PRINTER'S NO. 654
No. 588 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY REBER, GEIST, E. Z. TAYLOR AND CIVERA,
MARCH 12, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 12, 1991
AN ACT
1 Providing for the operation of ultralight air vehicles within
2 this Commonwealth.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Ultralight
7 Air Vehicle Operations Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Administrator." The Administrator of the Federal Aviation
13 Administration, or a designee of the administration.
14 "Ultralight air vehicle." Any vehicle which meets the
15 requirements of section 3.
16 Section 3. Applicability.
17 The provisions of this act shall apply to every ultralight
1 air vehicle that conforms to the following standards:
2 (1) Is used or intended to be used for manned operation
3 in the air by a single occupant.
4 (2) Is used or intended to be used for recreation or
5 sport purposes only.
6 (3) Does not have any United States or foreign
7 airworthiness certificate.
8 (4) If unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds.
9 (5) If powered, meets all of the following conditions:
10 (i) Weighs less than 254 pounds empty weight,
11 excluding floats and safety devices that are intended for
12 deployment in a potentially catastrophic situation.
13 (ii) Has a fuel capacity not exceeding five United
14 States gallons.
15 (iii) Is not capable of more than 55 knots
16 calibrated airspeed at full power in level flight.
17 (iv) Has a power-off stall speed which does not
18 exceed 24 knots calibrated airspeed.
19 Section 4. Registration of ultralights.
20 (a) Mandatory requirement.--All ultralight air vehicles
21 which are owned by residents of this Commonwealth shall be
22 registered, within 90 days of the effective date of this act,
23 with the Bureau of Aviation in the Department of Transportation.
24 (b) Registration fee.--The Bureau of Aviation shall assess a
25 registration fee of $25 for each ultralight air vehicle
26 registered with the bureau under this section.
27 Section 5. Operations of ultralights.
28 (a) Hazardous operation prohibition.--
29 (1) No person may operate any ultralight vehicle in a
30 manner that creates a hazard to other persons or property.
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1 (2) No person may allow an object to be dropped from an
2 ultralight vehicle if such action creates a hazard to other
3 persons or property.
4 (b) Daylight operations.--
5 (1) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle except
6 for the hours between sunrise and sunset.
7 (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), ultralight vehicles
8 may be operated during the twilight periods 30 minutes before
9 official sunrise and 30 minutes after official sunset if:
10 (i) The vehicle is equipped with an operating
11 anticollision light visible for at least three statute
12 miles.
13 (ii) All operations are conducted in uncontrolled
14 airspace.
15 (c) Operation near aircraft; right-of-way rules.--
16 (1) Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall
17 maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall
18 yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.
19 (2) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a
20 manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any
21 aircraft.
22 (3) Powered ultralights shall yield the right-of-way to
23 unpowered ultralights.
24 (d) Operations over congested areas.--No person may operate
25 an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city, town or
26 settlement or over any open air assembly of persons.
27 (e) Visual reference with the surface.--No person may
28 operate an ultralight vehicle except by visual reference with
29 the surface.
30 (f) Identification markings.--Every ultralight air vehicle
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1 which is operated within this Commonwealth shall carry and
2 maintain clear identifying markers which are visible from the
3 ground.
4 Section 6. Federal standards.
5 All ultralight air vehicles operated in this Commonwealth
6 shall comply with all rules and regulations that are adopted by
7 the appropriate Federal agency.
8 Section 7. Effective date.
9 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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