{"id":"F2016L00271","name":"CASA EX36/16 - Exemption — aircraft operating without carriage of Mode S transponder equipment (Goldrush Ballooning)","slug":"casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":94200,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2016L00271-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"CASA EX36/16 - Exemption — aircraft operating without carriage of Mode S transponder equipment (Goldrush Ballooning)","content":"Instrument number CASA EX36/16\n\nI, Mark alan skidmore, Director of Aviation Safety, on behalf of CASA, make this instrument under regulation 11.160 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.\n\n\\[Signed Mark Skidmore AM\\]\n\nMark Skidmore AM  \nDirector of Aviation Safety\n\n7 March 2016\n\nExemption — aircraft operating without carriage of Mode S transponder equipment (Goldrush Ballooning)\n\n1 Duration\n\nThis instrument:\n\n(a) commences on the day of registration; and\n\n(b) expires at the end of December 2018, as if it had been repealed by another instrument.\n\n2 Repeal\n\nInstrument CASA EX12/16 is repealed.\n\n3 Application\n\nThis instrument applies to balloons operated by Goldrush Ballooning Pty Ltd, Aviation Reference Number 569224 (the operator).\n\n4 Exemption\n\nThe balloons mentioned in section 3 are exempt from compliance with paragraph 9E.2 of Civil Aviation Order 20.18 in relation to the requirement to carry a serviceable ADS-B capable Mode S transponder.\n\n5 Condition\n\nA person who is using balloons to which this instrument applies must ensure that all I.F.R. flight plans for the aircraft in Australian airspace are annotated in Item 18 with “RMK/CASA MODE S EXEMPT” (quotation marks omitted).\n\n> Note If this annotation is not included in a flight plan, the Airservices Australia automated systems will reject the plan.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":2198},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a tightly targeted exemption instrument that applies solely to Goldrush Ballooning Pty Ltd. It does not expand beyond its original purpose of relieving this specific operator from transponder carriage requirements for balloon operations."},"complexity_factors":["Single beneficiary (one specific balloon operator)","References technical aviation equipment standards (Mode S transponder, ADS-B) requiring domain knowledge to fully understand","One precise compliance condition requiring exact text string in flight plan Item 18","Short duration instrument with automatic sunset clause"],"plain_english_summary":"This exemption allows **Goldrush Ballooning Pty Ltd** (a hot air balloon operator) to fly without carrying a **Mode S transponder**—a radio device that normally broadcasts an aircraft's exact location and identity to air traffic control.\n\n**What the exemption does**\nNormally, all aircraft must carry a serviceable ADS-B capable Mode S transponder (essentially a GPS tracker that talks to air traffic control). This instrument excuses Goldrush Ballooning's balloons from that rule.\n\n**Who it affects**\nOnly Goldrush Ballooning Pty Ltd (Aviation Reference Number 569224). No other operators can use this exemption.\n\n**The catch**\nWhen filing flight plans under Instrument Flight Rules (I.F.R.), the operator must add a specific code in Item 18: **RMK/CASA MODE S EXEMPT**. If they forget, Airservices Australia's computer systems will automatically reject the flight plan.\n\n**Expiry**\nThis instrument replaced an earlier exemption (EX12/16) and was set to automatically expire at the end of December 2018."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-","history":"/api/acts/casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-/history","analysis":"/api/acts/casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/casa-ex36-16-exemption-aircraft-operating-without-carriage-of-mode-s-transponder-equipment-goldrush-/documents"}}