INGENIEUR
within its design and operational specifications.
The LAME requested to be on board for the test
flight and the pilot happily agreed. They took
off and cycled the landing gear three times
without further issues. This is the satisfaction
of a LAME where professionalism plays an
important role to the safety and airworthiness
of an aircraft. It requires an individual not only
to have strong theoretical and understanding
of the principles of science and engineering
but also able to design solutions and apply the
solutions. Many of their solutions are collected
by aircraft manufacturers for improvement
to their products. LAME profession faces the
challenge of a very high level of engineering
and maintenance competency on very
expensive and complex machines. LAMEs are
responsible for the lives on board the aircraft
that they certified for.
It is important to note that category B1
and B2 type rated LAME has a role in base
maintenance aircraft checks in supporting a
category C type rated LAME who is the primary
certifier of an aircraft which has completed a
base maintenance check. Category B1/B2
LAME are known as support staff in the base
maintenance operations as they support the
category C LAME at various working zones of
the aircraft.
CAAM Category “C” License Type Rated
LAME
Currently in Malaysia, a category B1/B2 type rated
LAME requires an additional three to five years of
experience as a B1/B2 type rated and certifying
LAME before being eligible to qualify as category
C LAME. A Category C type rated LAME is the only
LAME approved to certify a single document known
as Base Maintenance Release (BMR) indicating an
aircraft has completed aircraft base maintenance
checks and is therefore airworthy and may be
released to service. The category C licence permits
the release of an aircraft to service in its entirety
with a single certificate of release to service by
one overall signatory, once all base maintenance
work and checks have been completed in
accordance with Part 145 requirements. The
category C licence certifier, in addition to having
technical competencies as category B1/B2 LAME,
acts primarily in a maintenance management role
controlling the progress of aircraft maintenance
work. CAAM AN6501 mentioned the category C
LAME’s role seven times indicating its critical
role in a Part 145 MRO organisation. A group of
engineers and technicians report to the category
C type rated LAME who usually is the head of a
production line.
At the time of writing, there are less than 50
CAAM Category C type rated LAMEs in Malaysia.
These higher management competencies meet the
attributes defined in the Washington Accord which
made a category C type rated LAME (among other
attributes) eligible to be registered as a Graduate
Engineer in BEM. According to the United Kingdom
Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) Engineer Licencing
Guidance Document, a category C type rated
LAME is a management engineer. This is also being
practised in Malaysia where category C type rated
LAME fills the position of Foreman, Lead Engineer,
Director of Maintenance, etc. in a CAAM Part 145
MRO production line.
Conclusion
Though the registration of the LAME profession
has only recently been accepted by the BEM, there
were already precedents in the UK Engineering
Council system where a category B1/B2 type
rated LAME is eligible to be registered as an
Incorporated Engineer. This is similar to the
Engineering Technologist category under the
current BEM registration system. A category C
LAME is eligible to go for Chartered Engineer
(CEng) in the Engineering Council UK. The Royal
Aeronautical Society (UK) is the royal charter that
provides the platform for the LAMEs to register
themselves. It is timely that BEM has now opened
up the registration of the LAME into the BEM
system. It is believed that this will enhance the
professionalism of the LAME and open up further
opportunities for LAMEs. The aspirations of the
National Aerospace Blueprint 2030 will certainly
be achieved.
14 VOL 81 JANUARY-MARCH 2020