CAR-66 - Certifying Staff - Maintenance
The licence, the category, and the privilege
CAR-66 governs the certification of maintenance staff. Understand that a licence is issued in a category and subcategory: A (with B1 and B2 as the main mechanical/avionics certifications), B1 covering mechanical, structural and simple avionics tasks, B2 covering avionics, and C covering base maintenance certification of the whole aircraft. A licence holders work under the supervision of B1/B2 and have limited certification privileges.
Know the basic knowledge, experience and examination requirements for each category, and the concept of recent experience: a licence holder must have had relevant maintenance experience within the preceding period (commonly two years) to exercise certification privileges. Also understand limitations - a licence is valid only for the aircraft types endorsed, and for the tasks the category permits.
Traps
Questions frequently blur certification with performance of maintenance. A B1 holder may certify mechanical work but must not certify avionics work that requires B2. Another trap is confusing the type rating/authorisation (issued by the employer or the competent authority for a specific aircraft type) with the licence itself. A third trap is the Category C privilege: C certifies the aircraft after base maintenance, not line tasks, and is normally exercised in a maintenance organisation.
Worked example
An A-licence holder completes a task and signs the certificate of release. Under CAR-66 the A licence permits limited certification only within the scope defined for that subcategory and under the organisation's procedures; a complex task requiring full certification must be referred to a B1 or B2 holder.
Rule of thumb: licence = category privilege; type rating = aircraft; authorisation = employer's scope.