{"id":"F2006B03563","name":"AD/BAL/24 - Solid Floor Baskets","slug":"ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":43130,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03563-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","sectionType":"part","heading":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","content":"# ![](image.001.png)  \nAIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE\n\nFor the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.\n\n![](image.001.png)  \n\nHot Air Balloons","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/BAL/24 Solid Floor Baskets 1/2005 DM","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/BAL/24 Solid Floor Baskets 1/2005 DM","content":"# AD/BAL/24 Solid Floor Baskets 1/2005 DM\n\nApplicability: All solid floor balloon baskets manufactured by Cameron Balloons Limited, Thunder Balloons Ltd, Colt Balloons Ltd, Thunder and Colt Ltd, and Sky Balloons Ltd.\n\nRequirement: 1. Revise the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) for any balloon fitted with a Cameron solid floor basket, by incorporating the following into the Normal Procedures section of the AFM (this may be accomplished by inserting a copy of this Directive into the AFM):\n\nADDITIONAL FLIGHT MANUAL INFORMATION (Section 4 \\- Normal\n\nProcedures):\n\nPre-Flight Check of Basket Suspension Wires\n\nSolid floor baskets must have no damage to the rawhide wire protectors sufficient to expose the suspension wires. Check also for wire damage where the wires are visible between the protectors and the skids. Any such damage must be inspected by a qualified inspector and repaired if necessary before further flight in accordance with Cameron Balloons Maintenance Manual Section 6.16.4.\n\nNote 1: Balloons for which Issue 9 amendment 1 of Cameron Balloons CAA Approved Flight Manual is applicable, may use the manual as an acceptable means of compliance with the above requirement.\n\n2. Inspect the basket suspension wires and rawhide protectors in accordance with Cameron Balloons Service Bulletin No. 12 Revision 0, or later EASA approved revision. If any damage is found to be in excess of that permitted by Cameron Balloons Maintenance Manual Issue 9 Section 6.16.4. or later EASA approved revision, before further flight, repair in accordance with manufacturer’s approved data.\n\nNote 2: CAA AD G-2004-0028 refers.\n\nCompliance: 1. Within 7 days after 1 December 2004.\n\n2. Within 1 month after 1 December 2004.","sortOrder":1}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD maintains its original narrow scope — addressing a specific safety defect in solid floor balloon baskets from particular manufacturers. The scope has not expanded beyond this targeted safety issue."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose directive with clear applicability and requirements","Only 2 defined compliance actions with specific deadlines","Cross-references to external documents (Cameron Balloons Service Bulletin No. 12, Maintenance Manual Section 6.16.4, EASA approved revisions) but these are manufacturer standards rather than legislative cross-references","Contains two 'acceptable means of compliance' notes that provide alternative compliance paths for certain balloon models","No nested conditional logic or exceptions within the regulatory text itself"],"plain_english_summary":"This AD orders owners/operators of certain solid-floor hot air balloon baskets (Cameron, Thunder, Colt and Sky-built models) to add a new pre-flight check to the flight manual and to inspect the basket suspension wires and rawhide protectors per the manufacturer’s service bulletin. If leather is worn to expose wire or the wires are damaged, a qualified inspector must repair before flight. Update due within 7 days of 1 Dec 2004; inspection within 1 month."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Airworthiness Directive is narrowly focused on the unsafe condition described (damaged rawhide protectors exposing suspension wires) and requires specific procedural and technical actions (AFM revision, inspection, repair) tied to manufacturer and EASA‑approved data. It does not extend beyond that safety purpose into unrelated areas, nor does it add obligations beyond inspection/repair and AFM revision. Therefore it has not grown significantly beyond its original, stated safety objective."},"complexity_factors":["Limited scope: applies only to solid floor baskets from five named manufacturers (Applicability)","Two discrete requirements with short compliance times (Requirement 1: AFM revision within 7 days; Requirement 2: inspection within 1 month)","Cross‑references to external technical documents: Cameron Balloons Maintenance Manual Section 6.16.4 and Service Bulletin No. 12 Revision 0 (or later EASA‑approved revisions)","Conditional prohibition: repairs required before further flight if damage exceeds manufacturer‑permitted limits (Requirement 2)","Notes that allow an alternative means of compliance (Cameron AFM Issue 9 amendment 1), creating a small branching path","Reference to another authority’s AD (CAA AD G-2004-0028), adding an external regulatory cross‑link"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this directive does (mechanics first)**\n\n- Applicability: It applies to all solid-floor hot-air balloon baskets made by Cameron Balloons Ltd, Thunder Balloons Ltd, Colt Balloons Ltd, Thunder and Colt Ltd, and Sky Balloons Ltd. (see \"Applicability\").