Non-EASA aircraft
Non-EASA aircraft are those that are not required under the EASA Basic Regulation (currently Regulation (EU) 2018/1139) to hold an EASA certificate of airworthiness, an EASA restricted certificate of airworthiness or an EASA permit to fly, and therefore are out of the scope of EASA regulation. They fall into two broad categories:
Annex I aircraft:
Most categories of non-EASA aircraft are listed in Annex I of the current EASA Basic Regulation. The details such as weight limits are set out in Annex I but broadly these categories could be summarised as follows:
- Vintage aircraft that meet specific criteria for date of design and manufacture
- Ex-military aircraft
- Replicas of the above two categories
- Microlight aeroplanes
- Light helicopters
- Light gyroplanes
- Amateur build aircraft
- Aircraft built or modified for scientific or novel purposes
- Smaller balloons and airships
- Smaller sailplanes
- Certain tethered aircraft
- Manned sub-70kg aircraft such as self-propelled hang gliders
Other non-EASA aircraft
There are other aircraft categories not listed in Annex I that are also out of the scope of the EASA regulation. These include:
- Civil aircraft operating for or on behalf of the state such as customs, police, search & rescue or firefighting [under EASA Basic Regulation Article 2(3)(a)], unless the member state has chosen to bring those aircraft within EASA regulation [further to Article 2(6)]; and
- Certain types of light aeroplanes, helicopters and sailplanes that an EASA member state has chosen to ‘opt-out’ of EASA regulation [under EASA Basic Regulation Article 2(8)] and whose manufacturer has not ‘opted-in’ to EASA regulation [further to Article 2(9)].
The classification of an individual aircraft registered in Europe is shown on the Certificate of Airworthiness or Permit to Fly for that aircraft.
Details of particular aircraft can be found on our registration database, G-INFO.
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