§ 35. Sir Anthony Royleasked the Minister for Trade if he will take immediate action to control the nuisance caused by microlight aircraft; if he will apply normal air safety requirements and noise controls to these aircraft and licensing controls for their pilots; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SproatMicrolight aeroplanes, like all other aircraft, have to be flown in conformity with the rules of the air and air traffic control, and now have to be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority. The authority introduced formal pilot licensing requirements from 1 September last year, and is also drawing up in conjunction with the representative bodies airworthiness requirements in the form of a "permit to fly" for aeroplanes with an empty weight of between 70 and 150 kg. These requirements will be published very shortly. Microlight aeroplanes used for pleasure flying and instruction will430W then be subject to a similar degree of regulation as larger light aeroplanes, and as microlight aircraft used for other purposes already are.
When the two studies of noise created by microlight aircraft which my Department has commissioned are complete, we will consider how it can be alleviated and if necessary controlled.