The AircraftICAOCategory is a set of terms used by ICAO to classify aircraft according to specified basic characteristics, e.g. aeroplane, helicopter, glider, free balloon and others. See "Legal values" below for allowed values.
Legal values
"Fixed wing" A fixed wing aircraft is a heavier than air aircraft with wings which remained in a fixed position under given conditions of flight. May include variable geometry aircraft.
"Helicopter" A helicopter is a heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power driven rotors on substantially vertical axes.
"Dirigible" A power-driven lighter-than-air aircraft.
"Gyroplane" A gyroplane heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight by the reactions of the air on one or more rotors which rotate freely on substantially vertical axes, formerly known as "autogyro".
"Balloon" A non-power-driven lighter-than-air aircraft. For the purposes of ICAO Annex 1, this definition applies to free balloons.
"Microlight" May also be called "ultra-light". The definitions vary from State to State. One definition in ICAO documentation reads: an aircraft having a MTOM not exceeding 454 kg. (1 000 lbs) which is not usually used for public transport purposes. (ICAO Doc 9626, 1996, 1st ed., p. 5.2-2) More specifically, a Microlight is an aeroplane having no more than two seats, Vs,, not exceeding 35 knots (65 KM/h) CAS, and a maximum take-off mass of no more than:
300 kg for a landplane, single seater; or
330 kg for an amphibian or floatplane, single seater; or
495 kg for an amphibian or floatplane, two-seater, provided that a microlight capable of operating as both a floatplane and a landplane falls below both MTOM limits, as appropriate.
450 kg for a landplane, two-seater.
Foot-launched aircraft are excluded from this definition.
"Glider" Sailplane or Glider means a heavier-than-air aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its fixed lifting surfaces, the free flight of which does not depend on an engine.
"Other" e.g.:Ornithopter. A heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on planes to which a flapping motion is imparted.
