Preparing aircraft maintenance programmes
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to prepare the aircraft maintenance programmes, in accordance with approved procedures for submission to the continuing airworthiness manager to review and submit to the Regulatory Authority. You will be required to interpret the relevant continuing airworthiness regulations, directives and guidelines and produce aircraft maintenance programmes for specific aircraft that include areas such as aircraft type, aircraft manufacturer, aircraft utilisation, approved programme reference number CAM/owner name, relevant signatures, aircraft applicability list, maintenance programme source data, basic maintenance programme, life limited and time limited tasks, Repetitive Airworthiness Directives (ADs) additional maintenance programmes, changes to maintenance instructions, variations/deviations from type certificate, repairs, additional maintenance procedures (operational) additional recurrent inspections, national requirements, deviations from maintenance, maintenance performed by pilot/owner (where applicable) maintenance check cycles and other tasks where manufactures maintenance tasks are not available.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for ensuring that the requirements for producing aircraft maintenance programmes are completed successfully and to report any problems that you cannot personally resolve to the relevant authority. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work you produce.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and will provide an informed approach to the methods, techniques and procedures for producing aircraft maintenance programmes. You will understand the regulatory requirements including relevant directives and guidelines in order to produce the aircraft maintenance programme including the processes, procedures and terminology used and their applications, and will know about them in adequate depth to provide a sound basis to be able to produce the aircraft maintenance programme.
You will be fully aware of any health, safety and environmental requirements, and the appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks applicable to your work area. You will be required to ensure that safe working practices are maintained throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
- obtain accurate data and relevant information relating to the specific aircraft for the maintenance programme to be produced
- review and interpret the regulations, directives and guidelines relevant for the aircraft maintenance programme
- clarify with the relevant people any aspects of the regulations, directives and guidelines that are unclear or require further information
- determine the specific maintenance requirements, sequence and timings that will enable the aircraft to be compliant with the continuing airworthiness regulations, directives and guidelines
- collect any other relevant the information needed to prepare the aircraft maintenance programme
- identify any special requirements and incorporate them in the aircraft maintenance programme
- check that all essential information and data needed to produce the aircraft maintenance programme is available
- prepare the aircraft maintenance programme in the agreed format and in the agreed timescales
- inform and send the programme to the appropriate people
- where appropriate make amendments to the aircraft maintenance programme
- deal effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken in the work areas is being undertaken
- the requirements and importance of understanding and applying human factors as defined by the regulatory requirements and the potential impact if these are not adhered to
- how to obtain and interpret company policy and procedures
- the importance of using the company information and documentation systems
- the information and documentation systems that are in use within your organisation, and how to record data to the system
- the company reporting procedures, documentation and their application
- how to access information required on the relevant aircraft
- how to access information on continuing airworthiness regulations, standards, directives and guidelines
- the implications of not taking account of legislation, regulations, standards and guidelines when preparing the aircraft maintenance programme
the general requirements set out in the current EASA Regulations for Continuing airworthiness to include:
the scope of the regulations
accountability
continuing airworthiness
maintenance standards
components
maintenance organisation
continuing airworthiness management organisation
certificate of release to service
airworthiness review certificate
controlled and uncontrolled environments
the specific details and principles and requirements set out in the current EASA Regulations for Continuing airworthiness to include:
responsibilities of the approved organisations
requirement of the maintenance programme
maintenance planning
documentation requirements including Scheduled Maintenance
Input Certificate of Release to Service (SMI CRS), log books, technical records, storage and retrieval, back up, interface contract requirements/works orders
airworthiness review certification including controlled and uncontrolled environments, annual review, triennial review and aircraft survey
permit to fly
import and export of aircraft
maintenance check flights
