Aircraft and aeronautical mobile stations class licence

This class licence lets you use a range of mobile radio equipment that is:

• fixed to an aircraft
• carried on board an aircraft

It includes hobby aircraft such as:

• ultralights
• trikes
• hang gliders
• paragliders
• gyrocopters
• gliders
• sailplanes and balloons

You can also use mobile radio equipment on the ground on standard aviation frequencies.

You must have a certificate from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to use equipment under this class licence.

You don't need to apply for a class licence or pay any fees.

But you must follow all the rules:

• in the Aircraft and Aeronautical Mobile Stations Class Licence
• in the Radiocommunications Act 1992
• from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

If your aircraft goes outside Australian territory, under section 139 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988, you must carry a copy of any licence that applies to radio equipment in the aircraft.

To get a certified copy of the class licence, contact us. You will need to tell us your aircraft’s registration markings.

The frequencies you can use are detailed in the class licence.

If you want to use Inmarsat satellite frequencies, you must follow the rules in the space object class licence.

To use an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), you must follow the rules in the emergency locating devices class licence.

Call signs are a unique series of letters and numbers. They make it easy to identify a station.

We do not give call signs for class licences. But if you operate an aircraft or aeronautical mobile station, you must use a call sign. 

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

Airservices Australia set the rules for call signs for registered aircraft.

Aircraft call sign template

Call signs for hobby aircraft

You can't use a call sign for a hobby aircraft that people may confuse with a registered aircraft. 

Hang gliders and paragliders registered with the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia should use call signs from the pilot's certificate registrations.

Call signs for hobby aircraft

These call signs are only valid in Australia.

N is a numeric character 0 to 9, a is an alpha character a to z.

The device or equipment you operate under the class licence must comply with our technical standards. 

These include:

• some general standards – see Schedule 5 to the General Equipment Rules
• the Radiocommunications (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Standard 2017
• the Electromagnetic Energy (EME) Standard – see Schedule 4 to the General Equipment Rules.

Read more about our technical standards including our general radiocommunications standards, the EMC standard and the EME standard.

If your device or equipment does not meet the rules in our technical standards, you will need a permit to supply, use or have it. This is separate from a licence. Find out about permits and fees under the General Equipment Rules.