Hey gang! 

My name is Georgia (call me G), and I’m located in the Upper Hunter Valley of

NSW in Australia.  

So how am I involved in aviation? Currently, I’m about 10 months into my Aircraft Maintenance Engineering apprenticeship. I’m going to do my best to help clarify any questions you may have regarding becoming an LAME (Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) in Australia under CASA’s watchful eye.  

First things first, and this will seem pretty silly, but you have to have some kind of interest in aviation. This is not the kind of job that you can have half-arsed enthusiasm with, particularly when every part of this job requires your complete undivided attention. If you’re anything like me, you find it hard to focus if you don’t love something.  

Right, now for the nitty-gritty. 

The name ‘Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’ carry’s a particular tone with it, I reckon. When initially approached to interview for this apprenticeship, I instantly thought - lab coats, older men with ridiculous beards discussing quantum physics, blueprints, large blackboards loaded with algebra, and I honestly thought I wasn’t going to have a single prerequisite to even get a foot in the door.  

But I was wrong.  

Maintenance Engineering isn’t designed, so bearded men and quantum physics don’t come into play here (unless you’re at the pub on a Friday night and things are getting weird.) Having good grades helps if you’re fresh out of high school, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. Some companies may have different licensing requirements, but you’d have to look into what they require.  

My situation?  

I’m a mature age student, and my current job didn’t even look at my school reports. Thank goodness! You do need to be 18 and have an excellent understanding of English, which means reading, writing, speaking, and understanding. But quantum physics can stay away for now!

At this stage, all workshops will have ‘Part 66’ license coverage - an approval received from CASA ( Civil Aviation Safety Authority). 

They make sure anyone involved with aviation in Australia (Pilots, Air Crew, Engineers, Avionics techs, etc.) aren’t doing dumb stuff, hence - Safety Authority.  

If you’re in Europe, you’ll be working under the EASA ( European union Aviation Safety Authority), and America is the FAA ( Federal Aviation Administration). 

Each has its own layout, but essentially we’re all trying to achieve the same thing.

Anyway, Part 66 outlines that your workshop has things like a safety management system, responsible managers, a working hour plan, and so on. All the things to ensure a smooth and safe operation.  

To obtain your initial qualification of becoming an AME, you must be working with a Part 66 approved workshop.  

Next important step – Technical Training School. It can’t just be any old school with some bloke who thinks he knows a thing or two because he’s been to the pub and overheard some other bloke talking about physics.  

You will attend a Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO), which has a “Part 147” approval from CASA. Now there aren’t many of these around Australia, so there may be some travel involved, but it’s important and, honestly, fun if you’re down for a challenge.  

You’ve got subjects like electrical, materials & hardware, aerodynamics, physics (just a little bit), personally my favorite; math, and a few others. Depending on the intensity of the subject you do, there is usually an exam at the end of that week. My advice to you is to study and listen to your teachers. Seriously!

You get three chances with these exams, but you don’t want to let it get that far because it will be recorded that you’ve had to resit. Not the end of the world, but you don’t want the added stress and workload.  

Once you’ve established yourself and got a groove happening, you’ll start to fill out a journal. This isn’t a “Dear diary, today I cut my bangs, and now I’m regretting it” type of journal. It’s a record of your completed theory and practical work done at school and work, which your teachers and Chief Engineer at work will sign off. This MUST be completed for CASA to approve your request for a license. Get it filled out as you go; otherwise, it’s a complete nightmare to try and remember what job you replaced brake pads on 3 years ago, along with the other 100 things you did but can’t remember when or with who.  

Ok, skipping ahead. You’ve completed your time logging experience with the workshop, and they think you’re competent; you’ve smashed all your exams at the training school, and your journal is looking immaculate. What now? Your supervising engineer, employer, and the part 147 training school combined will collate the required documentation and recommendations together and send a request to CASA to approve you for your AME qualification.  

