Celebrate Winter with our special gift of a Selection of Mandatory Recurrent Training Courses.

Sofema Aviation Services is pleased to offer our www.EASAOnline.com special discount for the months of December 2015 and January 2016 – a package of 2 courses + 1 for FREE!
The normal price to take those 3 training is $185.00 but nowif you book HF ($70) and EWIS 1&2 ($70) you will receive FTS ($45) for FREE. This way you'll SAVE 45 USD!

Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance (Recurrent) with Voice Over
Course type: Presentation witht voice over. Duration: 1 Day

EWIS for Target Groups 1 and 2 (Recurrent) with Voice Over
Course type: Presentation with voice over. Duration: 1 Day

Fuel Tank Safety (Recurrent) with Voice Over
Course type: Presentation with voice over. Duration: 1/2 Day

The offer is valid from December 1st to January 31st, 2016.

SofemaOnline.com presents - The Role of the EASA Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC)

Considerations to support the understanding of the role of the EASA Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).

Applicability

Effective 29th September 2007 - All aircraft used for Commercial Air Transport have been subject to the full requirements of Part M.
ARCs are valid for 12 months. Before your ARC expires, you need to ensure that a new ARC is issued or that the current one is extended to allow legal flight to continue.

Following Part M of Regulation (EC) 1321/2014, all EASA aircraft types that qualify for an EASA Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) are issued with a non-expiring CofA, validated annually with an Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).

The European Commission published amendment 1056/2008 Regulation (EC) 2042/2003 on 29 October 2008. The changes in the amendment introduce new rules and new categories of aircraft that are affected by Part M.

Celebrate No-Shave November with our special discount on a Selection of Mandatory Recurrent Training Courses

Sofema Aviation Services is pleased to offer our www.SofemaOnline.com special discount for the month of November – a genuine saving of 50 USD on the regular price!

Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance (Recurrent) with Voice Over
Course type: Presentation witht voice over. Duration: 1 Day

EWIS for Target Groups 1 and 2 (Recurrent) with Voice Over
Course type: Presentation with voice over. Duration: 1 Day

Fuel Tank Safety (Recurrent) with Voice Over
Course type: Presentation with voice over. Duration: 1/2 Day

The normal price to take this 3 trainings was $185.00 and NOW is only $135.00 (You Save $50.00) if you book this November.

SofemaOnline offers Electrical Wiring Interconnect System EWIS – Fuel Tank Safety FTS – Online Training with Voice Over (VO)

FTS owes its origins to the analysis following the in-flight breakup of Flight TWA 800 in July 1996. The origins of EWIS in fact go back a lot further but did not take on a formal identity until August 1996 when a White House Commission under the directorship of Vice President Al Gore was set up.

EWIS & FTS is a Recurrent training program that applies to many employees within both the Operator Part EASA M environment and the MRO EASA Part 145 environment.

www.sofemaonline.com offers a 2-day industry-specific EWIS-FTS online Initial and Recurrent training to ensure your employees have a full understanding of issues, concerns, and best practices to ensure they remain fully compliant with EASA regulatory requirements.

SofemaOnline is developing a portfolio of online training courses written by professionals with many years of experience.

Here we look at techniques to support an effective Aviation Quality Assurance Audit and the way we ask questions during an audit to enable us to take the maximum benefit from the responses we receive.

For the most effective outcome, the Auditor should remain in control of the process from start to finish. The auditor has (or should have) the full attention of the Auditee and must ensure that you understand the responsibility to obtain the information necessary to make the correct determinations.

So how are we going to ask questions in such a way that we quickly get to the substance of what we are trying to audit?
Although we ask questions of each other all day long, we seldom consider which technique works best and how we may improve our questioning skills.

Aviation Human Factors training has only been mandatory for the last 10 years with the EASA-compliant maintenance environment.

Why Aviation Human Factors Training?

Well, currently some 80% of aircraft accidents are attributable to human error, shared between pilots, maintenance staff Air Traffic Control, Ground Operations, and a very small percentage to other factors.

In the main, it should be understood that this is a situation that is recognized as rectifiable through the process of raising awareness, and training, including the associated management of competence and implementation of effective processes and procedures, and effective communication within the workplace.

