Responsibilities of the Continuing Airworthiness Manager and the Staff
Continuing airworthiness managers ensure that they carry out pre-flight inspections on aircraft. Pre-flight inspections are achieved through the drafting of appropriate airworthiness management exposition; to be used by the CAMO staff. In particular, the continuing Airworthiness exposition guidelines will help CAMO staff in carrying out maintenance activities on aircraft before they go airborne (Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2002: 23).
Continuing airworthiness manager and staff also ensure that they rectify any defect and damage affecting the normal operation of aircraft. However, while performing this role, they must take into account the requirements of the configuration deviation list which normally specify maintenance requirements for aircraft. The arrangements contained in the airworthiness management exposition should be coordinated to ensure that maintenance activities lead to airworthiness. The manager and the staff will be more concerned with the fulfillment of operator and aircraft registration holder requirements. Failure to adhere to the requirements can lead to accidents.
The preparation of monthly reliability reports that assess the technical reliability of the aircraft fleet is also undertaken by the CAMO staff members. In particular, the maintenance planning staff ensures that they perform A Checks and C Checks of aircraft. The quality assurance team ensures that they oversee the work being done by the maintenance planning staff. The work of the maintenance planning team and maintenance control staff should meet the set guidelines contained in the Maintenance Control Manual (Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2002: 25).
The continuing airworthiness management exposition must ensure that there is clarity on who is responsible for certain tasks. In particular, the exposition must state the organization’s commitment to providing continuing airworthiness. In addition, the exposition must clearly state the names of staff members in charge of various maintenance duties (Dalamagkidis, Valavanis, and Piegl, 2011: 72).
Airworthiness maintenance is not complete without coordination of scheduled maintenance. Managers ensure that they coordinate scheduled maintenance activities. The activities ensure that there is the appliance of airworthiness commands to the replacement of aircraft parts that are limited, and performance of component inspections to ensure that maintenance work is carried out properly (Dalamagkidis, Valavanis, and Piegl, 2011: 72).
Consequently, the continuing airworthiness manager ensures that he or she becomes responsible for ensuring that the CAMO organization works according to the set outlaws in the CASR. In particular, the organization manager must ensure that there is compliance with the aircraft maintenance program as outline in the CASR laws of practice. Other roles that must be conducted by the manager and the staff include the approval of the design for modifications, honoring the manufactures instructions concerning spare parts installation, approving maintenance programs, and using reliability programs in ensuring that maintenance programs are effective (Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2002).
For an individual to become approved as a continuing airworthiness manager, they must have appropriate knowledge in dealing with continuing management exposition. This ensures that all maintenance activities are in line with the rules and regulations of the operator and aircraft manufacture. In addition, the CAMO manager must have an appreciation of the operator’s approved system in carrying out maintenance duties. Operators often have their own requirements unique to every aircraft. Further, the manager must ensure that he demonstrates a clear understanding of the laws and regulations. Finally, the manager must have qualifications, and relevant experience, in aircraft management, or maintenance practices in aircraft (Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2002).
Control over all aircraft maintenance that is completed at the Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) on the Operator’s aircraft
Controlling aircraft maintenance at the CAMO will be successful when the responsibilities of these three areas are carried out effectively. The areas include technical services, maintenance planning, maintenance watch, and ensuring that quality assurance guidelines are met. In achieving success at the organization, I will ensure that the technical services department is continuously involved in maintaining airworthiness control. In particular, I will ensure that the department comes up with monthly reliability reports that contain reliable information concerning the technical reliability of the aircraft fleet (Price and Forrest, 2009: 37).
The next indispensable duty in controlling aircraft maintenance at the organization will involve conducting A Checks and C Checks. I will ensure that the maintenance planning process comes up with a work schedule on how the maintenance activities will be carried out. The work schedule will help me, as a manager, to have a 24-hour surveillance activity in ensuring that technical reliability is achieved at the organization (Price and Forrest, 2009: 77).
Consequently, the maintenance Control Manual will have to be used in carrying out maintenance duties. The maintenance control manual has operator instruction on what should be done when defects are detected in aircraft. In particular, I will ensure that the quality assurance team is functional. They will ensure that they have control over technical oversight over maintenance providers and maintenance control staff (Price and Forrest, 2009).
I will also engage in preparing Continuing Airworthiness Exposition. The exposition will have to be based on the requirements of CASA; this is the only way to ensure that rules and regulations concerning aircraft maintenance are followed. I will also ensure that the CAMO personnel uses the exposition procedures as a guide in carrying out operational and maintenance of operator’s aircraft (Price and Forrest, 2009: 17).
The success of the CAMO depends on making follow-ups. Responsibilities given to various persons must be monitored. Every staff member must be made responsible for their actions. In particular, organizational structure sets out the duties but not a chain of command. The responsible persons will have the authority from the Registered Operator to develop an effective system of carrying out maintenance activities on aircraft. Further, as CAMO manager, I will ensure that the organization complies with the Aviation Authority’s regulations in achieving the airworthiness of aircraft (Price and Forrest, 2009).
Significance of CAMO Quality Assurance (within CAMO)
Quality assurance within CAMO ensures that there is compliance with CASR laws and the relevancy of CAMO procedures. In addition, quality assurance ensures that there are standard maintenance practices being carried out on aircraft. In particular, quality assurance ensures that the maintenance practices meet the requirements set out in CASR Part 42. Consequently, quality assurance ensures that CAMO organizations engage in the collection and recording of all audit findings (Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2002).
Quality assurance within AMO ensures that there is the monitoring of quality systems being provided by the maintenance provider. In addition, the quality assurance team within AMO also ensures that the operator’s quality policies are adhered to. Further, they also ensure that the maintenance control manual (MCM) is used when carrying out maintenance practices to the aircraft. Effective airworthiness can only be achieved through the use of a maintenance control manual. The quality assurance team ensures that no aircraft is serviced without strict adherence to the maintenance control manual. MCM and CASA documents are valuable documents relevant to the CAMO and AMO (Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2002).
The adherence to MCM and CASA guidelines is achieved through frequent audits done by the quality assurance team. In particular, quality assurance assesses the provider’s procedures and practices to determine whether they adhere to MCM and CASA guidelines.
References
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (2002), Investigation Into Ansett Australia Maintenance Safety Deficiencies And Control Of Continuing Airworthiness Of Class A Aircraft, Sydney: The Bureau.
Dalamagkidis, K., Valavanis, K and Piegl, L (2011), On Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System: Issues. Challenges, Operational Restrictions, Certification, and Recommendations, New York: Springer.
Price, J and Forrest, J (2009), Practical Aviation Security: Predicting and Preventing Future Threats, Sydney: Butterworth-Heinemann.