Group G and builder maintenance

[sfGnome]

I found a gotcha in the regulations last night. If you're building a Group G aircraft (601 to 760kg - aka Light Weight Aeroplane) and intending to do your own maintenance, read on. If not, feel free to skip this.

 

The RAAus Technical Manual says

    "Only appropriately qualified Part 66 licence holders may carry out maintenance on an amateur built lightweight aeroplane unless an individual has been authorised under CASA instrument 18/22 (or updated instrument)".

Reading CASA instrument 18/22, it's all pretty straightforward (in their typical roundabout way). If you built it, or if you own it and have built an essentially similar aircraft in the past, then you can do the maintenance. So far, so good.

 

However, right down near the bottom of the CASA document, it says

   "13. Before a person performs any activity authorised by this instrument, the person must hold a certificate of attainment, in the topics and standards specified in clause 12, from a course or an organisation mentioned in Annex 3",

and then Annex 3 says

   "Training course and training organisations recognised by CASA for the purpose of this instrument

    1. Sport Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) Maintenance Procedures Course as approved by CASA.

    2. A CASR Part 147 Maintenance Training Organisation that is approved by CASA to provide category licence training."

The thing to note is that there is no organisation that meets the requirements of point 2, so the only way that a builder of a lightweight aircraft can do their own maintenance is to join SAAA in order to do the course (which does not run very often). Talking with Jared at RAAus, he said that they are trying to get an existing online TAFE course approved by CASA for this purpose, so this may change. However, as of this date, that's CASA's rule, and what CASA say, goes.

 

p.s. Note that the required course is not about maintenance; it's about procedures i.e. how to fill in the paperwork.

p.p.s. Another interesting catch is that you can register your aircraft after obtaining your experimental certificate (CofA), etc, but you can't fly it until the maintenance release is signed, and if you haven't done the course yet, then you have to find a LAME to sign the release. Until then, no fly...

[rodgerc]

Conversely, in order to maintain your (owner built) CASA reg VH experimental, you must have completed the MPC provided by the SAAA….It’s cost is around $550. 
 

The W&B component of the MPC requires renewal biannually, but the procedures component has no expiry date.
 

The catch is, according to the SAAA, to hold the MPC qualification, you must be a current financial member of the SAAA.

 

Therefore, those who have resigned from, or have not renewed their SAAA membership after completion and Phase 1 testing are not entitled to maintain their VH registered experimental aircraft.

[T510]

Failure to allow owner maintenance of Group G aircraft under RAAus was a mistake in my opinion.

 

Last time I inquired they couldn't give me a timeframe for Group G becoming active, apparently they are waiting to develop a Group G endorsement course for pilots wishing to fly Group G aircraft.

 

Another reason to stay under VH Experimental

 

[BurnieM]

39 minutes ago, rodgerc said:

Conversely, in order to maintain your (owner built) CASA reg VH experimental, you must have completed the MPC provided by the SAAA….It’s cost is around $550. 
 

The W&B component of the MPC requires renewal biannually, but the procedures component has no expiry date.
 

The catch is, according to the SAAA, to hold the MPC qualification, you must be a current financial member of the SAAA.

 

Therefore, those who have resigned from, or have not renewed their SAAA membership after completion and Phase 1 testing are not entitled to maintain their VH registered experimental aircraft.

 

Course cost for MPC appears to be $550 plus 1 year membership of $289.

My understanding is the current MPC for owner builders is a 2 day course.

It appears the owner non-builder course has more practical components and is 3 days so maybe the cost will be a little higher.

 

My understanding is MPC is not a qualification.

After completing the course you submit your course pagework to CASA and CASA grant you a maintenance authority for your aircraft only.

Unless revoked by CASA this maintenance authority continues indefinitely (or until the next change of regulations).

 

As I have not been thru the process perhaps somebody who has can comment.

 

Edited 10 hours ago by BurnieM