SofemaOnline.com is the online training portal of Sofema Aviation Service, please see our growing list of online training courses at www.sofemaonline.com

To ensure a smooth transition and a high level of civil aviation safety in the European Union, Implementing Rules should reflect the state of the art, including best practices and scientific and technical progress in the field of air operations. Accordingly, technical requirements and administrative procedures agreed upon under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (hereinafter referred to as “ICAO”) and the European Joint Aviation Authorities (hereinafter referred to as “JAA”), as well as existing European and national rules, should be considered.

The introduction of Part OPS Regulation 965/2012 was a huge undertaking pulling together not only Commercial Air Transport – CAT but all the different arrangements related to the operation of aircraft, including Commercial other than Non Commercial, Helicopter, Aerial Work, and other Specialist Services.

Rising to the challenge of mentoring a growing workforce becomes a more difficult challenge if the management lacks the specific skill set to deliver the Competency Management processes.

What do we mean by competence?

Essentially we are talking about the ability of the individual to perform a task or series of tasks with the correct attitude, awareness, knowledge, and understanding.

All EASA-approved organisations are required to demonstrate the management of competence. 
Sometimes insufficient attention is given by the organisation to the role of managing competence within the organisation employees who lack knowledge and experience may in fact increase the likelihood of an error or mistake (the worst outcome).

We sometimes feel static electricity, which builds up as we walk, for example, across a nylon carpet, at the moment we touch something that permits an electrostatic discharge.
Static electricity and Electrostatic Discharges (ESD) have become increasing problems as we become more dependent on technology. Significant costs are borne by the aerospace industry as a result of damage caused by ESD components and devices.
 
Consider that at its most basic an ESDS program requires:
a) All conductors of electricity should be grounded to ensure an equipotential balance of electrical charge at times in the defined Electrostatic Protected Area.
b) Appropriate static control packaging or containment for protection of sensitive items must be used whenever the items are removed from an Electrostatic Protected Area.

Let’s get real!

Question – Is SMS all about Compliance?
Answer – No – It’s about Managing Risk.

Safety management goes far beyond traditional compliance-led approaches to auditing.
So a Safety Management System has to identify potential safety risks and Hazards. At the heart of any effective Safety Management System is a formal Risk Management process that identifies hazards and assesses and mitigates risk.
The next step is to mitigate or manage any risks identified to an acceptable or tolerable level. An essential aspect is the management of risk generated by contract or subcontracted organizations, particularly where this may directly impact the organization.

Question – Is SMS just an extension of the Quality System?
Answer – No – Safety Auditing is very different. In fact, Safety Auditing is very subjective, almost holistic. Safety Auditing is looking at risk, or in other words, the potential exposures faced by the Organisational system.

What is an STC - Supplemental Type Certificate?
A Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) is a document issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approving a product (aircraft, engine, or propeller) modification. The STC defines the product design change, states how the modification affects the existing type design, and lists serial number affectivity. An STC is typically owned by a FAR 21/Part 21 Design organisation that remains responsible for the “Continuing Airworthiness” of the Product. It also identifies the certification basis listing specific regulatory compliance for the design change.

Information contained in the certification basis is helpful for those applicants proposing subsequent product modifications and evaluating certification basis compatibility with other STC modifications.

What is a C of C?
Certificate of Conformity. Affirmations that the supplier has complied with your purchase order.

Is a Purchase Order a contract?
Yes, it is. If you have not accurately fulfilled the PO, you have not fulfilled a contract. So consider the C of C as a supporting document only!

What is the AMP – Aircraft Maintenance Program?
The AMP is the operator's approved maintenance program, typically based on the MPD (Maintenance Planning Document). Note the Aircraft Maintenance Program includes Operator additional requirements over the AMS.

We are very pleased to announce the availability of our latest training, which provides an opportunity to update regarding the role of the Aviation Quality System within the European Aviation Safety Agency “EASA” Environment.

The Aviation Quality Compliance System should be at the heart of the operation, fully functioning and visible within every department and element of the organization.

This course delivers a comprehensive understanding of all elements of an Aviation Compliance-led Quality Management System (QMS). An effective Compliance Management Process can help to support the organization in the most meaningful and tangible way. Organizations that can deliver the most effective quality audit system, together with an efficient process to follow up with all identified issues in a practical way, can excel in the delivery of their core products and services.

