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Part 131 (Balloons and Hot Air Airships) Manual of Standards 2024
Part 20OPERATION OF TETHERED PART 131 AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN
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CHAPTER 20 OPERATION OF TETHERED PART 131 AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN
A SUBPART 131.Z TETHERED GAS BALLOON..................40
20.01 Purpose.......................................................40
20.02 Requirements for tethered flight....................................40
CHAPTER 21 FUEL AND BALLAST REQUIREMENTS........................41
21.01 Purpose.......................................................41
21.02 Definitions for this Chapter.......................................41
21.03 General requirements............................................41
21.04 Amount of fuel that must be carried for a flight........................42
21.05 Procedures for determining fuel before flight and fuel monitoring during a flight 42
21.06 Procedures if fuel reaches specified amounts..........................43
21.07 Operational variations — procedures and requirements..................43
CHAPTER 22 CARRIAGE OF PERSONS REQUIRING ASSISTANCE.............45
22.01 Purpose.......................................................45
22.02 Requirements – persons requiring assistance – any Part 131 aircraft........45
22.03 Requirements — balloon transport operators..........................45
CHAPTER 23 PASSENGERS — SAFETY BRIEFINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS......46
23.01 Purpose.......................................................46
23.02 Safety briefing and instructions before take-off........................46
23.03 Safety briefing and instructions before landing........................47
23.04 Operator’s exposition............................................48
CHAPTER 24 LOADING WEIGHTS.........................................49
Division 24.1 Maximum loading weights...................................49
24.01 Purpose.......................................................49
24.02 Circumstances and methods for calculating maximum weight............49
24.03 Standard weights................................................49
Division 24.2 Minimum loading weights....................................50
24.04 Purpose.......................................................50
24.05 Circumstances and methods for calculating minimum loading weight......50
CHAPTER 25 CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS.................................52
25.01 Purpose.......................................................52
25.02 Application....................................................52
25.03 Maximum number of passengers...................................52
25.04 Pilot in command communications with passengers....................52
25.05 Location of passengers...........................................52
25.06 Carriage of children as passengers..................................52
25.07 On board equipment for passengers.................................53
25.08 Exposition requirements..........................................53
CHAPTER 26 EQUIPMENT................................................54
Division 26.1 General..................................................54
26.01 Purpose.......................................................54
Division 26.2 Approvals and visibility......................................54
26.02 Approval of aircraft equipment.....................................54
26.03 Visibility and accessibility — pilot-operated equipment.................55
26.04 Serviceability of equipment.......................................55
Division 26.3 Flight instruments..........................................56
26.05 Part 131 aircraft VFR flight by day.................................56
26.06 Hot air airship flight – VFR flight – additional requirements..............57
Division 26.4 Operational equipment......................................57
26.07 Radiocommunication systems.....................................57
26.08 When aircraft may begin a flight with inoperative radiocommunications....57
26.09 Fuel and burner equipment........................................58
26.10 Lines and ropes.................................................58
26.11 Pilot restraint harness............................................58
26.12 Remote area survival equipment....................................58
Division 26.5 Lighting systems...........................................59
26.13 Lights for VFR flight at night......................................59
Division 26.6 Oxygen equipment and oxygen supplies.........................59
26.14 Supplemental oxygen equipment and supplies.........................59
Division 26.7 Emergency locator transmitters................................59
26.15 ELT requirements...............................................59
Division 26.8 Portable emergency equipment................................59
26.16 Hand-held fire extinguishers.......................................59
26.17 First-aid kits...................................................60
Division 26.9 Equipment for flights over water...............................60
26.18 Life jackets and flotation devices...................................60
Division 26.10 Surveillance equipment......................................60
26.19 Exceptions to (E)TSO or NAA requirements..........................60
26.20 Definitions....................................................61
26.21 Required surveillance equipment...................................64
26.22 Requirements for other surveillance equipment for VFR aircraft..........65
26.23 Operation of surveillance equipment — general requirements............66
26.24 Mode S transponders, ADS-B OUT and electronic conspicuity equipment — specific requirements 67
26.25 Alternate GNSS position source for ADS-B OUT — requirements........68
26.26 Alternate ADS-B OUT equipment configuration — requirements.........68
26.27 Approved Mode S transponder with Class B TABS position source device equipment configuration — requirements 69
26.28 Approved integrated TABS device — requirements....................69
26.29 Approved EC device — requirements...............................69
26.30 Aircraft flown with inoperative surveillance equipment.................71
CHAPTER 27 FLIGHT CREW — QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING...........72
Division 27.1 Training and checking.......................................72
27.01 Purpose.......................................................72
27.02 Commercial pilot (balloon) licence or CAR certificate of validation........72
27.03 Recreational pilot authorisation....................................72
Division 27.2 Other qualifications or experience — general.....................72
27.04 Purpose.......................................................72
27.05 Balloon class endorsement........................................72
27.06 Night VFR flight................................................72
Division 27.3 Other qualifications or experience — balloon transport operations....73
27.07 Purpose.......................................................73
27.08 Balloon transport operations — induction training and area familiarisation..73
27.09 Balloon transport operations — general emergency training and competency73
27.10 Balloon transport operations — transition training to first act as pilot in command without supervision 74
27.11 Recurrent training and checking requirements.........................74
27.12 Requirements for individuals conducting training and checking...........75
27.13 RESERVED...................................................75
27.14 Exposition requirements..........................................75
CHAPTER 28 GROUND SUPPORT PERSONNEL.............................76