Getting EASA Part 66 Licence

What is EASA Part-66?

EASA Part 66 aviation regulations define the conditions under which a maintenance engineer is authorized to release an aircraft into service after a maintenance operation. The conditions required are defined by minimum education requirements (school leaving certificates, working language, etc) as well as type rating qualifications for the aircraft or particular tasks.  For maintaining aircraft of 5700kg MTOM and above, but excluding airships, licences are issued under EASA Implementing Rule (IR) Part-66. EASA Part-66 licence is a common European  aircraft maintenance licence recognised in all EASA member states. Non-EU citizens also may get this license without any loss of a right.

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How to become an EASA Part-66 Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer?

Job Description & Responsibilities: 
Licensed Aircraft Engineer(LAE) job is to certify maintenance work, modify, inspect, repair overhaul and replace. Eg: a component is to be changed , you will have a group of mechanic working for you, you instruct them what to do, observe it, once it is done you have to approve it, then if anything happens on that component or aircraft crash due to that task you approve, they will look for you, you will be held responsible.

Requirements & Ways to become a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer:
In order to become a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, you need the licence and not diploma/degree or others. That is the only requirement for a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. There are 2 types of EASA Part-66 licence to be able to become a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, as below:

Cat. B1 for Airframe, Engine and Electrical

-B1.1 Aeroplane with Turbine Engines

-B1.2 Aeroplane with Piston Engines

-B1.3 Helicopter with Turbine Engines

-B1.4 Helicopter with Piston Engines

Cat. B2 Avionics

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I hold a national licence issued by my country, may I get a Part-66 licence valid in EU by conversion?

No, unless:

-there is a bilateral agreement between your country and the EU,

-the national licence was valid within EU before the entry into force of the Regulation.

How can I get EASA Part-66 Licence?

There are 2 basic ways :

1. Obtain it yourself-Need 5 years of aircraft experience (work-schedule) and completion of all the EASA Part-66 modules exam.

2. Obtaining the license through an EASA Part 147 approved oganisation. Completion of all the Modules exam and 2 years of experience with minimum 2400 hours of instruction/course. 

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Which EASA Part 66 module exams shall I take?

For B1.1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A, 8, 9, 10, 11A, 15, 17 Modules

For B1.3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 Modules

For B2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 Modules

How do I qualify for the licence?

There are three main steps to go through. Decide which category licence you want to get and find out which EASA Part 66 module exams you need to take. Many Aviation Schools offer EASA Part-66 module exam preparation training and approved EASA PART 66 module exams. When you successfully complete all the EASA Part 66 module exams, you will get Certificate of Recognition which is valid for 10 years. Then, complete the required aircraft maintenance experience which will be between two and five years of practical experience. You need to formally record your experience. After that, you will be ready to apply your EASA Part 66 licence. 

How long does it take to complete each module? 

There is no set time limit and you can study whenever it suits you. Some people have found that they can complete a Part-66 module (including all the assessments) in less than three weeks, whilst others need a few months. It's up to you how fast you progress through the course. Some modules are very large due to their extensive syllabus content. To obtain a Certificate of Recognition for an EASA Part 66 module, you have to obtain a mark of 75%. 

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I have completed my EASA Part-66 modules for B1 and I have passed all the exams, but I still lack experience to get my licence. Is there a time limit to get the licence ? Will the certificate expire in a few years if I do not get the experience?

According to Commission Regulation (EU) No 1149/2011 of 21 October 2011 (amending Regulation (EC) No 2042/2003), the basic examinations shall be passed and experience shall be acquired within the ten years preceding the application for an aircraft basic licence.

Who is allowed to issue EASA Part-66 licences? Can I apply for a Part-66 licence to EASA?

EASA is not a licensing authority and therefore does not issue any licences. Part-66 licences are issued by the competent authorities of the EU Member States, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The list of the National Aviation Authorities and their contact details can be accessed here: http://easa.europa.eu/the-agency/member-states .

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How can I apply for an EASA Part-66 licence? What is required at the time of the application?

An application for an aircraft maintenance licence or change to such licence shall be made on an EASA Form 19 in a manner established by the competent authority and submitted thereto (see Appendix V to Part-66). An application for the change to an EASA Part-66 licence shall be made to the competent authority of the Member State that previously issued the aircraft maintenance licence. Each application shall be supported by documentation to demonstrate compliance with the applicable theoretical knowledge, practical training and experience requirements at the time of application.

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Which documentation is required to support the application demonstrating compliance with the experience requirements?

Maintenance experience should be written up in a manner that the reader has a reasonable understanding of where, when and what maintenance constitutes the experience. A task-by-task account is not necessary, but at the same time a bland statement such as “X years maintenance experience completed” would not be acceptable. A maintenance log book detailing the experience is desirable and some competent authorities may require such a log book (see AMC 66.A.10).  

Consequently, the format used to evidence the maintenance experience is not strictly defined in the rules and is left at the discretion of the competent authority issuing the licence. Hence, EASA advises you follow the instructions of the competent authority where you intend to apply for.

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Where do I gain the required basic maintenance experience? Is it mandatory to gain the required maintenance experience in an EASA approved Part-145 organisation?

According to the AMC 66.A.30(a)(4), aircraft maintenance experience gained within different types of maintenance organisations (under Part-145, M.A. Subpart F, FAR-145, etc.) or under the supervision of independent certifying staff may be accepted by the competent authorities. This means that the aircraft maintenance experience may be accepted by the competent authority when such maintenance is performed in a maintenance organisation which does not necessarily hold an EASA Part-145 approval. However, it is on the competent authority to evaluate whether this experience is acceptable.

Consequently, please contact the competent authority where you intend to apply for a licence, in order to check whether the basic experience would be acceptable, with detailed information on the type of aircraft, its operation and the nature of the work.

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I hold a Category A1 Part-66 licence. What are the requirements to extend my licence to Category B1.1?

Basically, the requirements to extend a cat A licence towards a cat B1.1 are demonstration of :

- the basic knowledge required for the relevant subcategory B1.1; and

- the experience required by Appendix IV to Part-66.

Two years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft in the B1.1 category (not in the A category) is needed before applying for the extension in addition to the demonstration of basic knowledge required for the relevant subcategory B1.1.

The experience requirement will be reduced by 50% if the applicant has completed an approved Part-147 course relevant to the category extension according to Appendix IV of Part-66.

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