Edition 68, June 2009

New maintenance licences for general aviation

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has released a proposal to introduce a new category of aircraft maintenance engineer licence to cover small aircraft.

The proposed licensing will create an up-to-date maintenance licence structure that best suits the general aviation and aerial work sectors and meshes with maintenance licensing changes announced in early 2007, which covered turbine powered and larger aircraft.

CASA has issued a notice of proposed rule making to add the small aircraft maintenance licence category to the proposed Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 66. This part covers maintenance personnel licensing.

The proposal is to create so called B3 and B4 maintenance licences for engineers authorised to certify for maintenance and/or issue a certificate for release to service for small aircraft. Small aircraft are non-turbojet aeroplanes with a maximum take-off weight of less than 5700 kilograms and single engine helicopters.

CASA believes the new licence category will bring the aviation industry a number of benefits. These include:

  • providing maximum coverage within the small aircraft sector within the initial licence scope,
  • giving apprentices a wider range of training options
  • better targeting of skills development and greater licence structure flexibility.

CASA consulted widely with the aviation industry for more than two years in developing the notice of proposed rule making, with a joint CASA and industry team playing a key role. When the new licences are introduced existing licensed aircraft maintenance engineers will retain their licences as they are converted to the new format. There will be a four year phase-in period for the new licences.

For more information visit http://casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:PWA::pc=PC_93295

This page was generated on 29 September, 2009

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