The History About The Aviation Industries

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

In USA for example, 52 states jointly agreed to form what is known as the Chicago Convention. This treaty launched the rights of associated states over their territorial airspace, and moderated the basic principles relating to international transportation of dangerous goods by air. In addition to that, it also provided the ability to fly over another country without interruption as well as stopping for fuel and repairs without taking on, leaving cargo or passengers. From the Chicago convention, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was also formed to act as United Nations Specialised agency. The primary reason for this foundation was to encourage safe and orderly development of commercial and private international civil aviation organisations. It concentrated purely on producing necessary regulations for aviation safety and security in addition to aviation environmental protection. At the moment ICAO contains 191 members including UK with a number of 230 members is estimated to reach before May of 2013.

Following the conformation of UK and other EU’s position as contracting members of ICAO, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was formed. EASA is responsible for making decisions that are affective within the EU (European Union) member states. The objectives of this organisation range from;

Providing expert advice to the EU for drafting new legislation

Implementing and monitoring safety rules, including inspections in the member of states, type-certification of aircraft and components, as well as the approval of organisations involved in the design manufacture and maintenance of aeronautical products,

Authorisation of third-country (non-EU) operators.

Safety analysis and research.

Within the UK, the Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) acts as an enforcer on behalf of EASA to impose any rules and regulation legislated. In order to establish an approved Part-147 organisation within the UK, the CAA is obligated to be satisfied with the company structure through regular inspections. (EASA [1] )

All aircraft related activities’ procedures guidance is provided by the CAA under EASA regulations and frequently updated, so companies/organisations are required to regularly look out for these changes and see if they are affected by it.

The aim and objectives of this project is to concentrate solely on the process to establish an aircraft maintenance training facility part 66 under the Part-147 standards in order to obtain JAR66 or Part66 licence B1 and B2. In order to establish such organisation all EASA rules and regulation must be taken into consideration and defined though appropriate means and documentation. Additionally, recognised Part-147 organisations also have to adhere to any teaching restriction (times) that are imposed on candidates to complete certain courses. For aerospace training organisation looking to obtain part 66 and Part-147 approval, the organisation is obligated to adhere to any documents associated with Part M as published by EASA. (CAA, 2008)

Figure : EASA Regulation Structure.

The Regulation Structure above represents a system which has been implemented by EASA in order to maintain safe standards within the aviation industries. As indicated above, in order to open a Part-145 Maintenance, Repair and overhaul (MRO) or Maintenance Training organisation (MTO) which can provide Part-66 standard examination, Part M has to be taken into account.

Part M

Part M is an EASA document that is relevant to any approved or non-approved aerospace train organisation/facilities. The Document is currently the main source of information published by EASA for all maintenance organisations, as the document elaborates on all the associated rules and regulation which aircraft operators and training organisation have to adhere to. Part M also points out the accountability/responsibilities of all individuals within the organisation. As from 28th of September 2008, Part M has been covering all aircraft types regardless of weight in terms of designing, manufacturing and maintaining. All together there are four main aircraft categories which are covered by Part M;

Turbine fixed wing

Piston fixed wing

Turbine rotorcraft

Piston rotorcraft

Depending on the type of licence required for the organisation, Part M can be divided into 2 different sections

Section 1 – The Requirement

Section 2 – Acceptable Means of compliance and Interpretive/Explanatory Information (IEM)

In addition to the above sections, each section is split further into subparts such as part 145, part 66, part 147 etc. (Module power point [2] )

Due to the topic of this project, the author has concentrated on the setting up of part-147 only.

Part-147 Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO)

One of the main changes made within the aviation industry was how aircraft maintenance operations took place. Instead of companies hiring personnel according to their standards, EASA outlined the route which should be taken by any person with the intention of working in the aviation industries. The guidance provided by EASA was for individuals to prove their capabilities by taking on practical assessments and theoretical exams first before joining any company or maintain any aircrafts. Practical and theory exams required by EASA could only be undertaken under an approved organisation. The organisation which can provide adequate knowledge is known as Part 147 Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO).

Part 147 is an infrastructure of a facility that allows candidates to be able to undertake courses which will therefore allow them to be fully qualified on a preferred field. Different aviation related courses can be undertaken from Part 147 organisations. Courses available in such organisations range from;

Type-rated courses which allows individuals to become specialists on a certain aircraft types

Approved EASA stewardesses’ courses.

The delivery of Human Factor and fuel tank safety courses.

Electrical Wiring Interconnecting Systems (EWIS) course

Certified Part-66 EASA courses such as A, B1 and B2 modules/licence.

All Part-147 organisations to be authorised/approved by EASA, has to have a structure or quality system in place to be able to provide relevant knowledge to candidates. A typical organisational chart as decreed by EASA is pictorially represented on figure 2 and will be meticulously explained on literature review. (CAA, 2008)

Part-66

According to CAA (2007) "Under Part-66 an aircraft maintenance licence confirms that the person to whom it refers has met the Part-66 knowledge and experience requirements for any aircraft basic category and aircraft type rating specified in the document".

For the individual to successfully authorise a release of an aircraft as being airworthy, the engineer has adhere to any regulation and rules stipulated by EASA part 66. The conditions required to be a qualified personnel are defined by minimum education requirements such as certificates, working language as well as type rating qualifications for the aircraft or particular tasks.

EASA is the main/governing body responsible for ensuring that National competent authorities such as CAA are accountable in verifying aircraft engineer’s licence applications. There are 3 different levels of authorisation that can be granted to qualified engineers. These levels of authorisations will include; category A licence, B1 licence and B2 licence. (CAA [3] )

Category A licence

Category A licence is a mechanical based licence which allows the holder to issue certificate of release to service following minor schedule line maintenance and simple fault overhaul. However this type of licence has limits which are set by the CAA/EASA and can be removed by the completion of some modules in order to upgrade to B1/B2 licence.

