61.    Licensing of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers – (1) The Central Government may grant licences or authorisations 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, 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

(c) Category B2

(ca) Category B3

(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

(c) A3 Helicopter Turbine

(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;

(c) he shall have passed a written examination as specified by the Director-General:

                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, Sub-categories B1.2, B1.4 and Category B3― three years of practical aircraft maintenance experience on operating aircraft; and

 

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

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 Aircraft Maintenance or Degree in Engineering from a recognised University:

Provided further that the experience requirement specified at (i) and (ii) above shall be reduced by two years and three years, respectively in case of an applicant who has successfully completed training in an approved maintenance organisation as a part of the syllabi of the course he has passed from a training organisation approved under rule 133B for imparting basic aircraft maintenance training:

            Explanation.— For the purpose of this proviso, the “Approved Maintenance Organisation” means an aircraft maintenance organisation approved under rule 133B:”;

 Provided also 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;

(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 as specified by the Director-General, and demonstrate skill to exercise the privileges of the licence for which an application has been made, in a manner 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) Omitted

(10) Omitted

(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 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 holder 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 a maintenance organisation approved under rule 133B for the broad category of aircraft endorsed on the licence and the certification privileges shall be restricted to the work carried out by the licence holder himself in the maintenance organization that issues the authorisation.

(ii) Category B1 licence holder to issue certificates for release to service and act as support staff following the maintenance performed on aircraft structure, power-plant, mechanical and electrical systems, work on avionics system requiring simple tests to prove their serviceability and not requiring trouble shooting, in respect of an aircraft type endorsed on the licence.

Explanation.—

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

(b) Microlight, light sport aircraft, gyroplane, glider, balloon or an airship shall be certified by an aircraft maintenance engineer holding a licence in Category A or Category B1 or Category B3 or an authorised person subject to meeting the requirements as specified by the Director-General.

 (iii) Category B2 licence holder to issue ―

(a) certificates of release to service after maintenance on avionic and electrical systems, avionics and electrical system within engine and mechanical systems requiring only simple tests to prove their serviceability of aircraft type endorsed on the licence;

(b) certificates of release to service after minor scheduled line maintenance and simple defect rectification within the limits of tasks specifically endorsed on the certification authorisation issued by an approved maintenance organisation of aircraft type endorsed on the licence and this certification privilege shall be restricted to work that the licence holder has personally performed in the maintenance organisation which issued the certification authorisation and limited to the rating already endorsed on the licence.

(iv) Category B3 licence holders to issue certificates of release to service after maintenance on aeroplane structure, engine and mechanical and electrical systems, work on avionic systems requiring only simple tests to prove their serviceability and not requiring troubleshooting of ‘piston-engine non-pressurised aeroplanes of 2000 kg Maximum Take-off Mass and below’

(v) 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.

Explanation.―Simple test means a test described in approved maintenance data and such in nature that aircraft system serviceability is verified through aircraft controls, switches, Built-in Test Equipment (BITE), Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) or external test equipment not requiring special training.

(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, 2016 and may be issued an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence in the appropriate category.

(iii) Notwithstanding the amendment of this rule, the Director-General may issue the licenses as per the old format up to 31st December, 2016.

(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 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 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,

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

(v)          GSR 911(E) dated 16-09-2016,

                                (vi)  GSR No. 832(E) dated 30-06-2017;

                                (vii) GSR No. 1358 dated 01-11-2017; and

                                (viii) GSR No. 1066(E) dated 25-10-2018] 

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