.04 Pilot in command communications with passengers....................52 25.05 Location of passengers...........................................52 25.06 Carriage of children as passengers..................................52 25.07 On board equipment for passengers.................................53 25.08 Exposition requirements..........................................53 CHAPTER 26 EQUIPMENT................................................54 Division 26.1 General..................................................54 26.01 Purpose.......................................................54 Division 26.2 Approvals and visibility......................................54 26.02 Approval of aircraft equipment.....................................54 26.03 Visibility and accessibility — pilot-operated equipment.................55 26.04 Serviceability of equipment.......................................55 Division 26.3 Flight instruments..........................................56 26.05 Part 131 aircraft VFR flight by day.................................56 26.06 Hot air airship flight – VFR flight – additional requirements..............57 Division 26.4 Operational equipment......................................57 26.07 Radiocommunication systems.....................................57 26.08 When aircraft may begin a flight with inoperative radiocommunications....57 26.09 Fuel and burner equipment........................................58 26.10 Lines and ropes.................................................58 26.11 Pilot restraint harness............................................58 26.12 Remote area survival equipment....................................58 Division 26.5 Lighting systems...........................................59 26.13 Lights for VFR flight at night......................................59 Division 26.6 Oxygen equipment and oxygen supplies.........................59 26.14 Supplemental oxygen equipment and supplies.........................59 Division 26.7 Emergency locator transmitters................................59 26.15 ELT requirements...............................................59 Division 26.8 Portable emergency equipment................................59 26.16 Hand-held fire extinguishers.......................................59 26.17 First-aid kits...................................................60 Division 26.9 Equipment for flights over water...............................60 26.18 Life jackets and flotation devices...................................60 Division 26.10 Surveillance equipment......................................60 26.19 Exceptions to (E)TSO or NAA requirements..........................60 26.20 Definitions....................................................61 26.21 Required surveillance equipment...................................64 26.22 Requirements for other surveillance equipment for VFR aircraft..........65 26.23 Operation of surveillance equipment — general requirements............66 26.24 Mode S transponders, ADS-B OUT and electronic conspicuity equipment — specific requirements 67 26.25 Alternate GNSS position source for ADS-B OUT — requirements........68 26.26 Alternate ADS-B OUT equipment configuration — requirements.........68 26.27 Approved Mode S transponder with Class B TABS position source device equipment configuration — requirements 69 26.28 Approved integrated TABS device — requirements....................69 26.29 Approved EC device — requirements...............................69 26.30 Aircraft flown with inoperative surveillance equipment.................71 CHAPTER 27 FLIGHT CREW — QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING...........72 Division 27.1 Training and checking.......................................72 27.01 Purpose.......................................................72 27.02 Commercial pilot (balloon) licence or CAR certificate of validation........72 27.03 Recreational pilot authorisation....................................72 Division 27.2 Other qualifications or experience — general.....................72 27.04 Purpose.......................................................72 27.05 Balloon class endorsement........................................72 27.06 Night VFR flight................................................72 Division 27.3 Other qualifications or experience — balloon transport operations....73 27.07 Purpose.......................................................73 27.08 Balloon transport operations — induction training and area familiarisation..73 27.09 Balloon transport operations — general emergency training and competency73 27.10 Balloon transport operations — transition training to first act as pilot in command without supervision 74 27.11 Recurrent training and checking requirements.........................74 27.12 Requirements for individuals conducting training and checking...........75 27.13 RESERVED...................................................75 27.14 Exposition requirements..........................................75 CHAPTER 28 GROUND SUPPORT PERSONNEL.............................76 Division 28.1 Training and checking for ground support personnel of balloon transport operators..........................................76 28.01 Purpose.......................................................76 28.02 Training and checking requirements.................................76 28.03 Requirements for individuals conducting training and checking...........76 28.04 RESERVED...................................................77 28.05 Exposition requirements..........................................77 Division 28.2 Numbers of ground support personnel of balloon transport operators..77 28.06 Purpose.......................................................77 28.07 Numbers of ground support personnel...............................77 CHAPTER 29 TETHERED GAS BALLOONS.................................78 29.01 Purpose.......................................................78 29.02 Requirements — tethered gas balloon...............................78 Notes to Part 131 (Balloons and Hot Air Airships) Manual of Standards 2024.....79