Similarly to B1 licence, Category A licence is also sub-divided into sub-categories which are;

Aeroplane Turbine-Engines (A1)

Aeroplane Piston-Engines (A2)

Helicopters Turbine-engines (A3)

Helicopter Piston-Engines (A4)

Aircraft category A licence courses under CAA regulation must be undertaken in authorised 147 part-66 approved organisations. To satisfy CAA regulations the overall teaching of such courses should be no less than 800 hours for all sub-category licences, with the exception of A2 category licences requiring a minimum of 650 teaching hours. Theory based exam may vary between 12 to 13 in quantity depending on the licence category. The amount of the exams to be taken varies from 12 to 13 depending on the category type. Similarly B1 and B2 licence, Category A licence exams contain a mixture of multi-choice modules as well as essay writing exams at an appropriate level.

The purpose of this course is to provide basic theoretical knowledge required of the category role and also to provide at least basic skills to the candidates. Following the completion of all the above requirements accordingly, individuals must complete a minimum of 1 year’s practical maintenance experience combined with the theoretical knowledge received from the organisation before sending off an application form. (CAA [4] )

B1 licence

B1 licence is a mechanical licence which allows the holder to issue a certificate of release to service following line maintenance. Aircraft structure, power plant and mechanical and electrical systems are among tasks B1 holder will be required to sign off once happy with the maintenance is completed. Due to avionic line replaceable units requiring minor simple tests without the use of test equipment to prove their serviceability, its replacement will also be included within the privileges of this licence. In addition to that, according to ELGD (2007) "A Category B1 licence holder also has a role in base maintenance in supporting the Category C certifier who is the final CRS/SMI signatory".

B1 licence can be divided into 4 different categories,

B 1.1 - Aeroplanes Turbine-Engines

B 1.2 - Aeroplanes Piston-Engines

B 1.3 - Helicopters Turbine-Engines

B 1.4 - Helicopters Piston-Engines

In order for a candidate to be classified as a B1 licensed engineer, the course should be undertaken at a Part 147 organisation which must include a minimum of 2400 hours of instruction. Theory exams and practical skills assessments as part of the 2400 hours minimum requirement must be provided to candidates with the basic foundation of theoretical knowledge necessary. The reason for establishing such as a system is to teach individuals basic foundation required for B1 role. In addition to that, it can also help to deliver basic skill and maintenance practices experience in order to prepare them for aviation world.

Experience needed before personnel can gain B1 licence varies between the above licence categories. For B1.1 and B1.2 following the completion of the approved course, a minimum of 2 years practical maintenance experience must be completed before applying for a Full on licence. As for B 1.3 and B 1.4, 1 year experience must be completed before individuals can gain full credentials.

Theory exams to be taken by the candidates depend on what type of licence they wish to achieve. Just like the experience required for practical experience, different licence categories’ theory exams varies, ranging from between 12 to 13 exams which will be explained in detail on the literature review. Most of the modules to be taken are based on multi-choice while some modules are based on essay writing relating to appropriate level.

In completion of all theory exams and experience needed, providing candidate is recognise as a B1 licence holder by the CAA/EASA governing body, holder will also be automatically be entitled to Category A licence. Subject to training and authorisation requirement fulfilled, certificate of release can also be signed by the licence possessor.

B2 licence

Following line maintenance on avionic system, avionic based licence holder must issue a certificate of release to service. An engineer who is capable of doing so is known as B2 licence holder. Similarly to B1 licence holder, according to CAA (2007), "A Category B2 licence holder also has a role in base maintenance in supporting the Category C certifier who is the final CRS/SMI signatory."

B2 licence mostly covers instrument system, Automatic pilot system (fixed and rotary wing) including Auto-throttle and Auto-land system, radio communication and radar system and also electrical power generation and distribution to avionic systems.

For an individual to be recognised as B2 licence holder the course must be undertaken at part147 organisation with a minimum of 2400 hours of teaching so the candidates can have basic theoretical knowledge required. The overall course includes theory exams and practical assessments as part of the training and qualification gaining method. Theory exams include 12 exams which are documented by the CAA and will be explained on the literature review.

Following the completion of the above modules candidates must complete a minimum of 2 years practical maintenance experience before applying for B2 licence.

Literature Review

Exposition of Part-147 MTO

The exposition of Part-147 is a document that provides detailed requirements for the setting up of the organisation in accordance with EASA regulations. Prior to gaining or applying for approval of maintenance organisation of any kind, National Aviation Authority which in this case is the CAA has to be first of all satisfied with the organisation structure in place. The CAA will normally be interested in making sure all the facility and quality system in place. Once all the legislation requirements are in place then the organisation can proceed with the application process.

Any organisation wishing to become a Part-147 approved maintenance training organisation, an application form (SRG/1009 Form 12) must formally be submitted to CAA.

This actual exposition defines the organisation’s procedures upon which Part-147 Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO) should be based on. Upon setting an exposition, the individuals in charge must first and foremost make sure that the procedures laid out on the exposition should not attempt to override/counteract any new or amended rules and regulations, which are published by CAA at any point during the training process. If new or amended guidelines are produced but in conflict with the current system, then the MTO must update their system in order to adjust to CAA’s new instructions.

If all the procedures are adhered to in accordance with EASA while CAA is satisfied with it, then the approval will be gained. However, if there is any evidence of procedures not being followed accordingly or standards are not upheld, then the CAA has the right to suspend, revoke or limit the approval of Part-147 Maintenance Organisation’s approvals.

