Proposed amendments for CASA to administer recreational balloon activities (CD 2409OS)

Overview

We’d like your feedback on proposed changes to Civil Aviation Order (CAO) 95.54 and the CASA Recreational Ballooning Procedures Manual (CRBPM).

These changes are to ensure CASA’s continued administration of recreational ballooning activities. There will be no change for existing permit holders other than access to additional endorsements.

The amendments have been drafted in preparation for the Part 131 Manual of Standards coming into force on 12 November 2024.

Civil Aviation Order (CAO) 95.54

We’re proposing changes to CAO 95.54 (Part 131 Recreational Activity and Specialised Balloon Operations) to enable CASA's continued administration and oversight of Part 131 recreational activities, initial pilot training and the granting of recreational pilot authorisations, ratings and endorsements.

The current CAO 95.54 will self-repeal on 11 November 2024. On 12 November 2024, a replacement version of CAO 95.54 is required to provide a legislative mechanism that will empower CASA to continue to administer recreational and specialised ballooning activities, including the issue of private pilot balloon permits.

In the future, we intend to incorporate all Part 131 aircraft pilot licensing requirements into the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. In the meantime, the private pilot authorisations issued by CASA will be set out in this proposed new CAO 95.54 which will be valid until 11 November 2027.

CASA Recreational Ballooning Procedures Manual

We’re also proposing to amend the CASA Recreational Ballooning Procedures Manual to align with the proposed CAO 95.54, including:

• deleting any references to old regulations or orders that are no longer in force
• adding training syllabus and application procedures for endorsements.

The proposed new rule set/standards

The new CAO 95.54 is proposed to commence on 12 November 2024. It includes necessary provisions and exemptions, similar to the current CAO, while introducing the following endorsements:

• an endorsement to operate a gas balloon, based on recognition of foreign national aviation authority qualifications
• an endorsement to operate a hot air airship, based on recognition of foreign national aviation authority qualifications
• a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight balloon endorsement
• an endorsement to operate a hot air balloon that has an envelope capacity greater than 120,000 ft³ but not more than 260,000 ft³ in a recreational activity
• an endorsement to operate a hot air balloon that has an envelope capacity greater than 260,000 ft³ in a recreational activity
• an endorsement to carry and release a hang glider.

The new CAO 95.54 will be consistent with the applicable operational rules of Parts 91 and 131 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, and the Part 131 Manual of Standards.

Why your views matter

Your feedback will help us make sure the proposed requirements are suitable, the final legislation is clear and will work as intended.

Please submit your comments using the survey link on this page.

If you are unable to provide feedback via the survey link, please email regulatoryconsultation@casa.gov.au for advice. 

Documents for review

All documents related to this consultation are attached in the ‘Related’ section at the bottom of the overview page. They are:

• Summary of Proposed Change (SPC) on CD 2409OS
• Consultation Draft - Civil Aviation Order 95.54 (Part 131 Recreational Activity and Specialised Balloon Operations) Instrument 2024
• Draft CASA Recreational Ballooning Procedures Manual version 1.2
• MS Word copy of online consultation for ease of distribution and feedback within your organisation. 

What happens next

At the end of the response period, we will:

• review all comments received
• make responses publicly available on the consultation hub (unless you request your submission remain confidential)
• publish a Summary of Consultation which summarises the feedback received and outlines any intended changes and next steps.

All comments received on the proposed legislation will be considered. Relevant feedback that improves upon the proposed instrument will be incorporated into the final instrument.