Sourcing microlight aircraft from China

Decide the UK approval route before choosing the factory

This guide concerns crewed microlight aeroplanes, particularly factory-built two-seaters. Under the CAA’s approved-design category, an aircraft must carry no more than two people, have an approved design, and meet limits including a landing-configuration stall or minimum steady flight speed of no more than 45 knots calibrated airspeed at maximum take-off mass. The mass ceiling is 600 kg for landplanes or 650 kg for amphibians and floatplanes. These are one category’s conditions, not a complete definition covering every microlight. [S1] For amphibious configurations, see our amphibious aircraft sourcing guide.

Ask the supplier for the precise model and variant, construction route, engine, propeller and equipment configuration. Send these to the CAA or an appropriately approved organisation and ask what UK approval evidence and additional work are required. CAA guidance expressly warns that acceptance as amateur/kit-built does not automatically establish acceptance as factory-built, or vice versa. Make satisfactory written confirmation a purchase-contract condition. [S2]

The applicable UK framework includes article 40 of the Air Navigation Order 2016, whose revised text remains operative on the UK legislation website. It concerns national permits for non-Part-21 aircraft and allows conditions relating to airworthiness, operation and maintenance. CAA guidance also requires UK registration before initial issue of a National Permit to Fly. For other aircraft categories, use the wider aircraft sourcing guide. [S3–S5] For agricultural use, see our crop-spraying aircraft sourcing guide. For aerobatic aircraft purchases, see our aerobatic aircraft sourcing guide.

Assess Chinese suppliers against the proposed configuration

Ask each prospective Chinese supplier to identify the manufacturer, production location and exact aircraft configuration, and provide the corresponding technical documents. Treat supplier information as a lead to investigate, not evidence of UK approval.

For supplier meetings, arrange a technical discussion with the manufacturer rather than relying on a demonstration. Ask to see the approval dossier for the configuration actually being offered.

Record the proposed engine and avionics rather than accepting a model-family name as the specification. Ask the UK approval adviser whether that exact combination is covered. Attach the agreed configuration and a written substitution-control clause to your product specification.

The technical evidence and inspection points to buy

BCAR Section S, published as CAP 482, is the CAA’s microlight and small-light-aeroplane airworthiness code; the publication page identifies Issue 8 as current. Establish the certification basis accepted for the proposed aircraft before commissioning inspections. An inspection report should identify the aircraft serial number, configuration, documents reviewed and unresolved discrepancies. [S8]

Use the following as a proposed inspection brief for an aviation specialist, informed by Section S rather than as a substitute for its requirements. For structural connections, check wing and strut attachments, control joints and locking arrangements against the approved drawings and assembly instructions. Photograph the installed locking devices; do not accept a paint mark alone as the inspection evidence. Section S addresses locking of connections in S 607. [S9]

For control-system failure modes, commission checks for incorrect assembly, reversed connections, chafing, interference and restricted travel after final rigging. Have the specialist record control direction and full movement from the cockpit. Section S addresses operation tests in S 683 and jamming, chafing and interference in S 685. [S9]

For the engine installation, ask for the applicable fuel-system test evidence and inspection of hose routing, tank vents, connections and fuel delivery in the supplied configuration. Vapour lock is expressly addressed in S 951. Agree which checks occur at the factory and which must be repeated after transport and assembly. Define the records and acceptance authority in the inspection scope. [S9]

Before acceptance, request the individual aircraft’s weighing report, equipment list, loading information, flight and maintenance manuals, and airframe, engine and propeller identifiers. Ask your aviation specialist to reconcile those records with the delivered aircraft and assess your intended occupants, fuel and baggage load. Hold acceptance open until discrepancies have a documented disposition.

Duty: classify the aircraft actually being imported

The UK Trade Tariff entry below covers civil aeroplanes and other aircraft with an unladen weight not exceeding 2,000 kg. Unladen weight is the tariff criterion; do not substitute the microlight maximum take-off mass when choosing the code. Ask the declarant to check all applicable China import measures before shipment. [S10]

The row concerns a complete civil aircraft. Ask the declarant to assess the actual shipment if it is a kit, incomplete aircraft, separate engine or spares consignment; do not extend the row to those goods without checking. Use the commodity-code guide to prepare the classification evidence.

Worked example: zero duty still leaves import VAT

For an ordinary recreational microlight purchase, budget for standard-rate VAT at 20%. HMRC’s aircraft notice distinguishes qualifying aircraft from other aircraft, which are standard-rated; do not assume that buying an aircraft through a business makes the import zero-rated. [S11–S12]

Hypothetical calculation only, not an aircraft price or freight quotation: assume an accepted customs value of £50,000, including transport and insurance to the UK border. Under 8802200010, duty at 0% is £0. Assume a further £1,000 of costs includible in the import VAT value for clearance and delivery to the first UK destination, with no other additions. The VAT value is £51,000 and import VAT at 20% is £10,200. Total duty plus import VAT is £10,200. [S10–S13]

HMRC requires relevant incidental expenses to the first UK destination, and transport costs to a further UK destination known at importation, to be included where applicable. The example therefore keeps border costs and subsequent costs separate to avoid counting the same cost twice. See the import duty and VAT guide for the wider calculation process. [S13]

Make the purchase conditional on an aircraft-specific evidence pack

Before the deposit, agree who will establish the UK approval route, obtain the required technical records and pay for any additional approval work. Before shipment, require a configuration freeze, serial-number schedule, discrepancy report and packing plan covering detached wings, attachment hardware and control connections.

At UK handover, arrange the specialist inspection and assembly checks agreed for this aircraft. Keep commercial acceptance, customs release and permission to fly as separate milestones. Do not treat a supplier demonstration flight as completion of the UK approval process.

For help coordinating supplier documents and specialist evidence requests, see our testing and certification service. Put the aviation approval responsibilities and acceptance criteria into the scope before commissioning the work.