Under the terms of Part 147 MTO approval, the procedures are approved by the undersign who must make sure rules and regulations are complied with, whenever knowledge or practical training is in progress.

Duties & Responsibilities of Management Personnel

In a typical Part-147 organisation structure as shown on Figure 1 below, there will be duties and responsibilities delegated to each personnel. The following main characters suggested being in place by the CAA in order to set up an exposition starting from the Accountable Manager to Assessors as shown on the chart.

Figure : Typical Part-147 MTO Organisational Chart

Each position shown on the organisation chart above has to be filled by an appropriate individual. Part-147 MTO has to have a system in place where potential candidates can be examined and assigned to the selected position. This exposition will detail each position and its requirement needed in order to help the Part-147 MTO to allocate individuals to the best position according to their qualification and/or experience.

Accountable Manger (AM)

The Accountable Manager (AM) is a senior manager within the organisation who is responsible to the CAA for maintaining adequate safety standards. There are no special qualifications required for the position; however CAA will need to be satisfied with the individual in order to ensure he/she is capable of moving the organisation towards corporate safety culture.

Accountable Manager (AM) will first on foremost occupy the appropriate highest position within the organisation in order to be able to establish overall company’s policies and objectives. The responsibility that will fall under the AM’s authority will include;

For the individual to be able to prove or have corporate authority for ensuring all maintenance activities can be financed at any point of the operation.

Ensuring all instructions and assessments that are carried out by the organisation are in accordance with the standard required by the CAA.

Necessary finance, facilities and manpower resources are available to enable the organisation to provide the correct knowledge level and/or practical instruction and assessments to the students.

Annual performance review should be held in order to improve the organisation where necessary.

If there are any charges against the organisation, the Accountable Manager will be responsible to ensure the fine will be paid within the time limit.

Appendix 2 shows a typical process of which an Accountable Manager is normally selected.

Personal Assistant to the Accountable Manager

Due to the nature of work the Accountable Manager (AM) has to handle, a personal assistant (PA) must be posted in order to relieve or assist with some of the tasks. The individual to fill such an important role must be able to demonstrate a total discretion when handling confidential information. In addition, the PA of the AM must also carry out the following responsibilities;

Oversee the organisations as directed in the absence of the Accountable Manager.

Assist the managements in making sure all the requirements of EASA are observed and achieved at all times.

Participate to the organisation’s achievement and activities such as training, examination etc.

Make sure all necessary records are adequately maintained and updated as in accordance with the CAA/EASA

Ensure the management has sufficient support when preparing any relevant documentation.

Training Manager

Prior to becoming a Training Manager at a Part-147 organisation, the nominated individual must meet the requirement of an EASA form 4 (appendix 3) and hold the relevant authorised certificate. The requirement of such a form will include the individual to;

Be an engineering graduate who is specialised in mechanical or avionics background with a minimum of 5 years of experience. 2 of the 5 years’ experience must however be of the maintenance side of the industry.

Can be an engineering diploma holder who is specialised in mechanical or avionics background with a minimum of 7 years’ experience in the industry. 3 out of the 7 years’ experience must however be related to the maintenance side.

Can also be a Basic Maintenance Engineer License holder in mechanical or avionics background with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in the aviation industry. However 3 years out of the 5 years’ experience must be gained from working in the maintenance side of the field.

By completing such a form the CAA will therefore be able to review the candidate’s abilities and experience to undertake the position before taking any role. In addition to completing and submitting the form 4, CAA will also need to conduct an interview prior to give the clearance to the candidate to occupy the position. Following a scrutinised interview, if the applicant is deemed capable of undertaking the position by the CAA, he/she will undertake the following responsibilities;

Overseeing the entire operation is running smoothly, by delegating duties and taking on responsibilities of the Accountable Manager during prolonged absence.

Be in charge of maintaining the training program and monitor and control all training performances.

To constantly keep The Accountable Manager (AM) informed of any issues within the organisation.

To be able to undertake the delegated tasks and responsibilities of approved examiner during their absence.

To make sure the organisation is efficiently is managed and conforms to the requirements of EASA Part 147 Maintenance Training Organisation.

Appropriate staff with adequate qualification are selected, trained (if needed) and developed to plan, perform, supervise, examine and asses students as required by the EASA.

Training Manager must always make sure the necessary Airworthiness data published by significant National Airworthiness Authorities and aircraft manufactures as appropriate is made available and ready to use.

Any modification to the exposition and related manual of Part 147 must be reported to CAA/EASA

Must make sure all assessments and approved courses that are presented to the students are of appropriate content and level is knowledge as stipulated by EASA.

Examiners, instructors and assessors are assessed on a regular basis for competence and all records are kept up to date.

Making sure any sub-contracted or part times staffs are also conform to the requirements of Part 147 and its training procedure.

Overall stuff development records are kept and closely monitored for staff improvements reasons.

Appropriate staff accommodation and facilities should be available for management and staff ready for use.

Ensure overall safety is the priority of the organisation buy providing a correct working environment.

Ensure there is sufficient storage facility, sufficient tools, equipment, materials and documentations available to perform the planned tasks.

Secure storage facilities for exam papers prior to the examination and after examination with limited access to non-authorised individuals.

Most importantly, Training Manager will be responsible in interviewing students prior to, during and after the completion of the course.

Student’s records are produced and kept in a secure manner/in accordance with Data Protection Act 1998.

Staffs are kept aware if there are any modification/changes or updated regulations by the CAA/EASA.

Appropriate action is taken for the outcome of quality audits.

If any faults appear in terms of maintenance standards or organisation’s procedure, then Training Manager will be responsible in rectifying the issue by retraining and re-establishing new procedures in compliance with EASA.

