Commonwealth Consolidated Regulations Commonwealth Consolidated Regulations(1) The operator of a medium or heavy balloon must report the progress of the balloon's flight to the relevant air traffic control service as follows:
(a) the operator must tell the service immediately when the balloon is released;
(b) the operator must tell the service when the balloon leaves each 10 000 - foot level up to 60 000 feet (pressure altitude);
(c) the operator must report the balloon's position to the relevant air traffic control service periodically, as follows:
(i) when required to do so by the service;
(ii) while the balloon is below 60 000 feet pressure altitude--every 10 minutes;
(iii) while the balloon is at or above 60 000 feet pressure altitude--every 2 hours;
(d) if the operator loses the balloon's position, the operator must tell the service immediately that tracking has been lost and the balloon's last known position;
(e) after having re - established tracking of the balloon, the operator must tell the service immediately that tracking has been re - established and the balloon's position at that time.
(2) If the balloon is being accompanied by a tracking aircraft, the operator must ensure that the crew of the aircraft maintains continuous 2 - way communication with the relevant air traffic control service.
(2A) An offence against subregulation (1) or (2) is an offence of strict liability.
Note: For strict liability , see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code .
(3) A reference in this regulation to the relevant air traffic control service is to be read, at a particular time, as a reference to the air traffic control service that is responsible for the airspace in which the balloon is located at the time.