GM1 CAMO.B.310(e)(1); CAMO.B.330 Initial certification procedure and changes    

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 1

TERMS OF APPROVAL

The table shown for the terms of approval in CAA Form 14 includes a field designated as ‘Aircraft type/series/group’.

The intention is to give maximum flexibility to the CAA to customise the approval to a particular organisation.

Possible alternatives to be included in this field are the following:

— A specific type designation that is part of a type certificate, such as Airbus 340-211 or Cessna 172R.

— A type rating (or series) as listed in Part-66 Appendix I to AMC, which may be further subdivided, such as Boeing 737-600/700/800, Boeing 737-600, Cessna 172 Series.

— An aircraft group such as, for example, ‘all sailplanes and powered sailplanes’ or ‘Cessna single piston engine aircraft’ or ‘Group 3 aircraft’ (as defined in 66.A.5) or ‘aircraft below 2 730 kg MTOM’.

Reference to the engine type installed in the aircraft may or may not be included, as necessary.

It is important to note that the terms of approval defined in CAA Form 14 is further limited to the scope of work defined in the CAME. It is this scope of work in the CAME which ultimately defines the approval of the organisation. As a consequence, it is possible for a CAA to endorse in CAA Form 14, for example, a scope of work for Group 3 aircraft while the detailed scope of work defined in the CAME does not include all Group 3 aircraft.

Nevertheless, in all cases, the CAA should be satisfied that the organisation has the capability of managing the types/groups/series endorsed in CAA Form 14.

Since the activities linked to continuing airworthiness management are mainly process-oriented rather than facility/tooling-oriented, changes to the detailed scope of work defined in the CAME (either directly or through a capability list), within the limits already included in CAA Form 14, may be considered as not affecting the approval and not subject to point CAMO.A.130(a). As a consequence, for these changes, the CAA may allow the use by the CAMO of the procedure referred to in point CAMO.A.130(c) for changes not requiring prior approval.

Since, as mentioned above, the CAA should make sure that the organisation is capable of managing the requested category as a whole, it is not reasonable to grant a full Group 3 approval based on an intended scope of work which is limited to, for example, a Cessna 172 aircraft. However, it may be reasonable to grant such full Group 3 approval, after showing appropriate capability, for an intended scope of work covering several aircraft types or series of different complexity and which are representative of the full Group 3. In such case, if later on changes need to be introduced in the detailed scope of work detailed in the CAME to include new aircraft types (within Group 3), this may be done by the procedure referred to in point CAMO.A.130(c).

Special case for ELA1 aircraft:

In order to promote standardisation, for this category of aircraft the following approach is recommended:

— Possible ratings to be endorsed in CAA Form 14:

— ELA1 sailplanes;

— ELA1 powered sailplanes and ELA1 aeroplanes;

— ELA1 balloons;

— ELA1 airships.

— Before endorsing any of those ratings (for example, ELA1 sailplanes) in CAA Form 14, the CAA should audit that the organisation is capable of managing at least one aircraft type (for example, one type of sailplanes within the ELA1 category), including the availability of the necessary facilities, data, maintenance programmes, and staff.