Aircraft licence distance learning

In very general terms the present system of the EASA Part 66 licence came in, for almost all aircraft weights, in 2005. This applies to all EU countries as well as some other countries outside the EU.

Before then the British Civil Airworthiness Requirement (BCAR) section L licence was used (the Licence Without Type Rating - LWTR) and is still in use in some countries.

• The EASA Part 66 Licence
• Experience Requirements
• The EASA Modules
• The BCAR Licences
• CAA Examination Venues

The EASA Part 66 Licence

The Part 66 licence is required for engineers to obtain ‘approvals’ to work on aircraft. These approvals are issued by companies who are themselves approved by the CAA (EASA Part 145) usually after ‘type training’. The approved engineer can sign off work on the aircraft within his/her licence authority.

So for anyone who aspires to work on civil aircraft as a maintenance engineer the Part 66 is a must. This means passing all the modules that go to make up that particular licence.

The licence is divided into four broad areas:

Category A

Issued after passing the appropriate modules and obtaining the appropriate experience. The person is allowed to sign for certain designated tasks only.

Not recommended as a ‘stepping stone’ to the B1 licence as all the module examinations will have to be taken again – to the higher level.

Experience requirements can vary but would be a maximum of 3 years maintenance experience on operating aircraft within the last seven (certified in a log book).

Category B

Issued after passing all the appropriate modules and obtaining the appropriate experience. Allows the engineer to sign the Certificate of Release to Service for the aircraft in the category for which he/she is licensed.

The category B1 licence is split further into:

Experience requirements can vary but would be a maximum of 5 years engineering maintenance on operating aircraft within the last seven. For UK service personnel 4 of those years can be obtained whilst in the service and the last year has to on civil aircraft (all recorded in the log book).

Category C

Requires a suitable degree plus experience and can also be a person who holds a B1 and a B2 licence.

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Experience Requirements

There are no experience requirements to be allowed to sit the examinations, they apply only when licence application is made. As the individual module exam passes have a life of 5 years it is important that all the exams for a particular licence are passed within 5 years of passing the first module. If all the modules are passed within the 5 year period, for a particular licence, then there is no time limit, at the moment, as to their longevity. In other words, the whole group of passes can be kept and the licence applied for at some later date – after getting all the experience, for example. Keep an eye on this as it might change in the future.

All the above experience requirements must include one years recent experience and that experience must include equipment for which application is made. In other words if you are applying for the B1.1 licence mechanical jet engined aircraft the one year recent experience must be on this type of aircraft – not on helicopters for example.

The experience must include a representative cross section of tasks on operating aircraft* and should include, for the mechanical person, some experience on instrument, electrical and avionic systems. Experience in maintenance bays (engine bays, instruments bays, tyre bays etc) is not considered appropriate.

* The term ‘operating aircraft’ means that the aircraft must be a flying aircraft and the servicing could include ramp/first line servicing and/or hangar maintenance.

The term ‘operating aircraft’ does not include work on gliders and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

For more details you are advised to read BCARs section L or EASA Part 66 as appropriate. These can be obtained from TSO at Norwich, UK or viewed on the net www.caa.co.uk/publications.

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The EASA Modules

The syllabus for these are published in the Part 66 which is issued by the CAA/EASA.

Note that for some licences (A, B1 or B2) the level of the module examination is different.

Module	Short Title	Applicability
		A	B1	B2
1	Mathematics
2	Science
3	Electrics
4	Electronic
5	Digital techniques
6	Hardware
7	Maintenance practices
8	Aerodynamics
9	Human factors
10	Air law
11A	Airframes (jet)
11B	Airframes (piston)
12	Helicopters
13	Avionics
14	Engine instruments
15	Jet engines
16	Piston engines
17	Propellers

Modules Required

For Category A licence - modules 1 to 10 except module 4, plus:

For Category B licence - modules 1 to 10 plus:

Notes

1. The first 10 modules are common (except for module 4 for the category A person). However, the exact content of each exam for a particular module will vary depending on what licence the engineer is aiming for. This means that for the A person, parts of some modules are not examined on at all and other areas are taken at a lower level than the B level. For the B person (in very general terms) the differences in the level of difficulty in those modules where there are differences are:
    