the requirements of European Operations requirements (EU OPS) with regards to extended range twin operations (ETOPS), all weather operations, flight crew maintenance interface, pre departure inspections(PDIs) and daily checks, de-icing/hold over times, reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) maintenance requirements, aircraft weight and balance the requirements of EC748/2012 Annex 1 with regards to the maintenance planning document, maintenance manual chapters 4 and 5, certification specifications electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS), enhanced zonal analysis procedures (EZAP), type certificates, restricted type certificates, supplemental type certificates (STCs), permit to fly, noise certificates, certificate of airworthiness, release of components (EASA form1)
- European Technical Standard Orders (ETSOs) including auxiliary power units (APUs), major and minor modifications and major and minor repairs, the categories of aircraft and equipment not included in certification specifications (CSs) including ELA 1 and 2, balloons and airships, sail planes and powered sail planes, European parts approval (EPA)
- how to use the aircraft maintenance programme effectively
- the codes and conventions that are used when producing aircraft maintenance programmes
- how to prepare aircraft maintenance programmes (to include the structure, style, clarity and compliance with relevant regulations, directives and guidelines)
- the process used in the organisation to validate and approve the aircraft maintenance programmes produced
- the control procedure for ensuring that the aircraft maintenance programmes produced are reviewed, maintained and up to date
- the procedures for changing the aircraft maintenance programmes produced and why control procedures are used
- the importance of maintaining records; what needs to be recorded and where records are kept
- why contingency plans need to be drawn up
- who to inform about the aircraft maintenance programmes produced
- the different ways of presenting information to different people
- the importance of providing the right information at the right time
- the roles and responsibilities of key personnel in your organisation
- the extent of your own authority, and whom you should report to in the event of problems that you cannot resolve
- the sources of technical expertise if you have problems you cannot resolve
- the organisational procedures for providing information to different people
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Prepare aircraft maintenance programmes for one of the following types of aircraft as defined by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) current listing:
- commercial/military passenger (over 5700kg)
- commercial/military passenger (under 5700kg)
- commercial/military freight (over 5700kg)
- commercial/military freight (under 5700kg)
- rotary craft
- private large aircraft
- private small aircraft
Prepare aircraft maintenance programmes that include details for all of the following:
- aircraft type
- aircraft manufacturer
- approved programme reference number
- CAM/owner/operator
- aircraft applicability list (such as registration, serial number, engine type, propeller type, effectivity codes)
- maintenance programme source data from aircraft type certificate certificate/supplemental type certificate (STC),technical standing orders(TSO)/Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) data
- basic maintenance programme from aircraft type certificate, supplemental type certificate (STC), technical standing orders (TSO)
- life limited and time limited tasks
- variations/deviations from type certificate
- repairs/defects
- national requirements
- deviations from maintenance programme such as engines, propellers and components
- maintenance check cycles
- operational utilisation
- other tasks where manufactures maintenance tasks are not available
- pilot, engineering or safety reports
plus other relevant details as applicable to the aircraft maintenance programme requirements such as:
17. relevant signatures
18. Repetitive Airworthiness Directives (ADs)
19. additional maintenance programmes such as aging aircraft and structure maintenance
20. changes to maintenance instructions
21. additional maintenance procedures (operational)
22. additional recurrent inspections (other than what is stated in the basic maintenance section)
23. maintenance performed by pilot/owner (where applicable)
24. trend monitoring
25. critical design configuration limitations (CDCCL)
26. approved drawings
27. electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS)/enhanced zonal analysis procedures (EZAP)
28. Corrosion Prevention and Control Programme (CPCP)
Ensure that the plans include any relevant regulations, standards and guidelines from all of the following, as appropriate:
- European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)/ regulations, guidelines or directives
- organisational guidelines and codes of practice
- customer standards and requirements
- aircraft/component manufacturer's operating specification/range including warranty considerations
- service bulletins/modifications
- airworthiness directives
- service information leaflets
- foreign (third country) airworthiness directives and service bulletins
- bi-weekly reports
Prepare and present the aircraft maintenance programme to the appropriate people, using the following method:
- specific company documentation
plus two more from the following:
2. written or typed report
3. verbal report supported by specific and auditable documentation
4. electronic mail
5. computer based presentation
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
strong work ethic
positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment