{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/5.1-15.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/5.1-15.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/5.1-15.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/5.1-15.html"}],"law_id":366552,"edition_id":2,"section_id":366552,"structure_id":52232,"section_number":"5.1-15","catch_line":"Operation of aircraft by unlicensed persons","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 5-10.3; 1966, c. 576; 1988, c. 45.","full_text":"Any person who operates any civil aircraft within the airspace over, above, or upon the lands or waters of this Commonwealth, without being, at the time of such operation, in possession of a valid airman’s certificate for such operation, issued under and in accordance with existing federal law shall be deemed to be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1364814,"text":"Any person who operates any civil aircraft within the airspace over, above, or upon the lands or waters of this Commonwealth, without being, at the time of such operation, in possession of a valid airman’s certificate for such operation, issued under and in accordance with existing federal law shall be deemed to be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52232,"edition_id":2,"name":"Illegal Operation, Etc.; Procedure; Penalties","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52222,"metadata":{"child_laws":14,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:20","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:50","permalink":{"id":1460547,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52232,"identifier":"2","token":"5.1\/1\/2","url":"\/5.1\/1\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52222,"edition_id":2,"name":"Aircraft, Airmen and Airports Generally","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52221,"metadata":{"child_laws":78,"child_structures":3},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:16","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:49","permalink":{"id":1460303,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52222,"identifier":"1","token":"5.1\/1","url":"\/5.1\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52221,"edition_id":2,"name":"Aviation","identifier":"5.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":9,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":218,"child_structures":28},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:16","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:49","permalink":{"id":1460301,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52221,"identifier":"5.1","token":"5.1","url":"\/5.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":366530,"structure_id":52232,"section_number":"5.1-13","catch_line":"Operation of aircraft while under influence of intoxicating liquors or drugs; reckless operation","url":"\/5.1-13\/","token":"5.1\/1\/2\/5.1-13","metadata":false},{"id":366541,"structure_id":52232,"section_number":"5.1-14","catch_line":"Operation of unregistered aircraft","url":"\/5.1-14\/","token":"5.1\/1\/2\/5.1-14","metadata":false},{"id":366552,"structure_id":52232,"section_number":"5.1-15","catch_line":"Operation of aircraft by unlicensed persons","url":"\/5.1-15\/","token":"5.1\/1\/2\/5.1-15","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Surface, Adm'x v. Johnson, Adm'x","case_number":"Record 740507","citation":"215 Va. 777","date":"1975-04-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1227775\/surface-admx-v-johnson-admx\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Harman, J., .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Haley v. Virginia State Bar","case_number":"220113","citation":null,"date":"2022-08-11","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7855894\/haley-v-virginia-state-bar\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: Goodwyn, C.J., Powell, Kelsey, McCullough, and Chafin, JJ., and Lemons and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Haley v. Virginia State Bar","case_number":"220113","citation":null,"date":"2022-08-11","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7857723\/haley-v-virginia-state-bar\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: Goodwyn, C.J., Powell, Kelsey, McCullough, and Chafin, JJ., and Lemons and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Gadsby v. Grasmick","case_number":"No. 96-1292","citation":"109 F.3d 940","date":"1997-03-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7042213\/gadsby-v-grasmick\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Vacated and remanded by published opinion. Judge HAMILTON wrote the opinion, in which Judge WILLIAMS .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"4":{"name":"Gadsby v. Grasmick","case_number":"96-1292","citation":"109 F.3d 940","date":"1997-03-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/738514\/gadsby-v-grasmick\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 109 F.3d 940 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"5":{"name":"Green v. STATE BAR EX REL. SEVENTH DIST.","case_number":"Record 070515.; Record 070731.","citation":"652 S.E.2d 118","date":"2007-11-02","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1058577\/green-v-state-bar-ex-rel-seventh-dist\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 652 S.E.2d 118 (2007) .\u202f.\u202f. 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Johnson, Adm'x","case_number":"Record 740507","citation":"215 Va. 777","date":"1975-04-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1227775\/surface-admx-v-johnson-admx\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Harman, J., .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Haley v. Virginia State Bar","case_number":"220113","citation":null,"date":"2022-08-11","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7855894\/haley-v-virginia-state-bar\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: Goodwyn, C.J., Powell, Kelsey, McCullough, and Chafin, JJ., and Lemons and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Haley v. Virginia State Bar","case_number":"220113","citation":null,"date":"2022-08-11","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7857723\/haley-v-virginia-state-bar\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: Goodwyn, C.J., Powell, Kelsey, McCullough, and Chafin, JJ., and Lemons and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Gadsby v. Grasmick","case_number":"No. 96-1292","citation":"109 F.3d 940","date":"1997-03-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7042213\/gadsby-v-grasmick\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Vacated and remanded by published opinion. Judge HAMILTON wrote the opinion, in which Judge WILLIAMS .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"4":{"name":"Gadsby v. Grasmick","case_number":"96-1292","citation":"109 F.3d 940","date":"1997-03-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/738514\/gadsby-v-grasmick\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 109 F.3d 940 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"5":{"name":"Green v. STATE BAR EX REL. SEVENTH DIST.","case_number":"Record 070515.; Record 070731.","citation":"652 S.E.2d 118","date":"2007-11-02","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1058577\/green-v-state-bar-ex-rel-seventh-dist\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 652 S.E.2d 118 (2007) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"6":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. A.B., a Minor, by His Parent and Next Friend, D.B. D.B. v. .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"03-1046","citation":"354 F.3d 315","date":"2004-01-06","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/784649\/ab-a-minor-by-his-parent-and-next-friend-db-db-v-kenneth-p\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 354 F.3d 315 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"7":{"name":"A.B. Ex Rel. D.B. v. Lawson","case_number":"03-1046","citation":"354 F.3d 315","date":"2004-01-06","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2967876\/ab-ex-rel-db-v-lawson\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Reversed and remanded by published opinion. Judge GREGORY wrote the opinion, in which Judge .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"8":{"name":"Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina v. State of S.C.","case_number":"90-2446","citation":"978 F.2d 1334","date":"1992-09-22","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/594399\/catawba-indian-tribe-of-south-carolina-v-state-of-sc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 978 F.2d 1334 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"}}},"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/5.1-15\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1966, chapter 576; in 1988, chapter 45.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1460557,"object_type":"law","relational_id":366552,"identifier":"5.1-15","token":"5.1\/1\/2\/5.1-15","url":"\/5.1-15\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/5.1-15\/","token":"5.1\/1\/2\/5.1-15","dublin_core":{"Title":"Operation of aircraft by unlicensed persons","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 5.1-15","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person<\/span> who operates any civil aircraft<\/span> within the airspace<\/span> over, above, or upon the lands or waters of this Commonwealth, without being, at the time of such operation, in possession<\/span> of a valid airman<\/span>’s certificate for such operation, issued under and in accordance with existing federal law<\/span> shall be deemed to be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nOPERATION OF AIRCRAFT BY UNLICENSED PERSONS (\u00a7 5.1-15)\n\nAny person who operates any civil aircraft within the airspace over, above, or\nupon the lands or waters of this Commonwealth, without being, at the time of\nsuch operation, in possession of a valid airman’s certificate for such\noperation, issued under and in accordance with existing federal law shall be\ndeemed to be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 5-10.3; 1966, c. 576; 1988, c. 45.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}