Aviation Legislation
What you must know
This domain covers the regulatory framework: ICAO Annexes, national authorities (e.g. GCAA in the UAE), CAR-66 and CAR-145, continuing airworthiness (CAR-M), and the roles of the certifying staff, approved maintenance organisation, and the authority. You should understand the meaning of airworthiness directives, service bulletins, type certificates, maintenance releases, and the privileges and limitations of a Category A licence.
Traps to watch
- AD versus SB: an airworthiness directive is mandatory and issued by the authority; a service bulletin is issued by the manufacturer and may be recommended or mandated by an AD.
- Certification privileges: a Category A licence holder works under supervision and does not independently certify complex tasks; know the limits.
- Maintenance release: it certifies that maintenance has been carried out in accordance with approved data; it is not a statement that the aircraft is free of all defects.
- Record keeping: retention periods and content are prescribed; missing records are a finding.
- Approved data: always work to approved maintenance data; manufacturer's generic advice is not automatically approved.
Worked example
A manufacturer issues a service bulletin recommending a modification. Until an airworthiness directive mandates it, it is not legally required, but the operator may choose to embody it. If an AD is issued, compliance becomes mandatory within the stated timeframe, and the maintenance record must show compliance.
Rule of thumb
ADs are mandatory and authority-issued; SBs are manufacturer-issued and only mandatory when an AD says so.