Background

EWIS was initially introduced as AMC material by EASA through AMC 20-21, AMC 20-22, and AMC 20-23.
Unlike Fuel Tank Safety (FTS) this was not driven by primary legislation (it should have been; essentially, there is little difference in the need for both FTS and EWIS). This was a shortfall introduced by EASA, which was later corrected in November 2011 with the enhanced requirement to include EWIS as part of the competence (but note this only applies to 145 - still not “fixed” for CAMO staff in many organisations that have not received EWIS training).

Every year there are literally hundreds of electrical events, incidents, & accidents caused by electrical wiring on commercial aircraft.

We are very pleased to announce the availability of our latest training, which provides an opportunity to update you regarding both the status and effectiveness of your organisational SMS.

Building on the successful release of several Aircraft Maintenance Planning and Production Planning Courses we are pleased to offer this opportunity to provide a review and update of SMS best practice processes to be developed within your organisation.

Developed to be completed in one day, Safety Management System Overview and Recurrent provides for a comprehensive review of the overall effectiveness of your SMS.

We have watched Safety Management Systems grow following an understanding that the reality today is that the major cause of accidents is related to human error, which in some way is able to impact the overall process, increasing the level of risk and exposure.

What are hidden Dangerous Goods?

In fact there is a substantial range of items which are classed as dangerous goods (DG) and often passengers do not have the slightest idea that what they are carrying is in fact DG. It is a fact that many common items which may find their way onto aircraft may in actual fact contain dangerous goods. As a general rule any ambiguities or doubts should always be clarified with qualified and competent persons.

Examples of hidden Dangerous Goods!

Instruments - Thermometers containing mercury. (It is on record that an aircraft was actually scrapped because of mercury contamination)

Many common household goods contain DG for example, paints, aerosols containing a variety of products, glues and adhesives, bleaching powders and cleaners.

Breathing Apparatus either compressed air or oxygen is considered as DG.

When we consider Dangerous Goods (DG) in aviation the primary concern is the Safety of Passengers, Crew plus the Aircraft as of course the actual Goods which are being transported.

If DG is mishandled in some way it can cause delays and disruption, it may even cause a serious and ultimately fatal accident with the potential loss of even of the aircraft and occupants.

What do we mean by DG?

Essentially we may consider Dangerous Goods are articles or substances capable of posing a risk to a person’s health, safety, property or the environment.

As well as Dangerous Goods which form part of the aircraft basic operational configuration and as such do not need to be declared, Dangerous Goods are also carried on-board the aircraft in passenger or crew carry-on baggage, as well as in the cargo holds as checked passenger baggage, or carried and declared as Dangerous Goods in cargo.

Whilst many organisations have procedures related to Fuel Tank Safety processes, there are considerably fewer with respect to processes and practices related to Electrical Wiring Interconnect Systems.

What Procedures should we consider?

a) Procedures with respect to Tripped Circuit Breakers and how we will manage the associated troubleshooting activities. Ensure that the Flight Crew never reset circuit breakers (or reset circuit breakers) unless the procedure is a direct “in flight” instruction driven by documentation available on board the aircraft, for example, as an OPS Manual procedure.

Also ensure that ground support personnel carry out troubleshooting before proceeding to reset a circuit breaker, as simply resetting without additional maintenance activity may be a precursor to a more serious problem and even subsequently a fire.

Hazards of Airplane Fuel Tank Entry
 
To ensure effective maintenance within the Fuel Tank Systems there is a need to develop procedures associated with Fuel Tank Entry, Personnel Protection, Working within the Fuel Tank Environment, and Fuel Tank Closure.

The separate elements to consider include fully understanding the potential hazards - Fire and explosion, toxic chemicals, as well as oxygen deficiency.

Procedures for entry within the tank, ensuring the safety of the environment for the maintenance worker.

Preparations include electrically grounding the aircraft, refueling in accordance with maintenance manual procedures, and deactivating all associated systems to ensure personnel safety.

When we consider the total contents of the aircraft work package, we have a distinct number of elements:

a) Routine—these are the tasks that are packaged into maintenance checks and assigned from the aircraft maintenance program
b) Service Bulletins, Mods, and AD-driven—this package forms a group of activities that can potentially be quite disruptive and, as a consequence, deserves due consideration in respect of the various planning considerations to support effective delivery of maintenance
c) Deferred Maintenance - Tasks which are carried over from Line Maintenance deferred defects or defects deferred by the MEL
d) Defects found during the maintenance check inspection activities - These defects are discovered during maintenance inspection of the various aircraft zones