Frequently asked questions

All aircraft must comply with the obligations laid down in Law 48/1960 on Air Navigation. Article 151 provides for the following derogation: Aircraft with limited uses, technical characteristics and actions may be exempted, under the conditions laid down by regulation, from the requirements for entry in the Register of Aircraft and obtaining the certificate of airworthiness referred to in Articles 29 and 36 of this Law respectively. Royal Decree 384/2015 of 22 May 2015 approving the Regulation on the registration of civil aircraft implements this derogation for, among other types of aircraft: The following are exempt from the requirement of registration in the Aircraft Registration Register:

1.- Paragliders: Non-rigid support structures are considered paragliders, for which take-off and landing requires only the physical effort of their occupants.

2.- Motorised paragliders: Paragliders that have an auxiliary propulsion system, either supported by an occupant or by an auxiliary structure, are considered to be motorised paragliders or for engines.

3.- Other aircraft requiring physical effort for take-off or landing, even if equipped with an auxiliary propulsion system to facilitate take-off.

4.- Other aircraft whose total take-off weight, minus the pilot’s weight, is less than 70 kilograms. Therefore, foot launch paramotors and mini-trikes of less than 70 kg (empty weight + fuel) are explicitly excluded from registration. For heavier trikes, it would be necessary to consider whether paragraph 2.- can be applied, on the basis that the bearing surface is not rigid, requiring, in part, the pilot’s effort to acquire at take-off (and keep in flight) its form.

A Flight Authorisation (also called Flight Permit) is a permit that is normally issued when the Aircraft Certificate is temporarily invalid and the aircraft is required to fly for established reasons. 

The Authority or an Organisation with privileges may issue the Flight Authorisation provided it is under specified and approved flight conditions. There is an EASA Aircraft User Manual and a NO EASA Aircraft User Manual with instructions and information on how to obtain a Flight Authorisation. This manual also indicates how to perform subsequent activities after obtaining the Certificate of Airworthiness, such as modifications, suspensions, etc.

It would not be able to fly unless a flight permit is obtained which does not compromise the safety of the flight and is duly justified. To apply for a permit to AESA, there is a user manual for both EASA and non-EASA aircraft.

Approval of Design Organisation, as described in Part 21 Subpart J of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 748/2012. This applies for those design activities that fall within the scope of EASA’s work, as set out in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139. In these cases, EASA itself is responsible for managing both the approval process and the subsequent supervision of approved design organisations.

In the case of design organisations carrying out activities that do not fall within the scope of EASA’s work, the reference regulations are the JAR-21 Subparts JA and JB standards of the Annex to Royal Decree 660/2001. In these cases, it is the State Aviation Safety Agency that is responsible for the approval process and subsequent supervision of approved design organisations.

Therefore, EASA can approve Design Organisations for aircraft certification projects and their amendments, provided that these are excluded from the application of European regulations under Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139. For this reason, and due to the limited scope of approval what AESA can give, it is normal for all Design Organisations to apply for EASA approval.