Regardless of the examination manager responsibilities, Training Manager is also liable in making sure there are sufficient exam questions in the bank to produce at least three separate exams with maximum of 20% resemblance. Additional practise questions can also be generated but it should not be included in the final test.

The overall security and validity of the exam papers should be in accordance with CAA/EASA.

Training Manager should also ensure that all assessment timetables are co-ordinated.

Due to the nature of continuous updated regulations by CAA, Training Manager should also ensure assessment question review procedures are carried out in order to update the exam bank.

Quality Manager

Quality manager’s responsibility is to ensure that the organisation is constantly fit for purpose and its rules and regulation procedures meet both external (CAA) and internal (Part-147) requirements. The individual in charge will have direct access to the Accountable manager so he/she can report any findings or faults encountered within the organisation. The overall Quality Manager’s duties will include;

Establishing an independent quality system in order to monitor a compliance with Part 147 requirements,

To emphasis/implement a quality audit programme in which with all training procedures are reviewed continuously.

If any personnel do not comply with the rules and regulation, Quality Manager will be responsible to report the individual to the person concerned i.e. his/her manager. Above all, Quality Manager will be responsible for proposing a correct way of eliminating non-compliance, initiating it by ensuring the proposed action is being implemented, and at the end the proposed act, it achieves its desired end. Last but not least, the Quality Manager will also be responsible in ensuring all the organisation’s relevant manuals are updated (if needed) in accordance to the EASA regulations.

In order to improve the quality if the Part-147 MTO there are certain requirements of which the individual must ascertain. These requirements will include;

Having the knowledge and overall understanding of the relevant Aviation Regulations related to Part-66 and Part-147 MTO.

Have Managerial and communication skills

Must have attended an internal auditing training and a Quality System or Quality Management Training

Last but least, the individual interested in the position must have a minimum of 2 years’ experience working in a quality function

Personal Assistant of Training Manager

Personal Assistant of Training Manager is simply a role that will be undertaken by the individual who will carry out all Training Manager’s responsibility during any lengthy absence.

Examination Manager

The Examination Manager is mainly accountable for managing all assessment related responsibilities. He/she has to make sure the exams/assessments questions to be sat are appropriate to the particular phase or level of the training course provided to the students. In addition to that, Examination Manager will also be in charge of obtaining an invigilator during examination period. When hiring an invigilator, the process must be carried out in accordance with the EASA regulations which will be covered in depth on the Examination section of this MTOE to follow.

In addition to that, the Examination Manager must make sure the allocation of assessment papers at the beginning of the assessment and during the retrieval of the papers on completion should be strictly controlled in order to avoid any mishandling. In doing so chances of alterations of the exam papers or leaking the examination questions to students can be eliminated. Last but not lease, the Exam Manager’s main responsibility will be to make sure the assessment papers are marked using acceptable marking standards. This can be achieved by making sure appropriate individual(s) with adequate knowledge of the subjects proof reads the exam and produce suitable answers.

In order to maintain high standards of the MTO, the Examination Manager must always demonstrate good communication skills, personal integrity. In addition to that the individual undertaking the position must also have the relevant knowledge and understanding of the Aviation Regulations of the MTOE. It will always be beneficial for the organisation if the candidate hired has adequate experience in relation to the Examination matters.

Head of Knowledge Examiner

The Head of Knowledge Examiner is responsible of making sure all examinations that takes place under Part 147 organisation is in accordance with EASA regulations. He/she will directly be linked with Examination Manager’s role within the organisation.

Examiners

Examiners are responsible of marking the assessments. The individual nominated for the post will not be allowed to partake on marking the assessment if he/she takes part in the delivering of the subject to the students. According to CAA (2008), "The Part-147 MTO examiners are the only persons allowed to produce/select assessment papers. They may nominate other persons to mark completed assessments. The examiners and these persons should be other than the knowledge instructors involved in the instruction of that particular module/sub-module". Examination Manager will be responsible in appointing the appropriate individuals for the role.

Head of Instructor

Head of instructor’s role is manly to make sure he/she appoints appropriate/qualified individuals to take on instructor’s role.

Instructors

Instructors are responsible of supporting Head of Instructors and also carrying out duties for which he/she is qualified to deliver. In addition to that, instructors can also compile questions for assessments banks for which they are qualified and when needed, he/she can undertake invigilating duties if not involved in the instruction of that particular phase assessment.

Head of Assessor

Head of Assessor is mainly responsible of monitoring and assessing candidates during pre-set practical tasks and/or hand skills. This will also in clued handling of tools with care and also candidates abilities to demonstrate general understanding and importance of calibrating tools. In addition to these responsibilities, Head of Assessor will also be in charge of;

Appointing qualified Assessors

Ensuring competence of all candidates taking part in the practical assessments and continuation training using internal and external source as well as on the job instruction and evaluation

Last but not least, keeping records of all training within the organisation of both candidates and Assessors.

Practical Assessors

The Assessor will be the individual nominated by virtue of holding a supervisory or management position within the Part 147 organisation. In this scenario the CAA would expect the nominated individual to be included in the Part 147 organisation for the reminder of the approval duration as long as they star employed with the organisation. The nominated individual’s responsibility will mainly be to assist the Head of Assessors. Additionally the individual will also be in charge of making sure relevant/appropriate levels of practical practices are delivered to candidates at all times and satisfactory progresses are being achieved by the candidates throughout the process/course.

All the above mentioned records can be kept under any format, either hard copy or electronically. However it should be stored under a strict controlled environment of the quality system. The overall quality personnel authorised to access these records should also be limited to a minimum in order to prevent alteration of the documents. On request all Part-147 MTO instructors should be given reasonable access to their personal records.

Under the organisation all staffs are not required to carry their qualifications or any relevant documents with them at all times, however when requested, they should be able to produce within a reasonable amount of time.

Along the quality team, CAA can be deemed to be authorised to have authority to access all personnel’s document if there is doubts of the Instructor’s competence.

Appointment

Name

Competencies

Manager - Training

 

 

Manager - Quality

 

 

 

Manager - Assessor

 

 

modules/sub-module which each individual is qualified to instruct

Manager - Examiner

 

 

Practical Assessor

 

 

Instructor

 

 

Instructor

 

Instructor

 

 

Invigilator (s)

 

 

LIST OF APPROVED ADDRESS

The Part-147 MTO must provide the address(s) where all the instruction and/or maintenance practical training will be taking place throughout the duration of the course.

LIST OF SUB-CONTRACTORS

Part-147 MTO should also provide a list of all sub-contractors used to deliver either practical assessment or theory when it was not possible to do carry them out.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FACILITIES

Relevant Part-147 MTO must provide a quick description of all the facilities that are currently in the address provided above. Facilities that should be included in this section should be such as classrooms, offices, practical training workshops, examination rooms, desks, chairs etc.

SPECIFIC LIST OF COURSES APPROVED BY THE AUTHORITY

If there is any approved course currently being provided to students under Part-147 MTO, CAA must be made aware by making sure it is noted on the Maintenance Training Organisation Exposition.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES REGARDING CHANGES TO ORGANISATION

Individual should be selected and noted down on the MTOE as responsible of informing the CAA of any proposed changes to the Exposition. Any slight change must be notified to the CAA because it may affect the approval of the MTO. If that’s the case, the regulatory authority will need to review the approval in order to determine its continued compliance. Failure to notify CAA may result in suspension, revocation or limiting of the overall MTO approval.

EXPOSITION AND ASSOCIATED MANUALS AMENDMENT PROCEDURE

Part-147 MTO should establish a process and note in the MTOE prior to applying for the approval showing where it clearly shows procedure how amendments or updates will be taking place as indicated by the CAA.

FACILITY REQUIREMENT

CLASSROOMS

Facilities of the Part-147 MTO are important in helping to secure the approval. There are certain criteria’s which needs to be fulfilled prior to completing the application form. As stipulated on 147.A.100, the size and the structure of the constructed Part-147 MTO facilities shall ensure adequate protection to candidates is provided at all times from prevailing weather conditions. Premises of theory, practical trainings and examination classes should be also constructed in a way that it could be utilised at any time or day under different weather conditions.

Additional fully enclosed classrooms should also be provided for theory, practical training sessions and examinations and each classroom should be able to accommodate no more than 28 students comfortably. However the size of examination rooms should be constructed in a way that there is plenty of room so that no students can be able to read of neighbouring student’s paperwork or computer screen during examination.

All in all, the accommodations for studying purposes should be provided by the Part-147 MTO so that the students are able to concentrate on their studies or examinations appropriately without any destruction or discomfort.

INSTRUCTIONAL EQUIPMENT

All theory classrooms should contain appropriate equipment in order to assist instructors in undertaking lessons. Each classroom should have a writing board, overhead projector, component display table and diagram or notice display board. All the equipment should be appropriately presented and placed where students can easily read presentations, texts, drawings, diagrams, and figures from any position. According to 147.A.115, "The presentation equipment shall include representative synthetic training devices to assist students in their understanding of the particular subject matter where such devices are considered beneficial for such purposes".

If a module or sub-module being taught to the candidates requires aircraft, engines, aircraft parts, avionics equipment to be presented to students, then Part-147 MTO must arrange for appropriate parts to be made accessible. As stipulate by CAA (2008), "avionics training should require amongst other equipment, access to at least one type of installed autopilot and flight director system such that maintenance and system functioning can be observed and therefore the subject is fully understood by the student in the working environment."

Access to such demands may be simplified by arranging with a local Part-145 MRO to provide such parts.

PRACTICAL ROOMS (WORKSHOP)

Any workshop related practises should be held under a separate room to theory rooms or examination rooms as stated on AMC 147.A.115. However if the organisation is unable to provide such facility, the MTO can therefore use a different organisation for this purpose. Bearing in mind that any candidate training carried out at an address which is not listed on the initial application of approval, CAA must first be notified so they can issue the extension. In doing so, it will allow the CAA to first ensure that the proposed contracted organisation is in compliance with the requirement before permitting or issuing an extension.

Prior to applying for extension, control and procedures must first be established with the third party organisation. Control and procedure in this instance would be for the initial MTO to have a written agreement with the contracted organisation. This written contract should clearly state or specify the conditions of access and the use of their equipment. In addition to that, CAA should also be given a full access to any such contracted organisation and the contract should also specify this.

When undertaking tasks in the designated workshop, no more than 15 candidates should be supervised by one Assessor or a supervisor at given time. If there are more than 15 in a lesson/session, different sessions should be held. According to AMC 147.A.200 (d), "At least 30% of the practical training element should be carried out in an actual maintenance working environment".

The Part 147 MTO should ensure that all candidates are provided with appropriate practical training for the chosen course (A, B1 or B2). Sufficient materials should also be provided for these practical sessions with adequate tools and equipment such as bench vice, drills (pneumatic and electrical), files, scribers etc.

Instructors, Assessors and knowledge instructors should all be provided with adequate office accommodations in order to ensure preparations of high standards are constantly being provided.

RECORDS OF TRAINING CARRIED OUT

All candidates’ progresses should be kept and maintained in files. These should include students attendances, final theory and practical assessments and any re-assessments carried out in accordance with Part-66 regulations.

