Google Search: author:rclague@yahoo.com: "The AST/AVR turf war is over. Patti Grace Smith and Nick Sabitini have jointly published a Notice in the Federal Register, 68 FR 59977, , that divides up the pie very evenly. Launch vehicles are AST, airplanes are AVR, and hybrid vehicles - those which share characteristics of launch vehicles and aircraft - are both. The dividing line is clear and unambiguous, is the same as what AST pre-announced at Space Access in April, and is trajectory dependent. What this means is that the same vehicle can be an experimental aircraft on Monday, a launch vehicle on Tuesday, and an experimental aircraft again on Wednesday. Which it is depends on how you fly it. If you fly it so it meets the definition of a suborbital rocket, it's a launch vehicle, and you need a launch license. If you fly it so it doesn't meet the definition, it's an experimental aircraft, and you need a pink slip."