Airworthiness Notices - C011, Edition 4 - 18 July 2006

General Information - Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licensing and Training

(This Airworthiness Notice supersedes AN No. C011 Edition 3, dated 3 February 2005)

Purpose

This notice provides general information with respect to the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) licensing and/or training control systems.

Publications

The distribution of publications is a continuous process and cannot be cancelled unless Transport Canada (TC) is notified that the license holder is deceased or the license is voluntarily surrendered. For additional information regarding publications call 1 800 305-2059 or refer to the TC website at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/secretariat/centre/menu.htm

M1-M2 Ratings

Together, the M1 and M2 ratings include all possible airplane and rotorcraft privileges. Therefore, AME licenses that are endorsed with both an M1 and an M2 rating are not eligible for any further ratings, other than a balloon rating.

Note: Exercising the privileges of the license is subject to the holders’ experience, skill and training.

Prior Learning Assessments/Evaluations

While some AME applicants may have obtained an evaluation of their training and/or experience from an organization that provides Prior Learning Assessment/Evaluation services; TC does not recognize such assessments for AME licensing purposes.

TC website updates

The Approved Organizations website has been updated to include a link to the AME Licensing and Training Approved Training Organizations (ATO) website.

Approved Organizations website: www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/activepages/ao/en/default.asp
Approved Training Organizations (ATO) website: www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/maintenance/aarpb/ATO/menu.htm

AME Licensing statistics

The AME Licensing and Training website now provides statistics on the numbers of valid AME license holders per region and per rating type/combinations; www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/maintenance/aarpb/menu.htm.

License Validity/Expiry Notifications

Publications issued by TC using mailing labels generated from the national Aircraft Maintenance Engineer System (AMES database) will identify the date of license expiry in the top left hand corner. This information will be identified by the term “VTD” (valid-to-date) and the date of license expiry (i.e. VTD 2012-12-12).

License Renewal

The requirements pertaining to the renewal or reissue of expired AME licenses, set out in STD 566.03 (11) & (12), only apply to licenses issued in accordance with the current STD 566, Division I (implemented Aug. 1/99).

Fee’s (applicable to licenses issued in accordance with the current licensing system):

1. Renewal of a valid AME license - $40.00
2. Reissue of an expired AME license - $115.00

License Validity Dates/Timeframes

The standard governing the issue, renewal and reissue of an AME license requires that the license validity period be based on the holder’s birthday for up to a maximum of 6-years. In order to provide the maximum validity time period when warranted, AME licenses will/are being issued in accordance with the following process:

1. Renewal of a valid license – the application for renewal will be processed at the time of receipt, however the Issued date identified on the license itself will show the holder's upcoming birth date (future date) and the Expiry date will be calculated 6 years from the “issued” date. This will provide the holder with a complete 6-year validity period.
   
   The holder will be required to retain their current license until its expiry at which time they will use the newly printed document.
   
   
2. Reissue of an expired license – the application for reissue of an expired license will be processed at the time of receipt, however the Issued date identified on the license itself will show the date the application was processed and the Expiry date will be calculated 6 years from the holder’s previous (last) birthday. This will result in a less than 6-year validity period.
   
   The holder will be required to replace their current license with the newly printed document.

License validity timeframes for an “initial issue” license will identify an Issued date that reflects the date that all requirements for license issue were fulfilled and processing was completed; and the Expiry date will be calculated six years from the holder’s previous (last) birthday. This will result in a less than 6-year validity period.

Licenses Expired Under the Previous Licensing System:

An individual whose license was expired and was not renewed before August 1, 1999, did not transition to the current system, and therefore does not hold a document issued under the current licensing system. As such the renewal/reissue requirements of STD 566.03(11) and (12) do not apply.

Applicants who held an AME license in the previous model, allowed it to expire and did not renew the license as of August. 1, 1999, must meet the conditions of initial issue in accordance with the current licensing standard.

The license will not be renewed/reissued or printed (card-style license) unless TC has received a new photograph within the last six months prior to application (refer to STD 566.06).

Recency of Experience

Experience to fulfill the recency requirement of CAR 403 and STD 566 must have been obtained on civil-registered aircraft.

Maintenance Releases Made with Expired Licenses

An AME, who has exercised the privileges of the license when the license was expired, may be subject to regulatory enforcement action.

In some circumstances, certifications made under the authority of an expired AME license may be required to be recertified. For additional information, refer to Aircraft Maintenance and Manufacturing Staff Instruction #18, Appendix E, available at the following website:

www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/maintenance/regsdocs/menu.htm

Signing For Completion of Maintenance Tasks for AME Licensing Purposes

STD 566.03(4)(e) Skill requirement states:

(ii) Proof of having completed aircraft maintenance tasks shall take the form of a certification by the AME, or equivalent person who supervised the work... and confirm that the applicant is able to:

(A) Identify the applicable standard for the task;
(B) Select the proper tools;
(C) Perform the work correctly without supervision; and
(D) Complete the necessary documentation.

By appending their signature and AME license or AMO number to a task performed by another, the signatory is certifying that they have personally observed the work to the extent necessary to ensure that it is performed in accordance with the requirements of any applicable standards of airworthiness, and that the individual that completed the work was competent to meet the requirements of STD 566.03(4)(e).

If the signatory was not suitably licensed, or deemed to be an equivalent person (i.e. having the same level of knowledge and experience as that of a licensed AME) at the time the task was performed, they are not qualified to sign for the task(s).

Both the AME applicant, and the individuals that sign for completion of tasks, are responsible for the accuracy of the statements made.

Documents presented by AME applicants that include inaccurate or false statements may be subject to enforcement. Certifications made by individuals who were not appropriately qualified or eligible to sign for the task at the time of its completion are considered to be false entries and may be subject to enforcement.

License Photographs 

Digital photographs should be in JPG format, head only, square, no larger than 300 pixels in either direction and in full color (24-bit). The AME must ensure that his or her full name and license number accompany the photograph. The photograph file must be named using the AME license number and JPG extension. For example, an AME with the license number 123456 would name the file “123456.jpg”. The “M” prefix is not to appear in the license number.

Where an AME is out of the country alternative arrangements can be made to provide TC with a colored passport photograph or digital image. Where the photograph is submitted as a hard copy, the individual will be required to sign the back of the photograph and include his or her AME license number and forward to the applicable TC office.
                       

For Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

D.B. Sherritt
Director

Aircraft Maintenance and Manufacturing