When students are undergoing work experience whether on a live aircraft or in a workshop facility, it is their responsibility to keep a record of all the basic completed tasks.

STORAGE OF RECORDS

Storage of all students and staff workshop assessments should have a certain procedure that must be practiced throughout. The storage of these documents could be electronically or physical based but either way adequate safeguard should be provided at all times in order to prevent access to unauthorised individuals or alteration.

Once the storage facility has been established, the organisation must ensure that all documents remains in good condition for the retention period as stipulated on AMC 147.A.125, which is 5 years following the student’s completion of the particular chosen course.

MAINTENACE TRAINING MATERIALS

All relevant training documents such as notes, diagrams and any other instructional materials should always be accurate and constantly be updated accordingly. If Part-147 MTO is in possession of an aircraft document such as Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) that is not updated or updatable, then it should clearly be marked as "For training purposes only".

In addition to the maintenance training materials, library should be provided to candidates with extra reading materials appropriate to the level of training provided. Computers should be available in order to provide methods of research to all students.

It is Part 147 MTO to make sure all documents available in the library are reviewed and updated regularly and controlled supervision should be in place whenever student are in the premises.

TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

ORGANISATION OF COURSES

For category training courses for A, B1 and B2 should be a high level document detailing the course content in accordance with CAA/EASA. The content should state clearly when each module should be taught and to what level including practical, theory knowledge and on-job-training (OJT) elements and durations.

PREPARATIONS OF COURSE MATERIALS

All training materials should meet the requirements of the Part 147 MTO as by the CAA. Lecturers should produce learning materials such as text books which details the standard course lectures notes including content, indexing, chapter and page numbering, level etc. In addition to that, any procedures or other materials used for the inclusion of course material i.e. Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), CAA and EASA publications and/or standard text books used for preparations should be made available to candidates at all times for cross referencing purposes. Most importantly the Part-147 MTO will be held responsible for keeping up to date with the CAA for any amendments of lecturers’ notes and re-producing all learning materials.

The course plan should clearly state the modules set out for each course (A, B1 and B2). As stated earlier, in order to gain certain licence type, different amount of modules must be completed. As an approved organisation, all modules for different courses must be made available and easily accessible. Each module should include;

Course objectives/Learning outcomes

The topics covered

Teaching hours and training needed

Assessment criteria

Student to instructor ratios

Course entry criteria

Conditions under which the course will be conducted

Course notes

EXAMINATIONS

Examination for all licence categories and sub-categories can be computer or hard copies based, or even a combination of both. Part-147 MTO organisation must provide a ‘bank’ of questions where Examination Manager can extract questions in order to provide examinations to candidates. The bank can initially be created by the appropriate lecturers but the actual questions to be used for a particular examination can only be determined and accessed by the examination staff.

Basic knowledge examination must be in accordance with standard described in Part-66 which shows the level and content of the examination. Additionally, the examination must also be conducted without the use of training notes and must cover relevant topic covered for the particular examination to be sat.

As mentioned before different licences will require for individuals to complete different examination. In order to gain either category A licence, B1 and B2, individuals must complete and pass all examinations prior to applying for a licence.

The examination to be provided by the approved organisation must be in set in English language, which is the national aviation language. Abbreviations can be used where applicable and submitted by a computer in multiple choice formats or essays.

Candidates should be allowed to book exams individually or in groups but the examination papers must be completed independently. The organisation can however have the final say on the amount of candidates that can take an exam at a given time.

MULTI-CHOICE PAPER (A, B1 and B2)

For each given module exam to be taken, candidates should receive a question paper with instructions and answer sheet. Depending on exam to be taken, question numbers should vary but written in the same format. This should be achieved by providing each question with an introductory statement (question) followed by alternative answers printed as (A), (B), (C) below. One of the choices provided should be totally correct and the rest wrong or partially correct or incomplete. Candidates must achieve a pass mark of 75% for all multiple choices exams before receiving a certificate.

ESSAY PAPER (A, B1 and B2)

Similarly to multiple choice exams, candidates can book for exams individually or in groups but the examination must be completed independently. Essay papers must comprise questions extracted from the syllabus and the actually exam must take approximately 20 minutes to complete. There are 3 modules for each A licence, B1 and B2 that categories that comprises essay questions, these are; Maintenance Practices (Module 7) which has 2 essay papers, Human Factors (module 9) which has 1 essay paper and Aviation legislation (module 10) which has 1 essay.

Prior to licence issuing, students must successfully achieve a pass mark of 75% for Module 9 and 10 but Module 7’s 2 essay papers, the results can be averaged out in order to achieve 75%.

‘A’ LICENCE EXAMINATIONS

As mentioned earlier, ‘A’ licence has 4 man sub-categories which are;

Aeroplane Turbine-Engines (A1.1)

Aeroplane Piston-Engines (A1.2)

Helicopters Turbine-engines (A1.3)

Helicopter Piston-Engines (A1.4)

Every sub-licence category varies on the amount of exams to be taken. For each exam a pass mark of 75% must be achieved in order to gain the chosen licence.

Aeroplanes Turbine-Engines (A1.1)

For aeroplanes turbine-engines has a total of 13 exams that must be taken. Part 147 MTO has to provide texts books which would reflect the exam contents for both multiple choice and essay papers. The exams to be taken include;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 11 - Aeroplanes Aerodynamic, Structure and Systems

Module 15 – Gas Turbine Engine

Module 17 – Propeller

Aeroplane Piston-Engines (A1.2)

Similarly to A1.1 licence a total number of 13 exams must be taken and 75% pass mark must be achieved for each licence. The training organisation must provide text book which will reflect the exams provided. The exams to be undertaken by individuals who are interested in achieving A1.2 licence are;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 11 – Aeroplanes Aerodynamic, Structure and Systems

Module 16 – Piston-Engine

Module 17 – Propeller

Helicopters Turbine-engines (A1.3)

For this type of licence a total number of 12 exams must be taken and the modules that must be offered by the Part-147 MTO include;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 12 – Helicopter Aerodynamics, Structure and Systems.

