Aircraft maintenance engineer (Canada)

A Canadian AME conducts field maintenance on a Cessna 172.

In Canada an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) is a person who is Transport Canada (TC) licensed to sign the maintenance release for certified aircraft returning the aircraft to service.[1][2]

In Canada an applicant for an AME licence must be at least 21 years of age. AMEs complete a course of training at a TC Approved Training Organization, which are mostly Canadian vocational colleges, such as British Columbia Institute of Technology and SAIT Polytechnic, and then complete a period of apprenticeship prior to writing the licensing examinations. Upon successful completion they are granted an AME licence, which is valid for six years and may be renewed.[1][2]

AMEs retain their recency by completing maintenance or related work. The Canadian Aviation Regulations require that once the holder's licence is more than two years old that they complete six months' worth of work in the previous two years performing or supervising aircraft maintenance, act in an executive capacity in a maintenance organization, or teach or supervise teaching of aviation maintenance at an approved training organization.[1]

Licensing and responsibilities

Under Canadian Federal Law, the release of maintenance work performed on aircraft in Canada - especially "transport category" fixed-wing aircraft or turbine powered helicopter aircraft must be accomplished by a person with specific training and licensing. These persons are individually licensed by the Canadian Federal Government through TC and are known as aircraft maintenance engineers or "AME's". While the term AME is not recognised by the Provincial Engineering Associations, AME's act on behalf of the Minister of Transport to ensure the safety of the Canadian Public with regard to the work performed during maintenance of certified aircraft. The AME is not required to actually conduct the maintenance work they sign for, but must supervise non-licensed personnel or conduct inspections of the work to be signed for to the extent necessary to satisfy themselves that the work was completed correctly.[2]

Not all aircraft maintenance releases require the signature of an AME in Canada. For work on Canadian aircraft conducted outside Canada a person licensed by another state (Country) that has a bilateral agreement with TC may sign. In the case of amateur-built aircraft the owner may sign and for owner-maintenance category aircraft the owner may sign if they are also a licensed pilot. In Canada ultralight aircraft, hang gliders and paragliders as well as model aircraft do not require signatures for release to return to flight. In the case of aircraft parts maintained on the bench (i.e. while removed from the aircraft) persons authorized by an approved maintenance organization (AMO) may also sign the release, whether they hold an AME licence or not. However, the maintenance release for the subsequent installation of such parts into an aircraft may only be made by the holder of an AME licence.[3]

Canada does not have a legal system that requires the person who performs aircraft maintenance to hold a license. Canada requires that the person who certifies the work has inspected it for accuracy and correct completion. The Canadian AME license allows the holder to both perform AND to certify their own maintenance work, or to certify the maintenance work performed by an unlicensed person. This type of license is unlike the system used in the United States of America, whereby the FAA issues licenses to persons who perform maintenance work on aircraft as technicians by way of "ratings" (the "airframe" or "powerplant" rating or the combined "airframe and powerplant" rating) and a separate license to accomplish the "Inspection" certification - the I.A certificate. The US has focused on "the performance of work", while Canada and the other Commonwealth countries make a distinction between actually working on the machines and inspecting them for safety.

Ratings

The AME licence may be endorsed with one or more ratings. These are:[2]

Note: Holders of BOTH M1 and M2 licence also have some privileges of both the "E" and "S" licenses. [2] Some systems (AFCS, HUD, etc) require specialized training and the license holder must be current and familiar with the system being signed for.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Transport Canada (July 2010). "Canadian Aviation Regulations Part IV - Personnel Licensing and Training - Subpart 3 - Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licences and Ratings". Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Transport Canada (July 2010). "Part V - Airworthiness Manual Chapter 566 - Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) Licensing and Training". Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Transport Canada (July 2010). "Canadian Aviation Regulation 571.11 Persons Who May Sign a Maintenance Release". Retrieved 22 February 2011.
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