This work forms part of our General Aviation Workplan and follows industry consultation, including a significant contribution from the Part 131 MOS technical working group (TWG).
The Part 131 MOS supports Part 131 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) and outlines the operational rules for balloons and hot air airships.
The Part 131 MOS, in conjunction with Part 91 and Part 131 of the CASR, will apply to all pilots and operators of Part 131 aircraft conducting balloon transport, recreational activities or specialised balloon operations.
In response to industry input, including advice from the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel and Part 131 MOS TWG, we deferred making the Part 131 MOS in 2021. Since then, we have continued to work closely with the Part 131 MOS TWG to progress the remaining issues and develop the Part 131 MOS.
New guidance material
We’ll continue to develop new guidance material to support pilots and operators to transition to the new rules.
We’re finalising a Guide for balloons and hot air airships which sets out the regulatory requirements in a concise, clear, easy to read, and practical format. We plan to publish this Guide in early-2024.
We’re also developing a sample exposition with an associated guide for balloon air operator’s certificate holders. The sample exposition will provide a template that any operator can use to document their operational procedures to create a fully compliant exposition.
Summary of consultation
We’ve also published a summary of the feedback we received on the Part 131 MOS consulted on in August and September 2023. The responses we received helped finalise the MOS. Read the summary of consultation on the consultation hub.