Module 15 – Gas Turbine-Engine

Helicopter Piston-Engines (A1.4)

Part-147 Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO) must be able provide 12 exams to all candidates who are interested in gaining A1.4 licence. Pass mark required for each exam is 75% and the exams to be cleared prior to applying for licence are;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 12 – Helicopter Aerodynamics, Structure and Systems.

Module 16 – Piston-Engine

B1 LICENCE

Part 147 MTO can gain approval to provide examination to candidates who wishes to gain B1 licence. B1 licence has four sub-categories which are;

B 1.1 - Aeroplanes Turbine-Engines

B 1.2 - Aeroplanes Piston-Engines

B 1.3 - Helicopters Turbine-Engines

B 1.4 - Helicopters Piston-Engines

Basic knowledge levels for each subcategory should be allocated reflecting the level appropriate to the related licence type. Candidates must demonstrate adequate level of understanding by successfully completing all the exams with pass mark of 75%.

Overall knowledge requirements and all other examinations queries can be extracted from CAA’s The Engineer’s Licensing Guidance Document Subpart J.

B 1.1 – Aeroplanes Turbine-Engines

B1.1 licence covers Aeroplanes Turbine-Engine and as a Part-147 MTO text books of appropriate level reflecting the examination topics must be provided to candidates. This sub-category licence, a total number of 13 exams must be completed. These exams are;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 11 – Aeroplanes Aerodynamic, Structure and Systems

Module 15 – Gas Turbine Engine

Module 17 – Propeller

B1.2 – Aeroplane Piston-Engine

All appropriate/relevant documents must be provided in order to provide theoretical knowledge to candidates prior to taking the exams. This type of licence has a total of 12 exams which include;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 11B – Aeroplanes Aerodynamic, Structure and Systems

Module 16 – Piston-Engine

B1.3 – Helicopter Turbine-Engines

Part 147 MTO should be able to provide exams for Helicopter Turbine-Engines sub-category to candidate interested in achieving the licence. This type of licence comprises a total of 12 exams which are;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 12 – Helicopter Aerodynamics, Structure and Systems.

Module 16 – Piston-Engine

B1.4 – Helicopter Piston-Engine

The Helicopter Piston-Engine has a total of 12 exams which candidates must pass prior to candidates applying for the licence. These exams include;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 12 – Helicopter Aerodynamics, Structure and Systems.

Module 16 – Piston-Engine

B2 LICENCE

Part 147 MTO should be able to provide basic knowledge for each this type of licence to candidates wishing to gain such a qualification. In addition to that text books should also be provided for cross referencing purposes.

Just like ‘A’ licence and B1, Overall level requirement and general information relating to B2 examination requirements and procedure can be found in CAA’s The Engineer’s Licensing Guidance Document Subpart J.

B2 licence has a total of 12 exams which must be completed and a pass mark of 75% must be achieved for each assessment. The exams to be undertaken for the mentioned licence type are;

Module 1 – Maths

Module 2 – Physics

Module 3 – Electrical

Module 4 – Electronics

Module 5 – Digital Techniques/Electronic Instrument Systems

Module 6 – Materials and Hardware

Module 7 – Maintenance Practices

Module 8 – Basic Aerodynamics

Module 9 – Human Factors

Module 10 – Aviation Legislation

Module 13 – Aircraft Aerodynamics, Structures and Systems.

Module 14 – Propulsion

GENERAL EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

Part 147 MTO Organisation should provide an appropriate date for candidates (full time) to undertake the examinations following the completion of the syllabus. As for external or distance learning students they can request for exams as for when they are ready to undertake the assessments.

There are certain procedures that should be followed when booking an examination. Candidates must apply for the examination in writing using the appropriate application forms (Appendix) which could then be sent to the Part-147 MTO by post or fax. No bookings can be accepted over the phone and no reservation can be made, only first come first serve basis.

On the application form, candidates must indicate the venue and the date of when they wish to take the examination. However the Part-147 MTO reserves the rights to change the venue and/or date in order to satisfy the demands of CAA.

Full time students will not be charged for the initial examinations and first retake however if candidates fail the same subject for the third time he/she will be charged for the retake. Distant learning or external students will need to pay for their initial examination and the fees must be sent with the application form. Bookings will not be confirmed until the fees have been received. Once the fees have been cleared, examination conformation should be dispatched as soon as possible.

The closing date for booking the examination date should be at least two weeks prior to the examination date. By allowing 2 weeks, it will provide the Part-147 MTO to process the payment and send out conformation letter before the exam date.

Examination time table for the academic year should be made available to all full time/part time students and distance learning/external students so they can plan in advance.

CANCELLATION OR TRANSFER OF DATE OR VENUE OF THE EXAMINATIONS

If individuals would like to cancel any booked examination, certain procedures must be followed. According to CAA, cancellation will only be accepted if received in writing at least 10 working days prior to examination date. 10 working days in the scenario is Monday to Friday excluding any public holidays.

Any emergencies such as medical reasons can be accepted and refunded if certified doctor’s note such as a valid medical certificate is received in addition to a letter of explanation. As for cancellation of exams well in advance of 10 working days, refund will be arranged back to the candidates as stated of the Scheme of Charge on CAA 2008.

