Civil aviation in Europe

Introduction to Civil Aviation

People interested in entering the civil aviation family (either with a view to a future occupation or for fun), from the first day they approach this sector, must digest a series of notions that are difficult to synthesize or simplify. This book therefore wants to try to find a new model of explanation that, starting from the basics, begins to form an aviation awareness allowing to lower the information barriers of the world of flight.

Aviation is regulated by national, European, international laws according to an ocean of regulations, circulars, information notes that are really complicated to consult. It is therefore important that, when a person begins to collect information, he immediately has all the necessary tools to understand it.

The players in the aeronautical world

As we have already said in the glossary that precedes these chapters, civil aviation bodies have the task of developing, supporting, directing, standardizing, regulating everything that rises from the ground.

All aeronautical operators (i.e. organizations certified to operate in any field) and aviators (i.e. both flight and ground personnel), as well as passengers and all customers of every service, must comply with international, European and national regulations.

Operations and air assets

These are concepts that are difficult to find in aeronautical manuals because they range transversally within different regulations and areas. We therefore thought of proposing a summary that can provide a broader vision.

Precisely because our aim is to provide clarifications on aspects that normally remain hidden or difficult to understand, we believe it is essential to start from here!

Let’s start with the distinction between “professional activities” and “entertainment activities” (we don’t like to call them “amateur”, because in aviation no one is an amateur) and then identify the three macro-sectors of civil aviation: “commercial aviation”, “general aviation” and “recreational sport flight” which is also a non-profit activity but with different air means than those of general aviation.

Commercial aviation

This group includes all those activities ˗ as already mentioned in the glossary ˗ for profit, ranging from scheduled flights to air taxis, from helicopter rescue to flight schools, from aerial work with helicopters to firefighting, to work with drones.

To these activities we must then obviously connect all the sectors that do not deal strictly with flight operations, but are support, such as for example: design, construction, maintenance, technical management and air traffic control.

Every activity for which a contract is perfected in which the customer pays a fee to have a service is a commercial activity.

To carry out paid operations, the aircraft used are defined in jargon as “certified aircraft”, that is: airplanes, helicopters, convertiplanes, gliders, airships, hot air balloons (or rather, free balloons) that have a certification issued by EASA. Even drones are actually aircraft in all respects according to the Italian navigation code, even if they are not certified by EASA (but this is another world).

General Aviation

This sector includes all private, non-profit activities of enthusiasts who fly for fun, aircraft owners or members of flying clubs.

Compared to the first group, there is one thing they have in common, namely the categories of aircraft used: the so-called “certified” aircraft.

The recreational sport flight

In this activity you can find the same prerogatives as general aviation. However, it is distinguished by the categories of means used which are: parachute, paraglider (with and without engine), hang glider (with and without engine), autogyro, ULM (ultralight motorized) and light gliders which are very similar to certified aircraft, however they are not legally part of it. The only commercial activity that can be carried out with these means is training and tandem flights.

General Aviation vs. Recreational Sport Flying

Motorized ultralights are technically airplanes or helicopters in all respects, but since they remain below 600 kg of maximum take-off weight (according to the European standard) they do not require EASA certification, they do not have to be built by certified companies and they do not have to be maintained by aeronautical companies… therefore they are not “certified” aircraft like those used in commercial or general aviation.

It is important to understand these differences to understand how to approach this sector.

The regulation for the management of recreational sports vehicles, including motorized microlights and light gliders, both for technical and operational and training issues has been delegated in Europe to national aeroclubs. A flight license on certified aircraft will therefore be valid in all States that adhere to the EASA regulation, while a recreational sports flight license is valid only in the State in which it was issued.

LEARN BEFORE FLIGHT

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