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The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) General Aviation (GA) Unit has continued to follow its remit of regulating only when necessary and deliver on top-level principles for better GA regulation.

Michael Macdonald, Co-Head of the CAA’s General Aviation & RPAS Unit said:

“This past quarter has been an exceptionally busy one for the unit. It has been good to be able to get out and see a number of you at various events and engagements. Our work on active carbon monoxide detectors (CO) is particularly important as we look to understand how these devices could be used in piston engine aircraft. Evidence to date indicates that active CO detectors capable of alerting pilots via aural and/or visible warnings are a net safety benefit to pilots and their passengers and we welcome all of you to participate in our current survey.

Achievements over the first quarter in 2023 include:

  • Following an earlier consultation, we have published a new edition of Flying Display Pilot Authorisation and Evaluation: Requirements and Guidance(CAP1724) which contains details on obtaining a Display Authorisation (DA). To participate in a flying display, display pilots are required to obtain a DA.
  • The VHF Low Level (LL) Common Frequency is being permanently introduced in the UK. With an ever-increasing trend of Military v Civilian aviation AIRPROX below 2000 FT AGL, the aim of the LL Common Frequency is to improve the barriers to mitigate against Mid-Air Collisions in the UK Low Flying System (UKFLS). Details of the LL Common Frequency can be found in AIC P 047/2023

The team engaged with our GA stakeholders and pilots, either in person or virtually:

GA community resources and materials shared to support the UK GA flying community to operate safely include:

Astral Aviation Consulting (AAC), a third-party supplier, is providing support on GA Safety promotions. Activities over this past quarter include:

Registration is now open for the next workshop on Tech.

Astral continues to share useful GA safety information on its websiteFacebook page, and Instagram.

Notes to Editors:

  • The UK Civil Aviation Authority is the UK’s aviation regulator. We work so that the aviation industry meets the highest safety standards and consumers have choice, value for money, are protected and treated fairly when they fly.
  • Further information and resources for the GA community are available on our website at General aviation | Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk)
  • You can contact the CAA’s GA team at ga@caa.co.uk

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