ATTENDANCE AT THE EXAMINATIONS

On the exam date, candidates should be present at the examination venue at least 20 minutes prior to the scheduled time for the starting of each examination sitting. All candidates are required to provide an ID, an acceptable ID in this case would be documents such as passport, driving licence, company ID or student ID. If any individual forgets to bring any ID he/she must not be permitted to sit for examination. 10 minutes before the commencement of the examination, candidates may be allowed to enter the assessment room.

PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT ROOMS

The assessment rooms should be prepared in way that candidates to sit the exams cannot see each other’s papers during the examination period in order to avoid cheating. The room should have adequate light and appropriate ventilation throughout the duration of the exams.

EXAMINATION BRIEFING

Prior to starting to the examination, the invigilator will brief all the candidates regarding rules and regulations of examination in accordance with CAA.

The rules and regulation starts by clearly stating that all bags and coats should be placed where the invigilator can see clearly, preferably at the front/rear of the exam room or separate are if allocated. If any individuals have a baseball cap then it should be placed on the floor and not picked up until he/she completes the exam paper. In order to avoid random disruption during the examination all phones and alarms should be switched off completely. If any phone or alarm was to go off during the examination, the owner could be disqualified from the assessment.

All photo ID must be checked prior to individuals entering the assessment rooms. Passport or UK forces ID, school passes and Company ID can be deemed as acceptable form of identification. Once sat on the allocated seat, the ID must be placed on the table so the invigilator can check them again in order to confirm the individual sitting on the examination room is the correct person.

All candidates must be fully aware of where all fire exits are in the exam room. If the fire alarm goes off at any point during the examination, all individuals must leave all paperwork on the desk and other belonging and leave the class room quickly. Once the all clear is given the invigilator must restart the exam.

All personal stationeries such as pencils, pens and calculators in particular are not permitted. Pencils must be provided by for completion by the multiple choice examination and pens for essay by the Part-147 organisation

Prior to starting the examination candidates must be briefed that it is their responsibility to check the paperwork the table in order to confirm the correct paper is provided, signed and date each exam. In addition to that, all candidates must fully understand how to fill in the answer sheet by reading and understanding the instruction on the top left hand of the answer sheet. Most importantly no marks should be drawn on the answer sheet other than answers and exam candidate number. All working must be done on the rough paper provided by the Part-147 MTO.

Candidates must have a clear instruction on the duration of the examination, multiple and essay and they are responsible in making sure full examination is completed within that period. Once the invigilator indicates is time to stop writing, pencils/pens must be put down immediately otherwise disciplinary action must be taken

Start and finish time must be put on board and the countdown must be carried out by the clock in the classroom in order to avoid variances. When in the process of completing the examination no explanations or meanings will be given to individuals by the individuals, only general question can be answered.

If any candidate completes the exam early, then they must raise their hands and remain seated until the invigilator collects the exam paper and slowly they may leave the examination room quietly.

While in the classroom silence must be observed at all times and if it is important to speak to the invigilator, individuals must be briefed to remain seated and raise their hands.

Any candidates who attempts to remove any unauthorised examination material from the assessment room will be held responsible and face a possible disqualification from those examination. In addition to that, the individual may be subjected to a seating arrangement for all future examination.

Any violation of examination rules and regulations set by CAA may consequently lead the individual to be disqualified and barred from all further participation in the future examination.

INVIGILATOR

As mentioned earlier, Examination Managers will be responsible of appointing Invigilators. According to CAA, lecturers in charge of a lesson must not be permitted to invigilate the related examination.

EXAMINATION HANDLING PROCEDURES

A protected/secured storage facility must be provided for completed examination papers and training records. As specified by the CAA 147.A.125, the storage environment should be set up in a way that documents will remain in good conditions at all time. Staff office accommodation and storage facility could be combined if examination papers and training records can be safely secured at all times. Access to the examination questions and answers should be limited to only authorised personnel in order to eliminate deception.

Any student found to be cheating during the examination or in possession of material deemed to be helpful toward answering the question, shall be disqualified and may not take any examination for no less than 12 months from the date of the incident. In the instances of such, the competent Part-147 MTO must gather all the information together with the inquiries within one calendar month and forward it to CAA.

If any examiner is found to be supplying answers to candidates during knowledge examination, he/she must be disqualified from acting as an examiner and the examination must therefore be declared as void. CAA in this will not need the organisation to gather all the information together with the inquiries within one calendar month and forward it to them. Following the review of the incident, CAA will therefore determine when or if the disqualified examiner can be reinstated.

EXAMINATION RESULTS

Following a successful completion of the examination, candidates should allow a certain period for the exams to be marked. Normally the exams should be marked and dispatched by first class or air mail within the first 10 working days.

Candidates should not contact Part-147 MTO at any point to request dispatch dates of the results or the results marks as both requests are not permitted to be provided over the phone. If candidates have not received any results notification within the prescribed time, then they must contact the organisation and re-arrange for the results to be sent out again. Prior to contacting the Examination Manager for requesting the results to be sent out again, candidates should allow few days for a possible postal delay.

Results should never be sent out to candidates by fax or allow individual to pick them up on the dispatched day. According to CAA (2007), "This is simply because one candidate could enjoy time advantage over another". If there is any outstanding payment, the Part-147 Organisation reserves the right to withheld results until the payment is cleared.

CAA will not be drawn into discussion or correspondent with candidates in regards to unfair markings. However candidates reserve the right to query the results by requested for the examination paper to be remarked. In doing so, the MTO can charge the individual the fees as stated in the Scheme of Charges.

EXAMS RE-SITS

According to Part-66 Appendix II, 1.11 states that, "a failed module may not be taken for at least 90 days following the date of the failed module examination." As for the candidates studying under Part-147 MTO can be able to re-take the examination after 30 days as long as tuition relevant to the failed module is provided.

The 90 day