The case excludes tandem, training, commerce, events, and special airspace.
Why this is a useful start
Why this helps
The 2018 Article 6(4) exemption was deleted by the 2019 amendment.
The current statutory starting point is Article 22 of the 2026 law.
Airspace and the right to use the land are checked separately.
Precise case
This concerns only:
- a licensed pilot with privileges for solo flying;
- an ordinary unpowered paraglider;
- no passenger;
- no payment, public offer, service contract, or provider-arranged flight;
- no training, competition, air show, or other public-event format.
If one of those facts changes, go back to the legal map and choose another case.
How to read the current source chain
Article 22 of the current Air Transport Law 52/2026 sets the default rule: take-off and landing outside an aerodrome require Civil Aviation Agency approval. Article 22(3)(1) lists an exception for aircraft whose landing place cannot be determined in advance because of their characteristics.
The original 2018 paraglider rulebook contained a blanket sentence in Article 6(4) saying a paraglider pilot did not need VASP approval. Article 3 of the official 2019 amendment deleted that paragraph. The 2023 amendment did not restore it.
The remaining Article 22 exception may be relevant to free flight, but its application depends on the aircraft characteristics and the facts of the proposed flight. This page does not convert that exception into automatic clearance.
What this does not mean
A solo pilot does not gain a right to:
- use controlled, prohibited, restricted, dangerous, or temporarily reserved airspace without current checks and the required clearance;
- launch or land without the relevant land right;
- fly without documents, equipment, suitable weather, and competence;
- call an organized, paid, public, training, or event operation private solo flying.
The Civil Aviation Agency reminder for paraglider pilots belongs here: it places pilot licences, privileges, equipment, weather, suitable locations, distances, and airspace inside one current compliance frame.
Visitor and tourist status
A tourist is a person’s travel status, not a classification of the operation. A visiting solo pilot can still be private and non-commercial. A tourist passenger can be part of a commercial tandem. Payment, publicity, contract, organization, and who controls the flight matter more than the word “tourist.”
Status
Source-chain review 7 September 2026. This is a reading, not clearance for a pilot, field, or direction. Current Civil Aviation Agency, airspace, and site checks are still needed before a flying decision.
Quick answers
Quick answers
What facts define this case?
A licensed pilot, an ordinary unpowered paraglider, no passenger, no payment, public offer, training, event, or special zone — unless that zone was cleared separately.
Can a pilot launch from any field?
Off-aerodrome approval, current airspace use, the right to use the land, weather, equipment, and pilot documents are separate checks.
Can a visiting pilot fit this case?
Yes, if the documents and privileges are valid. Tourist status by itself does not make a flight commercial or private.
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