This page provides information to UK Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence holders wishing to add ‘Category C’ to their existing licence.
Pre-Requisites
You must hold an existing type rated UK Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence in Category B1 or B2.
You will be required to provide an approved Part 145 company maintenance authorisation on a type endorsed on the Part 66 Licence held for a minimum of 3 years.
For Category C with respect to complex motor-powered aircraft
For the issue if a Category C licence the following experience is required:
3 years of experience exercising category B1.1, B1.3 or B2 privileges on complex motor-powered aircraft or as support staff according to point 145.A.35, or a combination of both.
Or 5 years experience of exercising category B1.2 or B1.4 privileges on complex motor-powered aircraft or as support staff according to point 145.A.35, or a combination of both.
For Category C with respect to other than complex motor-powered aircraft
For the issue of a Category C licence the following experience is required:
3 years of experience exercising category B1 or B2 privileges on other than complex motor-powered aircraft or as support staff according to point 145.A.35, or a combination of both.
Please ensure your application reflects if your are applying for 'complex' or 'other than complex' and to which type(s) you are applying for.
Category C obtained through the academic route
For category C obtained through the academic route: an applicant holding an academic degree in a technical discipline, from a university or other higher educational institution recognised by the CAA, 3 years of experience working in a civil aircraft maintenance environment on a representative selection of tasks directly associated with aircraft maintenance including 6 months of observation of base maintenance tasks. (Representative selection of tasks should include the observation of hangar maintenance, maintenance planning, quality assurance, record-keeping, approved spare parts control and engineering development).
Nb. There is currently no CAA recognised academic degree and therefore this route is not possible in the UK (August 2024).
While an applicant to a Category C licence may be qualified by having 3 years’ experience as category B1 or B2 certifying staff only in line maintenance, it is however recommended that any applicant to a category C holding a B1 or B2 licence demonstrate at least 12 months experience as a B1 or B2 support staff.
The above experience requirement should be practical involving a representative cross section of maintenance tasks on operating aircraft specific to the category to be applied for.
You must complete any training course, basic knowledge examinations and relevant practical maintenance experience within the 10 years preceding the application for an Aircraft Maintenance Licence.
For any application for a Category C licence, it will be expected that the applicant provides evidence of their company authorisation (66.A.30(a)). This should include evidence that they have held an authorisation for the entire period shown in 66.A.30(a). Normally this will involve submission of multiple Part 145 certifying staff authorisation records.
The recommendation document will need to be completed by a Quality Manager or the immediate senior person within the Quality Department of your current employer, or the organisation where the experience is gained.
How do I apply?
Once all requirements have been met, please complete the Aircraft Maintenance Licence online application form on the CAA Portal. For more information and guidance regarding the new process, please refer to AMEL portal form user guide.
If you have not used the CAA Customer Portal before, you will need to create an account before you can access the online application form. Once registered, you can start your application by clicking on the ‘Aircraft maintenance licence applications’ link under the list of available services.
What do I need to include with my application?
As part of the application, you will be asked to upload the following supporting documentation:
- Proof of your ID (This can be a certified copy of your valid passport/full UK photographic driving licence, or a close-up photo of you holding your ID in which your face and ID are clearly visible). If the CAA has a valid ID document on file for you, you will not be asked to supply this again
- Certified copies of the appropriate Exam Certificates completed for the additional category/sub-category applied for.
- A copy of the EU/EASA Organisation Approval Certificate (Form 11) valid at the time the course was completed, (only for applications where training was completed with a non-UK EASA organisation)
- Certified copies of the logbook/worksheets showing the evidence of the practical maintenance experience gained.
- Recommendation Form (SRG1029), ensuring that it has been completed by your Quality Manager in support of your application (the recommendation can also be completed by: Part 145 FAR 145, CAMO, CAO, or a UK Part 66 Engineer licence holder).
For guidance on who can certify your documents or for examples of acceptable ID, please refer to Supporting documentation for Engineer licensing applications.
You are required to return your original Part 66 licence to the CAA before we can start the application assessment process. As soon as you have submitted this online application, please post your original licence to:
Civil Aviation Authority
Engineer Licensing, SSC
Aviation House
Beehive Ring Road
Crawley
West Sussex
RH6 0YR
Please quote your online application reference number when sending your licence to us, so that we can match your licence to your application.
Please note that as long as you have confirmation that you have submitted your application to the CAA, you can continue to exercise the privileges of your licence after you have posted it to us.
Costs
The fee is £175.00.
The service 'adding a Category C to a part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence' will also incur a Rolling Renewal fee. To calculate this fee, you will need to have the expiry date of your current licence to hand when completing the online application form. The expiry date is normally found on page 6 of 8 of your current Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence, depending on the size of your Licence.
If you are applying for any other additional services the appropriate fee will also apply.
Full details are available in the current Scheme of Charges (Personnel licensing).
What happens next?
- The assessment of your application is completed by a Licensing Officer within 10 working days of receipt of your original licence.
- Following an acceptable assessment the Licence is then processed, signed and dispatched to the individual.
- We will contact you if we have any queries regarding your application and may keep your application pending for 30 working days awaiting any additional documentation to be submitted.
- A refund fee may be charged if the assessment results in the rejection of your application. This will also be applied if you choose to cancel your application.
You will receive automated email updates as your application progresses through the process. You can also track the progress of your application at any time by logging into your CAA Customer Portal account, selecting "Your Services" and then selecting the Aircraft Maintenance Licence Service. You may then click on "All Applications" for further information.
Contacting the CAA
If you have any questions and would like to get in touch with us, you can message or call our licensing team on:
- Email: eldweb@caa.co.uk
- Phone: 0330 022 1972 (Mon - Fri 08:30 - 16:30)