61

61. Licensing of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers – (1) The Central Government may grant licences, authorisations or approvals or certificates of competency as provided in this rule, to persons who meet the requirements specified in this rule.

(2) The application for the grant of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence or an authorisation, approval or certificate of competency, or for extension thereof, shall be made in the form and manner specified by the Director-General.

(3) The Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s licences may be granted in the following categories, namely:-

(a) Category A

(b) Category B1

(d) Category C

(4) The licences in categories A and B1, in relation to aeroplanes, helicopters, turbine and piston engines, may be granted in the following sub-categories, namely:-

(a) A1 Aeroplanes Turbine

(b) A2 Aeroplanes Piston

(d) A4 Helicopter Piston

(e) B1.1 Aeroplanes Turbine

(f) B1.2 Aeroplanes Piston

(g) B1.3 Helicopter Turbine

(h) B1.4 Helicopter Piston

(5) An applicant for the grant of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence shall satisfy the following requirements, namely:-

(a) he shall not be less than 18 years of age;

(b) he shall have passed 10+2 examination with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from a recognised Board or University or its equivalent;

Provided that the Director-General may, subject to such conditions as he may deem fit to impose, exempt any applicant from the written examination if the applicant holds a licence granted by a Contracting State to act in the capacity of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer; and

(d) he shall have the following minimum practical experience, namely:-

(i) for Category A (any sub-category) and Category B1 (sub-categories B1.2 and B1.4) – four years of practical aircraft maintenance experience; and

(ii) for Category B2 and sub-categories B1.1 and B1.3 – five years of practical aircraft maintenance experience:

Provided that the experience requirement specified at (i) and (ii) above shall be reduced by one year in case of an applicant who has satisfactorily completed training in any training organisation approved under rule 133B or who has acquired a Degree in Engineering from a recognised University:

Provided further that twelve years of practical aircraft maintenance experience acquired outside a civil aircraft maintenance environment in the relevant category supplemented by at least one year of recent experience in civil aircraft maintenance environment, shall be treated as equivalent to the requirements laid down in (i) and (ii) above;

(iii) for Category C with respect to large aircraft –

(A) three years of maintenance experience exercising privileges of Categories B1.1, B1.3 or B2 on large aircraft or as support staff in a base maintenance in an organisation approved under rule 133B or a combination thereof; or

(B) five years of maintenance experience exercising the privileges of Categories B1.2 or B1.4 on large aircraft or as support staff in base maintenance in an organisation approved under rule 133B, or a combination thereof;

(iv) for Category C with respect to aircraft other than large aircraft – three years of maintenance experience of exercising privileges of category B1 or B2 or support staff in an organisation approved under rule 133B, or a combination thereof;

(e) the applicant shall have demonstrated to the Director-General or any other person authorised by him in his behalf, the ability to exercise the privileges of the category and sub-category of the licence for which the application has been made.

Explanation. – For the purposes of this sub-rule, –

(i) “large aircraft’’ means any aeroplane with a maximum mass of more than 5700 kilograms or any multi-engined helicopter; and

(ii) “support staff” means those licensed engineers or approval holders who are not authorised to issue certificate of release to service, but perform maintenance in the base maintenance environment.

(6) The applicant for grant of extension of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s licence shall be required --

(a) to pass a written examination so as to demonstrate a level of knowledge in the appropriate subject modules as specified by the Director-General; and

(b) to undergo relevant training, acquire maintenance experience and demonstrate skill as specified by the Director-General, for grant of any additional category or sub-category of license.

(7) An applicant who fails in any examination shall be permitted to appear again for such examination only after acquiring additional experience of thirty days or such other period in the appropriate field as may be specified by the Director-General.

(8) The Central Government may grant authorisation to the holders of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence to carry out maintenance of any new aircraft, engine or system which has been brought into the organisation and which is not within the scope of his licence, and to issue a certificate of release thereof, provided that the Director-General is satisfied that the applicant has sufficient knowledge, experience and training, and has passed such examinations as specified by the Director-General.

(9) Upon being satisfied that the applicant has sufficient knowledge, experience, training and skill and has passed such examinations as specified by the Director-General, the Central Government may grant approvals to persons employed in an organisation approved by Director-General to certify maintenance work carried out on aircraft, engine or components, in accordance with the procedures specified by the Director-General.

(10) Upon being satisfied that the applicant has sufficient knowledge, experience, training, competency and skill and has passed such examinations as specified by the Director-General, the Central Government may grant a Certificate of Competency to an applicant employed in a firm approved by Director-General to perform specialised processes which may affect the airworthiness of an aircraft.