   Module	The Higher Level is The:
   2	B1
   4	B2
   5	B2
   6	B1
   7	B1

   
   The above is not significant (assuming you take the examination to the correct level for the licence you are aiming for), unless you intend taking the other licence after you have obtained the present one. In other words, if you are going for the B1 and intend taking the B2 at a later date then it would be prudent to take modules 4 and 5 as a B2 examination. If you are presently going for the B2 then it would be wise to take modules 2, 6 and 7 at the B1 level. The levels of modules 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10 are the same for both B1 and B2 examinations.
2. Some of our modules (6 and 7 for example) we have managed to split into B1 and B2. When ordering ensure that you order the correct module.
3. For those modules we have not split into B1/B2, they have been written to the higher level in the syllabus.
4. The CAA examination consists of a multi-choice paper for each module and an essay paper for modules 7, 9 and 10.
5. For CAA examination purposes the modules can be taken in any order (including the essay papers), though there are too many to be taken all in one day. Unless you have a long way to travel it would be better to take the bigger modules one at a time and the smaller ones either singly or in twos or threes.
6. It is generally considered better to take the essay exam for module 7 when doing the multi choice paper for module 7, with the same principle applying for the essay papers for modules 9 and 10. Remember, in all cases there is an exam fee payable for both the essay paper and the multi choice paper. (If the essay questions are all taken together then there is one fee payable.)
7. Suggested sequence for taking the modules. Take 1 to 5 in order. Take 6 and 7 together at any time. Take 8, 9 and 10 at any time in any order. Take the ‘trade’ modules last (11 to 17).
8. There are almost no exemptions allowed against any of the module examinations. Certain degrees will attract exemptions to some modules – for details contact the CAA.

Remember. The modules, once passed, have a life of 5 years so if you do not complete all the modules in 5 years you will start to loose the first modules passed.

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The BCAR Licences

Used in the UK for all civil aircraft until 2001 when it was phased out (for aircraft above 5700kg) in favour of the JAR licence. In 2003 the JAR licence was replaced by the EASA Part 66 licence which, effectively, covered all aircraft weights.

Conversions for those holding BCAR licences where allowed and must have been completed by November 2005.

For those still holding BCAR licences; these had to be converted to EASA Part 66 licences (with restrictions). (We provide part modules to cover the lifting of the restrictions – contact LBP.)

In some countries the BCAR section L issue 14 Licence Without Type Rating (LWTR) is still being used. Divided into:

We stock Study Books covering the LWTR licences. Please contact LBP for details.

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CAA Examination Venues

The module examinations are taken at certain CAA examination centres in the UK (currently Gatwick, Oxford, Glasgow, Manchester and Shuttleworth College near Biggleswade Bedford) and with certain Part 145 companies. The CAA centre at Aviation House Gatwick is a 5 minute bus ride from the terminals at London Gatwick Airport and is a popular venue for students coming from overseas. Gatwick can also be reached by bus from London Heathrow Airport (about 25 miles – 40km).

Another venue used by overseas students is the one at Oxford. This can be reached by bus from London Heathrow Airport (about 45 miles – 72km). The exams are held at Oxford Airport which is a 10 minute walk from the village of Kidlington which is itself about 5 miles (8km) north of Oxford.

Dates for exams at CAA centres are usually the first Friday in each month. The UK CAA examinations are mainly taken in the UK but there are now some locations else-where in the world where the exams are conducted, Malaysia for example. Check the CAAs website for details.

For accommodation details at Oxford and Gatwick check our Contacts page.

All students with LBP are provided with CAA application forms, dates, venues etc, and advice on how and when to apply for the examinations.

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More from Aircraft licence distance learning

Click on the links below to learn in more detail about courses and the service we offer.

• Aircraft Licences index
  • A complete study and tutorial service for the aircraft engineer
  • How to study for your aircraft licence
  • The EASA part 66 licence
  • Aircraft licence exams