{"id":"F2006B03548","name":"AD/BAL/10 - Wire Rope Vent and Rip Lines","slug":"ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":43115,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03548-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/BAL/10 - Wire Rope Vent and Rip Lines","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 22.10.0\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\nCOMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n \n\n![](image.001.png)  Hot Air Balloons\n\n \n\nAD/BAL/10 Wire Rope Vent and Rip Lines 7/90\n\nApplicability: All hot air balloons.\n\n \n\nRequirement: 1. Gain access to the lower section of the rip and vent control lines.\n\n \n\n2.    Examine the lower 7 metres for evidence of wire rope.\n\n \n\n3.    If wire rope is found replace affected lines with same diameter kevlar core polyester covered line or other suitable non-conductive alternative.\n\n \n\nNote: Kavanagh Balloons Engineering Order KB / 90 / 03 provides a suitable means of compliance.\n\n \n\nCompliance: Prior to 31 December 1990.\n\n \n\nBackground:  To reduce potential electrical shock hazards to the pilot and passengers, all metal control lines are replaced with non-conductive control lines.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, time-bound safety directive with a narrow, specific purpose (eliminating electrical conductivity in balloon control lines). It has not expanded beyond its original electrical safety intent."},"complexity_factors":["Single, discrete safety requirement with only 3 procedural steps","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation (only a non-binding reference to an engineering order)","Simple conditional logic: 'If wire rope found → replace'","Fixed applicability (all hot air balloons) with no exceptions or exemptions","Total length: approximately 150 words of substantive content"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive** (a mandatory safety order) issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority for **all hot air balloons**.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Requires balloon operators to inspect the bottom 7 metres of their rip and vent control lines (the ropes that let pilots release hot air or open emergency vents)\n- If those lines contain **wire rope** (metal cable), they must be replaced with non-conductive alternatives like Kevlar-core polyester line\n\n**Why it matters:**\nMetal control lines can conduct electricity. If a balloon hits power lines or encounters an electrical storm, metal ropes could electrocute the pilot or passengers. This directive eliminates that shock hazard by banning metal from these critical control systems.\n\n**Who must comply:**\nAnyone operating a hot air balloon in Australia. The directive specified a hard deadline of 31 December 1990 for compliance.\n\n**Key detail:**\nThe directive references a specific engineering document (Kavanagh Balloons Engineering Order KB/90/03) as an approved method for making the required changes."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The directive's scope is to inspect and, where necessary, replace metal rip and vent control lines on all hot air balloons with non-conductive lines. The text states that objective and prescribes the inspection and replacement steps (Applicability; Requirement 1–3) along with a compliance date (Compliance). The background statement (Background) identifies the safety rationale but does not expand or narrow the technical scope set out in the Requirements."},"complexity_factors":["Clear, narrow applicability: applies to all hot air balloons (Applicability)","Simple, finite inspection scope: lower 7 metres of rip and vent control lines (Requirement 2)","Specific remedial action required when metal is found (Requirement 3)","Technical maintenance work required: gaining access to lower section and replacing control lines (Requirement 1–3)","Material specification plus open alternative: kevlar-core polyester-covered line required or \"other suitable non-conductive alternative\" (Requirement 3)","Reliance on an external engineering order as a stated means of compliance (Note)","Fixed compliance deadline imposes scheduling and cost pressures (Compliance)"],"plain_english_summary":"## What this instrument does\n\nThis airworthiness directive requires owners/operators of hot air balloons to check and, if necessary, replace certain control lines so they are not metal. Specifically, the directive requires access to the lower section of the rip and vent control lines, an inspection of the lower 7 metres for any wire rope, and replacement of any wire rope found with a same-diameter kevlar-core, polyester-covered line or another suitable non-conductive alternative (Requirement 1–3).\n\n## Who it affects\n\n- All hot air balloon owners and operators (Applicability).\n- Maintenance providers or engineers who perform inspections and replacements.\n\n## Why it matters (mechanics)\n\n- The stated purpose is to reduce the risk of electrical shock to the pilot and passengers by removing metal control lines and replacing them with non-conductive ones (Background).\n- Operators must complete the inspection and any required replacements by the specified compliance date (Compliance).\n\n## Who pays, who decides, and what changes in behaviour\n\n- Who pays: balloon owners/operators pay for gaining access, inspection and any replacement parts and labour (Requirement 1–3).\n- Who decides: the operator/maintenance organisation is responsible for carrying out the inspection and making the replacement decisions. The AD allows some discretion about the non-conductive replacement material by permitting \"other suitable non-conductive alternatives\" (Requirement 3). An external engineering order (Kavanagh Balloons Engineering Order KB/90/03) is cited as a suitable means of compliance (Note), which operators can follow to satisfy the requirement.\n- Behavioural change required: operators must inspect the lower 7 metres of rip and vent control lines, and where wire rope (metal) is present, replace it with specified or otherwise acceptable non-conductive lines (Requirement 1–3).\n\n## Compliance burden and implementation notes\n\n- Compliance requires physical access to the lower section of the control lines and a visual/physical inspection of the lower 7 metres (Requirement 1–2). That can impose labour, handling and possibly specialist maintenance costs.\n- If replacement is required, operators must source same-diameter kevlar-core polyester-covered line or an alternative that meets the non-conductive requirement; this creates procurement and installation costs and may require technical competence or a maintenance provider (Requirement 3).\n- The directive permits use of an external engineering order as a defined compliance method (Note), which reduces uncertainty about an acceptable technical approach but ties compliance to that external document.\n- The authority sets a compliance deadline (Compliance), so timing and scheduling of maintenance are part of the operator’s cost and planning.\n\n## Trade-offs, incentives and risks (source-grounded)\n\n- Concentrated cost: the expense of inspection and replacement is borne directly by balloon owners/operators (Requirement 1–3). The safety benefit (reduced electrical shock risk) is concentrated on pilots and passengers (Background).\n- Procurement and service demand: maintenance providers and suppliers of non-conductive control lines may experience increased demand from operators needing replacements (Requirement 3).\n- Discretion and implementation risk: the phrase \"other suitable non-conductive alternative\" allows technical discretion in material choice (Requirement 3). That discretion reduces a procurement bottleneck but creates an implementation risk if operators select materials or installation methods that do not effectively mitigate the stated hazard; the AD mitigates that risk by naming a specific Engineering Order as a suitable compliance means (Note).\n\n## Source citations\n\n- Applicability: \"All hot air balloons.\" (Applicability)\n- Required actions: \"Gain access to the lower section... Examine the lower 7 metres... If wire rope is found replace affected lines with same diameter kevlar core polyester covered line or other suitable non-conductive alternative.\" (Requirement 1–3)\n- Compliance timing: \"Prior to 31 December 1990.\" (Compliance)\n- Compliance method: \"Kavanagh Balloons Engineering Order KB / 90 / 03 provides a suitable means of compliance.\" (Note)\n- Rationale: \"To reduce potential electrical shock hazards to the pilot and passengers...\" (Background)"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines","history":"/api/acts/ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bal-10-wire-rope-vent-and-rip-lines/documents"}}