As used in the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Aeronautics" means the science, art and practice of flight including, but not limited to, transportation by aircraft and matters relating to air commerce; the operation, construction, repair or maintenance of aircraft, aircraft power plants and accessories including the repair, packing and maintenance of parachutes; the design, establishment, construction, extension, operation, improvement, repair or maintenance of airports, restricted landing areas or other air navigation facilities; and instruction in flying or ground subjects pertaining thereto;
2. "Aeronautical hazard" means any structure, object of natural growth or use of land, which obstructs the airspace required for the flight of aircraft in landing or taking off at an airport that is otherwise hazardous to the operation and navigation of aircraft;
3. "Air navigation facility" means any facility used in, available for use in, or designed for use in, aid of air navigation including landing areas, any structures, mechanisms, lights, beacons, markers, communicating systems or other instrumentalities or devices used or useful as an aid, or constituting an advantage or convenience, to the safe taking off, navigation and landing of aircraft, or the safe and efficient operation or maintenance of an airport and any combination of any or all of such facilities;
4. "Aircraft" means any contraption now known, or hereafter invented, used or designed for navigation of or flight in the air or airspace;
5. "Airman" means any individual who engages, as the person in command, or as a pilot, mechanic or member of the crew, in the navigation of aircraft while under way, and any individual who is directly in charge of the inspection, maintenance, overhauling or repair of aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers and appliances;
6. "Airport" means an area of land or water that is used, or intended to be used, for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, and buildings and facilities, if any;
7. "Airspace" means that portion of the atmosphere overlying a designated geographical area considered as subject to territorial jurisdiction or international law in respect to its use by aircraft, guided missiles, and rockets;
8. "Commercial service airport" means an airport meeting the current Federal Aviation Administration definition for commercial service airport;
9. "Commission" means the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission;
10. "Director" means the Director of Aeronautics of Oklahoma;
11. "General aviation airport" means an airport not meeting the criteria for definition as a commercial service or reliever airport;
12. "Helipad" means a small, designated area, usually with a prepared surface, on a heliport, airport, landing or takeoff area, apron or ramp, or movement area used for takeoff, landing or parking of helicopters;
13. "Heliport" means an area of land, water or structure used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of helicopters and includes its buildings and facilities, if any;
14. "Manned aircraft" means an aircraft, as defined in this section, that is operated with a person in or on the aircraft;
15. "Model aircraft" means an aircraft as defined in this section that is mechanically driven or launched into flight and that meets all of the following requirements:
16. "Municipality" means any incorporated city, village, or town of this state and any county or political subdivision or district in this state, or any public trust thereof, which is, or may be, authorized by law to acquire, establish, construct, maintain, improve, and operate airports, airstrips, and aeronautical navigation facilities;
17. "Operation of aircraft" or "operate aircraft" means the use, navigation or piloting of aircraft in the airspace over this state or upon any airport within this state;
18. "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint stock association or body politic and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee or other similar representative thereof;
19. "Primary commercial service airport" means an airport meeting the current Federal Aviation Administration definition for primary commercial service airport;
20. "Reliever airport" means an airport designated by the Federal Aviation Administration as a reliever airport and which provides substantial capacity or instrument training relief to a primary commercial service airport;
21. "Resources" means services, facilities, funds, equipment, property, personnel and such other activities as are customarily included within the term;
22. "State" or "this state" means the State of Oklahoma;
23. "Unmanned aircraft" means an aircraft, as defined in this section, that is operated without the possibility of human intervention from within or on the aircraft; and
24. "Unmanned aircraft system" means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements including communication links and components that control the unmanned aircraft that are required for the pilot in command to operate safely and efficiently in the National Airspace System.
Added by Laws 1963, c. 354, § 2, emerg. eff. June 22, 1963. Amended by Laws 1995, c. 181, § 2, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1996, c. 344, § 1, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 2021, c. 419, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2021.