Change in Ultralight Aeroplane Definition

February 2024 – What if you were suddenly told you can’t drive your pickup truck with your driver’s license? You’d be hopping mad, wouldn’t you?

Well, that’s what’s happening to ultralight pilots. If this definition change goes through, ultralight pilots will no longer be able to fly any aeroplane that is not registered as C-Ixxx.

Beware! Don’t ignore this or think it doesn’t matter to you.

Today, with no advance notice to the ultralight community, Transport Canada is proposing changes that will negatively impact ultralight pilots. Tomorrow, with the stroke of a pen, it could be anyone, or everyone, else. Once privileges are lost, we won’t get them back.

All pilots, not just ultralight pilots, need to send in a comment to prevent this from happening. We’re all in this together.

What it’s all about?

Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) 2024-001- Aircraft Identification, Registration and Operation of a Leased Aircraft by a Non-Registered Owner (PART II)

This NPA includes changes in Part I to the definition of an ultralight aeroplane. The new definition “ultra-light aeroplane” will state that an ultralight aircraft is one that is registered as such. (C-Ixxx)

This will cause a huge problem for the ultralight community. Ultralight pilots will no longer be able to operate aeroplanes that are registered in different categories that meet the gross weight and stall speed of a basic ultralight.

Read the NPA yourself. Download it here.

Read the attached comments from UPAC. Write your own comments and send them to Transport Canada. The deadline for comments is tomorrow, February 7, 2024. Do it NOW.

Email written comments to: TC.CARConsultations-RACConsultations.TC@tc.gc.ca

Or use the online form for NPAs.

Transport Canada needs to hear from all of you that it is unacceptable to make it illegal for ultralight pilots to fly the airplanes they own when they do not have C-Ixxx marks. Please let me know what your comments are by emailing me at Klubitz@upac.ca.