Being an AME means that you can work on planes and helicopters, but you can’t sign off or certify on your work; you are supervised by a Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer ( LAME) 

The next step up from being an AME is becoming a licensed engineer (Diploma). You will need to complete:

• More training or "competencies" as they are known in the industry. 
• Complete another journal of experience specific to these competencies.
• Be employed as an AME 
• And meet the minimum experience for the license you seek. 

For an A license, a minimum of 2 years of experience with 1 of the years immediately before the application. 

For a B1 license, a minimum of 4 years. 

For a C license, a minimum of 5 years.  

The following is a breakdown of the licenses for aircraft engineers.

Category A licenses: for minor maintenance and defect rectification in PART 145 ( CASA Approved) line maintenance environments only. They may be utilized only after a PART 145 approved maintenance organization (AMO): 

• Verifies an individual’s completion of relevant aircraft type-specific training. 
• Verifies an individual’s competency to carry out and certify specific tasks. 
• Authorizes the license holder for these tasks. 

Category B1 licenses: Are mechanical, powerplant, structural, and electrical; they encompass the airframe, engines, electrical systems, and the replacement of some avionic line replaceable units (LRU’S). 

The B1 license holder may perform maintenance certification within the scope of the license held and issue Certificates of release to service (CRS). Unless the maintenance is base maintenance of large aircraft. (CAT C) 

The subcategories are as follows: 

• B1.1 - Turbine Planes  
• B1.2 - Piston Planes  
• B1.3 - Turbine Helicopters  
• B1.4 - Piston Helicopters 

When you complete all the stuff I’ve been talking about above, you become a B1 tech or a LAME. Yay!

Alongside the B1 license, there is a Category B2. These are held by avionics and electrical engineers. They encompass all the avionics, electrical and instruments installed in the aircraft. The B2 license holder may perform maintenance certification within the scope of the license held and issue certificates of release for the aircraft, with the exception of large aircraft in a base maintenance facility.  

So who can release a large aircraft in base maintenance back to the flight line or back to service? 

This is where the category C license comes into play. 

Category C license: encompasses coordination certification privileges only; it cannot be used to certify any maintenance. 

The holder Coordinates the B1 and B2 engineers, oversees the certification ensuring all work is complete and certified. Once this is complete, the holder issues a Certificate of release enabling the aircraft to return to flight. 

Your MTO (Training School) is now doing something very handy to help make the step up from AME easier to getting your Cert IV or AME. Initially, you only needed to get a 50% pass on your exams. However, this meant when you got around to doing your diploma work, all the exams would have to be re-done because to pass, you need 75% in individual competency units for your diploma. Nowadays, they have made the minimum pass rate for everything you do 75%, so there is no need to redo work later on. 

Once all these diploma shenanigans are finished, it gets fun! Now you have the opportunity to go and get specific licenses for Type Rated planes and engines. These are individual aircraft and helicopters and engines deemed to be more complex, requiring a specific Type Rating. 

This makes your resume look a lot more attractive, but you must keep current to

maintain your license and type ratings. This means that you must have exercised your license privileges for a minimum period of 6 months within the last two years. 

If you fall outside this requirement, you must complete 100 consecutive days as a supervised AME to re-qualify your competency to utilize your certification powers within your license category. 

Once you have completed all of the above, the world is your oyster. The more licenses and type ratings you have, the more doors will open, and you will have

a very, very enjoyable career.  

I’m only a baby in this industry, but I can tell you a few things from what I’ve observed so far-  

1. You only get out what you put in. This job can and will reward you in so many ways you would never have expected.  
2. You’re going to make mistakes, but mistakes are how we learn. Never be afraid to ask questions and be honest when you aren’t sure. Seriously. 
3. Listen to your teachers. They are there to help you, and individually they have a wealth of knowledge built from their own experience from within the industry. They have been on the tools and out in the field much longer than they have been in a classroom.  
4. Give it everything you have. We don’t do anything half-arsed with things that fly.          
5. Have fun with this, yeah? Enjoy the challenge and the process of becoming the best you can be in this industry.  

Big love, 

G x  (@georgia.louisehenderson)