Attention CAMOS!
The Airworthiness Notice LTH No 75 allows the issuance of an exceptional third ARC extension for aircraft in controlled environment for 6 months under certain conditions!https://www.austrocontrol.at/luftfahrtbehoerde/safety/hinweise__anweisungen/lth
Technically prepared for flight operations after the Corona mandatory break
Due to the current encouraging COVID-19 development, it appears that a more widespread resumption of general aviation flight operations will be possible in the foreseeable future. As a result of the prolonged and involuntary shutdown, work may have become due in accordance with your maintenance programme. In the meantime, the airworthiness review or renewal or, if the aircraft is under national jurisdiction, the recurrent airworthiness review may also be overdue. Austro Control would like to provide you with some information in this context, which may help you to properly process the open items.Airworthiness management is transferred to a CAMO by contract
Please contact your CAMO to determine if maintenance is required before resuming flight operations. The CAMO will also advise you on how best to solve this problem in the event of overdue maintenance appointments. Depending on the available possibilities and the extent of the overdue work, this can, for example, be reworked on your premises or an application can be made for a transfer flight to the maintenance facility (Permit to Fly).
If, due to the movement restrictions, operating interval recommendations (e.g. one flight/standby within 30 days) could not be met, then the CAMO will analyse your case (downtime, hangaring yes/no, etc.) and define any necessary measures before the flight or in the course of the next maintenance. If, in the meantime, your ARC due date has passed, but your maintenance is on schedule and your aircraft has been serviced by the same CAMO for at least 12 months, then the CAMO has the possibility to extend the ARC exceptionally a third time.
Information on this can be found in Airworthiness Notice LTH No 75, which can be found on the Austro Control homepage under the following link:
https://www.austrocontrol.at/luftfahrtbehoerde/safety/hinweise__anweisungen/lth
If maintenance measures are overdue in addition to the ARC, then the ARC can only be extended after the overdue maintenance measures have been carried out (see first paragraph).
Airworthiness management by the owner itself
Determining whether maintenance work is necessary before resuming flight operations in accordance with your maintenance programme is your responsibility as the owner. If you are unsure about this, then your maintenance organisation or your certifying staff will be able to give you expert advice on request, but the responsibility remains with you. Overdue maintenance measures shall be carried out in any case before the commencement of flight operations within the framework of an ARC. The handling of operating interval recommendations (e.g. one flight/standby within 30 days) must also be taken into account. Depending on the possibility, overdue work can either be reworked on your premises or you can submit an application for a transfer flight to the maintenance facility (Permit to Fly) to Austro Control (airworthiness@austrocontrol.at). The permit is issued upon individual application.
If an AD/LTA ALIs/CMRs is overdrawn, additional EASA-approved "Flight Conditions" are required for this, which are to be applied for directly from EASA:
https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/application-forms/focert00037.
Here, too, it makes sense to get support from your maintenance organisation or certifying staff.
If in the meantime your ARC due date has passed, but your maintenance is on schedule, then you may submit an individual informal application for exemption under Article 71(1) to Austro Control GmbH (airworthiness@austrocontrol.at).
Subject to the following conditions, Austro Control may approve an overrun of the ARC due date for up to 3 months:
- an airworthiness review is not possible in the foreseeable future (e.g. CAMO workloads) - no maintenance is overdue according to the maintenance programme
- no airworthiness directives (LTA/AD) are overdue
- all modifications and repairs installed since the last airworthiness review are approved and duly released
- the aircraft is ready to fly (no unacceptable damage, faults or defects)
If maintenance measures are overdue in addition to the ARC, then the ARC can only be extended after the overdue maintenance measures have been carried out (see first paragraph).
Aircraft under national jurisdiction (Annex I Aircraft)
For Annex I aircraft (e.g. PA-18 "Super Cub") similar provisions apply to maintenance as for EASA aircraft. It is your responsibility as the owner to determine whether maintenance is necessary prior to resumption of flight operations in accordance with your maintenance programme. If you are unsure about this, your maintenance organisation or certifying staff will be able to give you expert advice on request, but the responsibility remains with you. Overdue maintenance measures are to be carried out in any case before the commencement of regular flight operations (operation with valid certificate of the recurrent airworthiness review). The handling of operating interval recommendations (e.g. one flight/standby within 30 days) must also be taken into account. Overdue work can, depending on the possibility, either be reworked on your premises or you can apply for a transfer flight to the maintenance organisation (transfer permit according to §20 LFG) at Austro Control (airworthiness@austrocontrol.at).
Various issues are currently being clarified at the Ministry of Transport (BMK) in order to possibly enable an extension of the existing expiry date of the certificate of the recurrent airworthiness review in accordance with the law. We will inform you about this as soon as a result is available.
Safety First!
The urge to fly is now certainly very high in many pilots. However, especially in such a situation and taking into account the previous winter break, please bear in mind that technical, but also human limits are quickly reached and act accordingly in a safety-conscious manner!
If you have any questions, please contact your CAMO, your maintenance organisation or Austro Control (airworthiness@austrocontrol.at) directly.