Helicopter Regulations

Helicopters and regulations go hand in hand. Helicopter design, production, maintenance, and flying are all strongly regulated, and these regulations are the domain of national authorities. This page elaborates on relevant regulations, and although the information provided here only serves as a guideline, its purpose is to provide you with an overview.

Although there is significant legislative harmony around the world in the aviation sector, there are, nevertheless, many country dependent laws. The two most important global regions are the USA, which is controlled by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), and the European Union (EU), which is regulated by the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).

The regulations are dealt with here by geographical region, but this text is by no means complete. The laws are complex, and are often amended. However, the fact remains that the aviation world is heavily regulated, and so some understanding of the relevant legislation is useful.

The regulations that are summarized in this section of the Helistart website must be followed by manufacturers, suppliers, maintenance service providers, and airlines. Pilot certification is considered in the section on Pilot training.

Europe

Europe - EASA

As Europe is comprised of many individual countries each one has its own aviation agency. When the country is an EU member, these authorities must comply with EU regulations.

List of European Aviation Authorities