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Are the sports of Hang Gliding and Paragliding really Self Regulated?
On July 30, 1982 Federal Aviation Regulation Part 103 was adopted and became effective on October 3, 1982 regulating Ultralight Vehicles by the Federal Aviation Administration, which includes hang gliding and paragliding. While the rules applied to Ultralight Vehicles are brief (103.1 through 103.23), what is clear is the Federal Government administered through the Federal Aviation Administration is the controlling authority of the navigable airspace over the United States which includes the airman and air aircraft transitioning through that airspace.
In the furtherance of that authority, FAR 103.5 requires written permission from the Administrator to deviate from the simple Ultralight Rules. Under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administrator part 103.7 states the “operators of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience requirements to operate those vehicles or to have airman or medical certificates.” That is great news from the Federal Government who is the controlling authority.
An interesting right was declared under Section 104 in the original passage of the Aviation Act of 1958 which created the Federal Aviation Administration:
SEC. 104. There is hereby recognized and declared to exist in behalf of any citizen of the United States a public right of freedom of transit through the navigable airspace of the United States.
That right is now codified in 49 U.S. Code § 40103(a)(2) – Sovereignty and use of airspace.
Self Regulated?
with a 162mi flight. 2005? 
