![]() | Maintenance Working Group |
The first AOPA Maintenance Working Group meeting was held in March 2009. The attendees comprised two senior personnel from the CAA Maintenance and Airworthiness standards group, two from the GA maintenance industry together with George Done and Martin Robinson from AOPA representing aircraft owners. Subsequently, and partly as a result of that meeting, the CAA organised three seminars on EASA Part M aimed at informing representatives from Approved Maintenance Organisations and other interested parties of the state of play and latest developments at that time.
It subsequently transpired that the transition to EASA Part M continued to raise difficulties, particularly with the maintainers, and a further meeting was organised by AOPA in October 2010 at which it was decided to hold similar meetings for the foreseeable future on a roughly quarterly basis. More recently, the CAA General Aviation Partnership, which meets three times a year, receives an update from the AOPA Maintenance Working Group as regular item on the agenda, so for coordination purposes the working group now meets about 3 weeks beforehand. Typically, between 2 and 4 CAA representatives attend the WG meetings, to join the owners and maintainers. Important practical products have included the AOPA Code of Practice for Maintenance and Repair, and magazine articles on pre-purchase inspections, the Self- Declared Maintenance Programme (SDMP) and 8.33 kHz radios.
AOPA Maintenance Working Group Terms of Reference
- To provide a forum for discussion of maintenance issues to the mutual benefit of aircraft owners and maintainers.
- To extend the forum to the regulators in order to allow issues to be discussed in a constructive manner and resolutions to problems sought.
- The WG is open to maintainers who are willing and able to contribute on a voluntary basis, but it is expected that these would be holders of EASA Part M approvals.
- The WG will endeavour to achieve maintenance representation across the range of activity, to include, for example, those involved in avionics and rotary wing.
- It is not expected that maintainers would necessarily be AOPA members.
- The WG will normally meet at approximately quarterly intervals, or as required.
- Items for the agenda will be welcome from owners (via AOPA), maintainers and regulators.
- Notes of meetings will be circulated to members of the AOPA Executive
As at 10.10.18, The current members of the AOPA Maintenance Working Group are:
- Malcolm Bird, Aircraft Owner
- Ken Craigie, Chief Inspector, LAA
- George Done, AOPA
- John Eagles, Air Stratus, Oaksey Park
- Michael Fowler, HQ Aviation Ltd, Denham
- Paul Hendry-Smith, The Light Aircraft Company, Little Snoring
- Roger Kimbell, previously of J & J Aircraft Services, Sibson
- Paul Layzell, Touchdown Engineering, Old Buckenham
- Derek Nicholls, Policy Officer, Airworthiness, CAA
- Neil Peacock, Principal Airworthiness Surveyor, CAA
- Martin Robinson, AOPA.
- Nigel Rockhill, The Spitfire Co Ltd, Biggin Hill
- James Sharman, Sharman Avionics, Sywell
- Mark Shortman, Head of Policy and Delivery, GAU, CAA
- Mike Smart, Farley Farm for maintainers
- Mark Davies, Swiftair, Leicester.
- Carol Brightwell, Arion Aviation, Rochester.
- Pete Wood, Vintage Fabrics, Audley End
If you are interested in this Working Group or wish to raise a maintenance related issue, please contact George by clicking on his name below.
One of the most regular requests AOPA UK gets from members is to resolve disputes between aircraft owners and maintainers. The AOPA Maintainers Working Group have produced a Code of Practice for Maintenance and Repair that they themselves will follow, and which can be signed up to by light aircraft maintainers.
Many disputes arise from unrealistic expectations on the part of owners. A common understanding prior to the commencement of work is desirable.
If an aircraft maintainer is not signed up to the AOPA Code of Practice ask why not! Be wary of any organisation that refuses to give any such, or similar, commitment to you as a Customer.
An aircraft owner who is a customer of a light aircraft maintenance organisation that subscribes to the AOPA Code of Practice for Maintenance and Repair is provided the following commitment:
AOPA Code of Practice for Maintenance and Repair
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