(11) Unless suspended, revoked or cancelled, –

(a) a licence shall remain valid for the period specified therein, subject to a maximum period of five years in each case, and may be renewed for another five years at a time on receipt of the application for renewal:

Provided that an expired licence shall be renewed only after the applicant has passed such examinations as may be specified by the Director-General;

(b) an authorisation, approval or certificate of competency shall remain valid for a period specified therein, subject to a maximum period of one year in each case, and may be renewed for another one year at a time on receipt of application for renewal, provided the applicant has engaged himself in the performance of the tasks for a period of three months in the preceding one year.

(12) The holders of various categories of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licenses shall have the following privileges, namely:-

(i) Category A licence holders to issue certificates for release to service after minor scheduled line maintenance and simple defect rectification within the limits of maintenance tasks specifically endorsed on the authorisation issued by an organisation approved under rule 133B for the type of aircraft endorsed on the licence. The certification privileges shall be restricted to the work carried out by the licence holder himself.

(ii) Category B1 licence holders to issue certificates for release to service after maintenance, including aircraft structure, power-plant, mechanical and electrical systems, including replacement of avionic line replaceable units requiring simple tests to prove their serviceability, in respect of an aircraft type endorsed on the licence. The certification privileges shall be restricted to the work carried out by the licence holder himself.

Explanation.-

(a) Category B1 shall automatically include the appropriate sub-category of Category A;

(b) microlight aircraft, glider, balloon or an airship may be certified by an aircraft maintenance engineer holding a licence in Category A or Category B1.

(iii) Category B2 licence holders to issue certificates of release to service after maintenance on avionic and electrical systems of aircraft type endorsed on the licence; and

(iv) Category C licence holders to issue certificates of release to service after base maintenance in respect of an aircraft of the type endorsed on the licence. The privileges apply to the aircraft in its entirety including all systems.

(13) The certification privileges shall be exercised only if ─

(a) the holder of Category A licence on a specific aircraft type has satisfactorily completed and demonstrated the relevant Category A aircraft type task training conducted by an approved maintenance or AME training organisation approved for the purpose;

(b) the licence is endorsed with the appropriate aircraft type rating in case of Categories B1, B2 or C licence after satisfactory completion of an examination in the relevant category B1, B2 or C aircraft type training approved by Director-General or conducted by an approved maintenance training organisation;

(c) categories B1, B2 and C license for aircraft other than large aircraft, is endorsed with the appropriate group rating or manufacturer group ratings as specified by the Director-General; and

(d) within the preceding twenty-four months, the holder of an Aircraft Maintenance Licence has either acquired six months of maintenance experience in accordance with the privileges under the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence or has acquired the licence for the first time.

(14) (i) The holder of a valid Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence on the date of coming into force of this rule may continue to exercise the privileges of his licence and shall be issued, with or without limitation and without further examination, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence in the appropriate category under this rule subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Director-General:

Provided that exercise of such privileges shall not be continued beyond the date specified by DGCA.

(ii) Any person who has started a qualification process for obtaining an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence under the rules and procedures existing prior to the date of notification of this rule, may continue the process till 31 December, 2012 and may be issued an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence in the appropriate category.

(15) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-rule (3) of rule 19 of these rules, the Central Government may, after such inquiry as it may deem fit and after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard, revoke, cancel, suspend or endorse any licence or authorisation or approval or certificate of competency granted under this rule or issue a warning or an admonition or debar a person from acquiring a licence temporarily or permanently, where it is satisfied that ─

(a) the applicant had used unfair or fraudulent means during the qualification process; or

(b) the holder has obtained the certification privileges by adopting fraudulent means; or

(c) the holder has failed to carry out required maintenance resulting from own inspection combined with failure to report such fact to the organisation or person for whom the maintenance was intended to be carried out; or

(d) the holder has performed work or granted a certificate in respect of work which has not been performed in a careful and competent manner or was responsible in any manner that compromised airworthiness of the aircraft; or

(e) the holder has signed a certificate in respect of any matter in contravention of this rule; or

(f) the holder has issued a certificate of release to service knowing that the maintenance specified on the certificate of release to service has not been carried out or without verifying that such maintenance has been carried out; or

(g) the holder has falsified the maintenance records; or

(h) the holder has carried out maintenance or has issued a certificate of release to service while under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating or any psychoactive substance; or

(i) it is undesirable for any other reason that the holder should continue to exercise his privileges granted under this rule.

(16) The Central Government may withhold the grant or renewal of a licence or authorisation or approval or certificate of competency if, for reasons to be recorded in writing, it considers it expedient to do so in public interest.

[Amended by - (i) GSR No. 1202 dated 23-7-1976,

(ii) GSR No. 218 dated 13-3-1991,

(iii) GSR No. 196(E) dated 1-4-1991, and

(iv) GSR No. 1001(E) dated 22.12.2010.]

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