The Air Navigation Order 1995

Balloons, kites, airships, gliders and parascending parachutes

76.—(1) The provisions of this article shall apply only to or in relation to aircraft within the United Kingdom.

(2) (a) A balloon in captive or tethered flight shall not be flown within 60 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure except with the permission of the person in charge of any such vessel, vehicle or structure.

(b) (i) A glider or parascending parachute shall not be launced by winch and cable or by ground tow to a height of more than 60 metres above ground level;

(ii) a balloon in captive flight shall not be flown within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome;

(iii) a balloon in captive or tethered flight shall not be flown at a height measured to the top of the balloon of more than 60 metres above ground level;

(iv) a kite shall not be flown at a height of more than 30 metres above ground level within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome;

(v) a kite shall not be flown at a height of more than 60 metres above ground level; and

(vi) a parascending parachute shall not be launched by winch and cable or by ground tow within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome;

without the permission in writing of the Authority and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permission may have been granted.

(3) An uncontrollable balloon in captive or released flight shall not be flown in airspace notified for the purposes of this paragraph without the permission in writing of the Authority and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permission may have been granted.

(4) A controllable balloon shall not be flown in free controlled flight:

(a) within airspace notified for the purposes of this paragraph; or

(b) within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome;

except during the day and in visual meteorological conditions.

(5) A controllable balloon shall not be flown in tethered flight:

(a) within airspace notified for the purposes of this paragraph; or

(b) within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome;

except with the permission of the appropriate air traffic control unit and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permission may have been granted.

(6) A balloon when in captive flight shall be securely moored and shall not be left unattended unless it is fitted with a device which ensures its automatic deflation if it breaks free of its moorings.

(7) An airship with a capacity exceeding 3000 cubic metres shall not be moored other than at a notifed aerodrome except with the permission in writing of the Authority and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permission may have been granted.

(8) An airship with a capacity not exceeding 3000 cubic metres, unless it is moored on a notified aerodrome, shall not be moored:

(a) within 2km of a congested area; or

(b) within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome except with the permission in writing of the Authority and in accordance with any conditions subject to which that permission may have been granted.

(9) An airship when moored in the open shall be securely moored and shall not be left unattended.

(10) (a) A person shall not cause or permit a group of small balloons exceeding 1000 in number to be simultaneously released at a single site wholly or partly within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome unless that person has given to the Authority not less than 28 days previous notice in writing of the release.

(b) A person shall not cause or permit a group of small balloons exceeding 2000 but not exceeding 10,000 in number to be simultaneously released at a single site:

(i) within airspace notifed for the purposes of this sub-paragraph without the permission in writing of the Authority; or

(ii) within the aerodrome traffic zone of a notified aerodrome during the notified operating hours of that aerodrome without the permission in writing of the Authority;

in either case other than in accordance with any conditions subject to which such a permission may have been granted.

(c) A person shall not cause or permit a group of small balloons greater than 10,000 in number to be simultaneously released at a single site without the permission in writing of the Authority and other than in accordance with any conditions subject to which such a permission may have been granted.

(d) For the purposes of sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) “simultaneously released at a single site” shall mean the release of a specified number of balloons during a period not exceeding 15 minutes from within an area not exceeding 1 km square.

(11) For the purposes of this article a notified aerodrome is an aerodrome notified for the purposes of rule 39 of the Rules of the Air Regulations 1991(1) and the notified operating hours means the times notified in respect of an aerodrome during which that rule applies.

(1)

S.I. 1991/2437.