Continuing Airworthiness
Part-M / Part-CAMO (CAR M), the owner/operator's responsibility, the maintenance programme, Airworthiness Directives versus Service Bulletins, the Airworthiness Review and ARC, and records.
Continuing airworthiness, summary notes
- Continuing airworthiness, keeping an in-service aircraft airworthy over its life, is governed by (EU) 1321/2014: Part-M (and Part-ML for lighter aircraft), with the management function under Part-CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation). The GCAA equivalent is CAR M.
- The owner/operator is ultimately responsible for continuing airworthiness and either manages it through an approved CAMO or contracts one.
- Core continuing-airworthiness tasks: control the aircraft Maintenance Programme (AMP); ensure Airworthiness Directives (ADs) and required modifications are embodied; manage defects and repairs to approved data; and keep the continuing-airworthiness records.
- The Airworthiness Directive (AD) is mandatory, issued by the authority (EASA or the State of Design) to correct an unsafe condition; compliance is not optional. A Service Bulletin (SB) is issued by the manufacturer and is only mandatory if an AD makes it so.
- The Airworthiness Review checks the aircraft's continuing-airworthiness status and records; a satisfactory review results in an Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), typically valid one year and renewable, which keeps the C of A effective.
- Records, the aircraft, engine and component log books, AD status, modification and repair records, and current maintenance status, must be kept and retained for the required periods and transferred with the aircraft on sale.
- ⚠ Exam trap: an AD is MANDATORY; a Service Bulletin is not, unless mandated by an AD. The C of A is issued once and kept effective by the annual ARC, the ARC is what is renewed each year, not the C of A.
- Continuing airworthiness
- (EU) 1321/2014, Part-M / Part-ML / Part-CAMO · GCAA CAR M
- AD vs SB
- AD = mandatory (authority) · SB = manufacturer, non-mandatory unless AD-mandated
- Airworthiness Review
- → ARC, ~1 year validity, renewable, keeps the C of A effective
- Programme
- Aircraft Maintenance Programme (AMP)
A manufacturer issues a Service Bulletin recommending a wiring inspection. Is the operator legally required to carry it out?
Not by itself, a Service Bulletin is a manufacturer recommendation and is not mandatory on its own. It becomes mandatory only if an Airworthiness Directive is issued that requires compliance with it (or if the operator's programme adopts it). An AD, by contrast, must always be complied with.
An aircraft's Certificate of Airworthiness is described as 'valid'. What annual action keeps it effective?
The Airworthiness Review. A satisfactory review of the aircraft's status and records produces an Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC), valid about a year and renewable. The C of A itself is issued once; it remains effective only while the ARC is current and the aircraft is properly maintained.
Continuing airworthiness concept map
Continuing Airworthiness
Continuing airworthiness quiz
Continuing Airworthiness, quiz
1. An Airworthiness Directive (AD) is:
MandatoryAdvisory onlyOptional after a bulletin2. A manufacturer's Service Bulletin (SB) is:
Not mandatory unless required by an ADAlways mandatoryIssued by the authority3. The annual document that keeps a Certificate of Airworthiness effective is the:
Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC)Type CertificateEASA Form 14. Continuing airworthiness is governed by:
(EU) 1321/2014 (Part-M / Part-CAMO)(EU) 748/2012(EU) 965/20125. The organisation that manages continuing airworthiness is a:
CAMOPOAPart-147 organisation6. Ultimate responsibility for an aircraft's continuing airworthiness rests with the:
Owner/operatorMaintenance organisationManufacturer7. The scheduled maintenance tasks and intervals for an aircraft are defined in its:
Aircraft Maintenance Programme (AMP)Type CertificateMEL8. The Certificate of Airworthiness is:
Issued once and kept effective by the ARCRenewed from scratch every yearIssued per flight