Welcome to the Light Aircraft Association, the heart of a community that lives and breathes recreational aviation in all its forms!
 
With almost 70 years of history, no other UK association has the depth of knowledge and experience in looking after our sport. From lowly beginnings we have built an impressive association that today boast around 8,000 members and oversees the airworthiness of 2,600 aircraft, plus a further 1,500 aircraft build projects.  We’ve forged an enviable reputation for determination and fairness within the corridors of power in the UK and Europe and are one of the principle representative groups providing balanced consultative input on matters such as airspace, planning and safety regulation.
 
At our core is the amateur build aircraft movement and the comprehensive engineering facilities that support the Permit to Fly airworthiness system.  A full time staff of qualified engineers and a countrywide network of Inspectors help make owning and flying your own aircraft both possible and affordable.  Nowhere will you find a comparative level of expertise, indeed a number of European civil aviation authorities base the suitability of any new amateur build design on whether it meets with LAA’s approval processes.
 
Our full-colour monthly magazine, Light Aviation, is free to all members and is packed with a wealth of technical and flying information, first-hand reports of members’ flying adventures and aircraft builds, in depth flight tests and so much more – it’s real cover to cover reading every month!

 

But we are far more than an engineering resource or publisher; throughout this website you will find details of the flight coaching, engineering skills training, youth engagement and many other activities we are involved with. So, why not become part of what’s happening and join the LAA today; it will be the best step you ever take not just to fulfilling your hopes and aspirations in this wonderful sport of recreational aviation, but also to help retain the freedoms we enjoy for future generations.