AIRWORTINESS REQUIREMENTS

AIRWORTINESS REQUIREMENTS 

The word 'Airworthy' refers to the condition of an aircraft, aircraft engine or aircraft component that meets all of the requirements for its original certification.

The laws or regulations as well as the Airworthiness Authority's interpretations of the laws for the safe flying of the civil aircraft constitute Civil Airworthiness Legislation specifying the requirements to be complied in the design, production, operation and maintenance of the civil aircraft in order to guarantee that the highest possible safety is achieved in all respect of civil aviation.

 International requirements: international requirements of airworthiness are the ICAO International standards and recommended practices (ISARPS) laid down in annexes 9Annex no 8)

 UK Airworthiness Legislation: In UK, Legislation and the requirement are two interlinked, but yet distinct thing. Legislation is the statutory instruments passed in the parliament giving force of law. Hence, the word 'Legislation' normally refers to the laws or orders i.e. Civil Aviation Acts and the ANO. Requirements, on the other hand, are the British Civil Airworthiness Requirements (BCAR) comprising the means of compliance; these are the minimum technical requirements and administrative procedures that form the basis for:

·         Construction of the aircraft

·         The approval of equipment

·         The approval of design, manufacturing and maintenance organizations

·         The approval of personnel

·         Certification and continued airworthiness procedures

BCAR's are setout, within the framework of current aeronautical knowledge, mandatory, imperative and permissive objectives to allow those concerned with the design, construction and maintenance of aircraft, to show possible alternative methods of compliance with the BCAR which would offer equivalent airworthiness.

Sections of BCAR on airworthiness:

Following are the BCARS for airworthiness of aeroplanes:

·         ­Section A - Airworthiness Procedures, Where the CAA Has CAA has  Primary Responsibility for type Approval of the Product (CAP 553)

·      Section B - Airworthiness Procedures Where the CAA Does Not Have Primary  Responsibility for Type Approval of the product (CAP 554)

·         Section K - Light Aeroplanes (CAP 467)-

·         Section L - Licensing-Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (CAP 468)

·      BCAR 23 - Light Aeroplanes (CAP 531)

  European Joint Requirements: 

Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) are adopted after joint work with the Industry, Operators and other interested organizations of these countries.

JARs contain both requirements and advisory material: Advisory Circulars Joint (ACJ); Advisory Material Joint (AMJ); Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Interpretative and Explanatory Material (IEM))

• JAR-25: Large Aeroplanes
• JAR-66: Certifying Staff Maintenance
• JAR-145: Approved Maintenance Organizations
• JAR-147: Approved Maintenance Training / Examinations
• JAR-E:Engines
• JAR-P:Propellers
• JAR-APU:Auxiliary Power Units
• JAR-TSO:Joint Technical Standard  Orders Authorizations
• JAR-OPS Part:Commercial Air Transportation (Aeroplanes)

 US requirements of airworthiness: Requirements to meet International Standards as well as the US local standards are laid down in FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations) forming part of the CFR (Code of Federal Regulations). Some of the important parts are illustrated below.

·         FAR Part 25: Airworthiness standards - transport category.

·         FAR Part 39: Airworthiness Directives

·         FAR Part 43  : Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance Rebuilding

     '                     and alteration.

·         FAR Part 121 : Certification and operation-aircraft, engine and propeller

                           Specifications

·         FAR Part 145 : Repair station requirements.

 Manufacturer’s Technical: Manufacturer’s manuals and bulletins, service instructions are by legislation to be followed for maintaining continued airworthiness through maintenance and certification. Maintenance manual, structural repair manual, IPCs, Trouble shooting manual etc are the technical guidance for this purpose.

Besides, operators must prepare and get approved by authority a maintenance schedule to follow the scheme of maintenances for keeping airworthiness.Maintenance schedule is prepared on the basis of Maintenance Planning Document (MPD).