Avionics News November 2012 - 18

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Continued from page 17

will address the following items: • Definition and identification of ICAs. • Availability of ICAs to owners, operators and maintainers. • Required completeness of ICAs during initial certification process. • Definition of level of involvement of other civil aviation authorities versus category of aircraft. • Scheduling under the MRB process. • Validation process for other CAAs. • Review and acceptance of ICAs by other than a CAA. In response to a question concerning the need for supplemental ICAs, TCCA stated this will be linked to the validation process. If a checklist demonstrates no need for a SICA, this should be accepted through the validation process. TCCA will issue a new AC and SI to replace the existing TP13850 and MSI 53.

News & Regulatory Updates
European Aviation Safety Agency
One of the highlights on regulation updates was the replacement of EC 1702/2003 (including Annex Part 21) with the recently published Regulation EC 748/2012. This new regulation not only provides a consolidated version of EC 1702/2003 and the seven subsequent amendments, but it also introduces changes resulting from four recent agency opinions. The main changes introduced are related to 21A.101(f) to allow an “elect to comply” possibility for changes to TC and STCs and the need for a certification program and the possibility to approve minor revisions to aircraft flight manuals. Visit the EASA website for more details. A comment response document to NPA 2008-20 was issued and provides the latest proposal for amendments
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to Part 21 for DOAs who wish to perform flight testing (verifying non-approved data). AEA members performing changes to type design may be interested in the proposed amendment requiring such organizations to produce a flight test operation manual defining the organization policies and procedures in relation to flight test they intend to perform. Details of the expected organization’s compliance are identified in a proposed amendment to Part 21. A new Appendix XII to Part 21 further details the categories of flight tests (1 to 4) and the competence level (1 to 4) required for the flight test crews performing such flights. EASA published the long-awaited NPA on the AEA-supported B2L license. On Oct. 4, 2012, EASA published Notice of Proposed Amendment No. 2012-15 regarding the adapt the current B2 licensing requirements for maintenance of avionics and electrical systems to the lower complexity of light aircraft, and proposed a simple and proportionate system for the licensing of certifying staff involved in the maintenance of aircraft other than airplanes and helicopters and in the maintenance of ELA1 airplanes. Feedback received from stakeholders and competent authorities has shown the following. On one hand, the difficulties faced by maintenance personnel intending to obtain a Part 66 avionics license (B2) in order to maintain general aviation aircraft, due to the inclusion in the knowledge requirements of systems and technologies typical of large aircraft. This has created a decrease in the number of certifying staff available to maintain this category of aircraft, with the future risk of less staff available to maintain light aircraft. On the other hand, there is a need to standardize within the European Union the licensing of certifying staff for sailplanes, balloons and airships, which currently is covered under national rules. Furthermore, with the adoption of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1149/2011, the Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No. 2042/2011 has been amended by adding a point 9, which calls for the issuance by the agency of an opinion to include a proposal for

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Avionics News November 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News November 2012