Continuing Airworthiness, CAR-M (GCAA)
CAR-M and the CAMO, the approved Aircraft Maintenance Programme, airworthiness directives and service bulletins, defect deferral, records and life-limited parts, and the Airworthiness Review Certificate.
CAR-M continuing airworthiness, summary notes
- Continuing airworthiness is the set of processes ensuring an aircraft remains in compliance with the applicable requirements and in a condition for safe operation throughout its life. In the UAE this is governed by CAR-M.
- Every aircraft must have a person or organisation responsible for managing its continuing airworthiness. For commercial air transport this must be an approved Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO). The owner or operator remains ultimately responsible.
- Core tasks: develop and control an approved Aircraft Maintenance Programme; ensure scheduled maintenance, airworthiness directives and required modifications are accomplished; manage defects and deferred defects within permitted limits; control the airworthiness records, log books and life-limited-part status; arrange maintenance with a CAR-145 organisation; and manage the airworthiness review leading to the Airworthiness Review Certificate.
- The Aircraft Maintenance Programme is central: it defines the scheduled tasks and their intervals, derived from the manufacturer Maintenance Planning Document and the Airworthiness Limitations Section, so inspections, checks and life-limited-part replacements happen on time.
- Airworthiness directives issued or accepted by the GCAA are mandatory and their accomplishment must be recorded with the reference, method of compliance and date. Service bulletins are advisory unless mandated by an airworthiness directive.
- Records: the aircraft technical log, the aircraft and engine log books and the component records must be maintained and retained for the periods CAR-M specifies.
- Responsibility
- Owner/operator responsible · CAMO manages · CAR-145 performs
- Scheduled maintenance
- MPD + airworthiness limitations > approved AMP
- Review outcome
- Airworthiness review > Airworthiness Review Certificate
Who is ultimately responsible for the continuing airworthiness of a UAE-registered commercial aircraft?
The owner or operator. They may contract an approved CAMO to manage it, but the responsibility remains theirs.
An applicable airworthiness directive is not accomplished within its compliance time. What is the aircraft status?
The aircraft is not airworthy and must not fly until the directive is complied with, because compliance with applicable airworthiness directives is mandatory.
CAR-M continuing airworthiness quiz
GCAA CAR-M Continuing Airworthiness, quiz
1. Continuing airworthiness in the UAE is governed by:
CAR-MCAR-21CAR-1472. For commercial air transport, continuing airworthiness must be managed by:
An approved CAMOThe flight crewAny engineer3. Ultimate responsibility for an aircraft continuing airworthiness rests with:
The owner or operatorThe CAMO aloneThe GCAA4. The document defining scheduled maintenance tasks and intervals is the:
Aircraft Maintenance Programme (AMP)Operations ManualMEL5. Compliance with an applicable airworthiness directive is:
Mandatory within its compliance timeAdvisoryAt the operator discretion6. A service bulletin is:
Advisory unless mandated by an ADAlways mandatoryIssued by the GCAA7. The airworthiness review results in issue of:
An Airworthiness Review CertificateA Type CertificateAn AOC8. Life-limited parts must be:
Tracked and removed at their limit regardless of conditionRun until failure is detected by inspection, at which point the part is replacedInspected only, with continued service permitted for as long as no defect is found