EASAonline.com (www.easaonline.com ) looks at the ins and outs of achieving a Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Licence

Background

EASA Regulated Aircraft Maintenance is interesting and highly professional moreover Licensed Aircraft Engineers are essential to maintain the global aviation industry. Employment in the field of aviation offers the potential of a wide and varied career with an attractive salary.

As a Part 66 AMEL you are on your way to Certifying Aircraft to Fly ! (Issuing a Certificate of Release to Service CRS). Licensed Aircraft Engineers perform maintenance and other activities on Aircraft (often with modern equipment and advanced technology.) Ensuring the rectification of all defects as well as repairing airframe structures, engines, and avionic systems.  

Introduction

As a career starting in Aviation or Airport Services Aircraft Maintenance either Base or Line may be just the job for you!

Line maintenance is very satisfying and rewarding with the opportunity to progress to higher positions either within the organisation or in other organisations. 

Aircraft technicians and Engineers typically specialise as either B1 Airframe Engine & Electrical or B2 Avionic plus Electrical.  B1 Engineers who service engines, airframes and hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and the associated electrical systems and B2 avionic Engineers who service and overhaul the electronic systems, instruments, flight control, navigation and communication systems of aircraft as well as Aircraft Electrical Systems (task shared with B1)

Line maintenance essentially is maintenance that is performed on aircraft while they still remain operational, (carrying out routine maintenance of the aircraft on the ground during the turnaround between flights) whereas for Base Maintenance the level of maintenance is somewhat deeper. (Carrying out full servicing of the aircraft within the hangar at regular intervals typically at C check level) 

www.easaonline.com looks at the role of EASA Part 66 Certification Staff.

The Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME) assumes “legal” responsibility (by means of a certification) for all or part of the line maintenance which is required to be performed on aircraft or helicopters to maintain the aircraft in an airworthy condition to remain serviceable. (He/she also acts as support staff for aircraft which are receiving “heavy” means base maintenance – typically C Checks.

The Licenced aircraft engineer will hold an authorisation approval issued by an EASA Part 145 Organisation. (The Validity of this approval is conditional on the maintenance of the licence)

Typically the Aircraft Licensed Maintenance Line Engineer will be employed by an EASA Part 145 organization and will either certify aircraft maintenance based on the scope of the Aircraft maintenance approval issued by the organization on the basis of the Certifying engineers license, or act as supervisory and support staff during base maintenance activities.

The different Aircraft Licensed Maintenance Line Engineer jobs include B1 Engineer specializing on Airframe Engineers and Electrical Systems and B2 Engineer specializing in Avionic Systems.

Since August 2008 EASA has required Aircraft Inspectors to be trained in accordance with the provision to be found in AMC20-22

Aircraft inspection is normally performed by competent staff and such Inspectors are typically licensed aircraft engineers. Once qualified, they will gain the organization's approval and will be allowed also to certify General Visual Inspections, Detailed Inspections and EWIS Inspections.

What is a General Visual Inspection (GVI)?

The term GVI, when associated with Electrical Wiring Interconnect Systems, is a visual examination of an interior or exterior area, installation, or assembly to detect obvious damage, failure or irregularity based on a non-compliance or non-conformity with the standard configuration.

It is acknowledged that one of the weak areas in the maintenance chain is the effectiveness of the Inspection Process and the mitigation for this weakness will be found in the development of training programs.

The following information introduces the different Aircraft Maintenance Engineers license types which are available to European EASA Part 66 Licensed aircraft Engineers.
 
The Basic, non-type rated license also known as a Category “A” License does not in itself convey certification rights, directly but allows the holder to certify “limited and simple maintenance tasks only” as specified on his (or her) “personal authorization Document”.
 
On the basis of the Maintenance Engineers License, together with satisfactory demonstration of competency and knowledge of organizational procedures the personal authorization document is issued by an approved Part-145 organization.