\n\n- Required changes to aircraft documents: Within 7 days after 1 December 2004, operators must revise the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) for any balloon fitted with a Cameron solid floor basket to add a new pre‑flight check procedure for the basket suspension wires and their rawhide protectors. The text to be added is provided in the Directive (Requirement 1).\n\n- Inspections and repairs: Within one month after 1 December 2004, operators must inspect the basket suspension wires and rawhide protectors in accordance with Cameron Balloons Service Bulletin No. 12 Revision 0 (or a later EASA‑approved revision). If damage exceeds the limits in Cameron Balloons Maintenance Manual Issue 9 Section 6.16.4 (or a later EASA‑approved revision), the basket must be repaired using the manufacturer’s approved data before the balloon is flown again (Requirement 2).\n\n- Notes and acceptable alternatives: The Directive notes that if a balloon already uses Cameron Balloons CAA Approved Flight Manual Issue 9 amendment 1, that manual may be used instead of inserting the Directive text into the AFM (Note 1). It also cross‑references a related CAA Airworthiness Directive (Note 2).\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- Primary: Owners and operators of hot‑air balloons equipped with the listed solid floor baskets. They must change their AFM, perform inspections, and pay for any required repairs.\n\n- Secondary: Qualified inspectors and maintenance providers who will perform the inspections and repairs; Cameron Balloons (and possibly the other listed manufacturers) because their maintenance manuals and service bulletins are the standards for compliance.\n\n- Regulators: CASA (the delegate issuing the AD) enforces compliance under CASR subregulation 39.1(1).\n\n**Why it matters (stated purpose and practical effects)**\n\n- Stated purpose: The Directive aims to correct an identified unsafe condition — damaged rawhide protectors that could expose suspension wires (Requirement 1 & 2). The immediate legal effect is to mandate inspections and to prevent flight until defects beyond the permitted limits are repaired.\n\n- Practical effects and trade‑offs:\n  - Who pays: Balloon owners/operators pay for the AFM amendment (administrative), inspections, and any repairs. Maintenance providers charge for inspection/repair services and parts.\n  - Behaviour change required: Operators must add a new pre‑flight check to their normal procedures and schedule a formal inspection within the month. They must ground (not fly) any balloon with damage exceeding the manufacturer’s permitted limits until an approved repair is carried out.\n  - Compliance burden: Short compliance windows (7 days for AFM change; 1 month for inspection) increase near‑term administrative and maintenance workload for operators. Small operators could face cashflow or logistical strain if qualified inspectors or parts are not locally available.\n  - Who decides and how: The CASA delegate issued the AD under CASR 1998. The Directive defers technical standards and repair methods to the manufacturer’s Maintenance Manual and Service Bulletin (Requirement 2), and to later revisions approved by EASA — introducing cross‑jurisdictional reliance on manufacturer and EASA approvals.\n  - Effects on manufacturers and market: Manufacturers benefit from being the source of approved repair data and may provide the inspection/repair services or parts. Independent maintenance organisations can compete to provide inspections/repairs but must follow manufacturer/EASA‑approved data.\n  - Opportunity cost and implementation risk: Rapid compliance deadlines may shift resources from other maintenance tasks. If approved repair parts or qualified inspectors are scarce, operators could experience grounding delays. Relying on later EASA‑approved revisions can create uncertainty about which revision is acceptable at the time of compliance.\n\n**Concrete legal mechanics to note**\n\n- The Directive requires incorporation of specific pre‑flight wording into the AFM (Requirement 1) and mandates inspections/repairs per specified manufacturer documents (Requirement 2).\n- It prohibits further flight if damage exceeds the limits in the manufacturer’s Maintenance Manual until repaired in accordance with manufacturer’s approved data (Requirement 2).\n- Acceptable means of compliance include certain existing Cameron AFM revisions and later EASA‑approved revisions of the referenced service/maintenance documents (Notes 1 & 2; Requirement 2).\n\n**Costs, incentives and risks (brief)**\n\n- Concentrated costs fall on individual aircraft owners/operators who must pay for inspection/repairs; benefits (reduced risk of failure) are diffuse across all users and passengers.\n- Manufacturers obtain demand for approved repair procedures/parts; independent repair shops may compete but must follow the manufacturer’s data.\n- Short deadlines create implementation risk if local capacity is limited; deferring technical detail to manufacturer and EASA approvals creates dependence on those bodies for clear compliance paths.\n\n(Referenced sections: Applicability; Requirement 1 and 2; Compliance; Notes 1 and 2.)"},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets","history":"/api/acts/ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bal-24-solid-floor-baskets/documents"}}