The EASA Part 66 Licence

The Part 66 licence is required for engineers to obtain ‘approvals’ to work on aircraft. These approvals
are issued by companies who are themselves approved by the CAA (EASA Part 145) usually after ‘type
training’. The approved engineer can sign off work on the aircraft within his/her licence authority.

So for anyone who aspires to work on civil aircraft as a maintenance engineer the Part 66 is a must. This
means passing all the modules that go to make up that particular licence.

The licence categories are:

Category A Line mechanic (airframes and engines).

Category B1Licensed engineer (mechanical, airframes and engines).
Category B2Licensed engineer (avionics).
Category B3Licensed engineer (piston engined aircraft of mass 2000kg and below).
Category C Licensed engineer (base maintenance).

Category A

Issued after passing the appropriate modules and obtaining the appropriate experience. The person is
allowed to sign for certain designated tasks only.

Not recommended as a ‘stepping stone’ to the B1 licence as all the module examinations will have to be
taken again – to the higher level.

A1 Turbine Engined Aeroplanes

A2 Piston Engined Aeroplanes
A3 Turbine Engined Helicopters
A4 Piston Engined Helicopters

Experience requirements can vary but would be a maximum of 3 years maintenance experience on
operating aircraft (certified in a record of experience log book).

Category B

The licence is issued after passing all the appropriate modules and obtaining the appropriate experience.
Allows the engineer to sign the Certificate of Release to Service for the aircraft in the category for which
he/she is licensed.

Experience required (gained within the 10 years preceding application):

B1.1 Turbine Engined Aeroplanes 5 years maximum

B1.2 Piston Engined Aeroplanes 3 years maximum
B1.3 Turbine Engined Helicopters 5 years maximum
B1.4 Piston Engined Helicopters 3 years maximum
B2 Avionic 5 years maximum
B3 Aircraft below 2,000kg mass 3 years maximum
At least 1 year of the experience shall be recent experience gained on aircraft type for which application is
to be made.

Experience requirements stated above are based on no previous qualifying technical training or approved
courses passed. If you have technical qualifications and/or passed an approved course then you may be
eligible for a reduced experience requirement – in this case you should apply to the CAA for details/check
their website. The experience requirement is based on appropriate maintenance engineering on operating
aircraft. For UK service personnel with qualifying service experience this may count for all of the
experience requirement except for 1 year – this will have to be gained on civil aircraft (all recorded in the
log book of course).

Category C

Requires 3 years experience as a B1.1, B1.3, or B2 engineer or 5 years as a B1.2 or B1.4 engineer.

Experience Requirements

There are no experience requirements to be allowed to sit the examinations, they apply only when licence
application is made. As the individual module examination passes have a life of 10 years it is important
that all the exams for a particular licence are passed within 10 years of passing the first module.

All the above experience requirements must include one year's recent experience and that experience
must include equipment for which application is made. In other words if you are applying for the B1.1
licence mechanical jet engined aircraft the one year recent experience must be on this type of aircraft –
not on helicopters for example.

The experience must include a representative cross section of tasks on operating aircraft* and should
include, for the mechanical person, some experience on instrument, electrical and avionic systems.
Experience in maintenance bays (engine bays, instruments bays, tyre bays etc) is not considered
appropriate.

* The term ‘operating aircraft’ means that the aircraft must be a flying aircraft and the servicing could
include ramp/first line servicing and/or hangar maintenance.

The term ‘operating aircraft’ does not include work on gliders and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

For more details you are advised to read EASA Part 66. It can be obtained from TSO at Norwich, UK or
viewed on the net www.caa.co.uk/publications.

The EASA Modules

The syllabus for these is published in the EASA Part 66, which is issued by EASA as an official
publication of the EU.

Note that for licences A, B1, B2 and B3 the level of some module examinations is different.

Note that, in the following table, shortened titles are used to save space.
Modules Required

For Category A licence - modules 1 to 6 except module 4, plus modules 7A, 8, 9A and 10 plus:

A1 11A, 15 & 17A

A2 11B, 16 & 17A
A3 12 & 15
A4 12 & 16

For Category B licence - modules 1 to 6, plus:

B1.1 7A, 8, 9A, 10, 11A, 15 & 17A

B1.2 7A, 8, 9A, 10, 11B, 16 & 17A
B1.3 7A, 8, 9A, 10, 12 & 15
B1.4 7A, 8, 9A, 10, 12 & 16
B2 7A, 8, 9A, 10, 13 & 14
B3 7B, 8, 9B, 10, 11C, 16 & 17B
Notes

1. The first 10 modules are common (except for module 4 for the category A person). However, the
exact content of each exam for a particular module will vary depending on what licence the
engineer is aiming for. This means that for the A person, parts of some modules are not examined
on at all and other areas are taken at a lower level than the B level. For the B person (in very
general terms) the differences in the level of difficulty in those modules where there are
differences are:

ModuleThe Higher Level is The:

1 B
2 B1
3 B1/B2
4 B2
5 B2
6 B1
7A B1 but B2 for item 7.7
8 B1/B2
9A B1/B2
10 B1/B2/B3

2. The above is not significant (assuming you take the examination to the correct level for the
licence you are aiming for), unless you intend taking another licence after you have obtained the
present one. For example: If you are going for the B1 and intend taking the B2 at a later date then
it would be prudent to take modules 4 and 5 as a B2 examination (the higher level). If you are
presently going for the B2 and plan to eventually go for the B1 then it would be wise to take
modules 2, 6 and 7 at the B1 level. The levels of modules 1, 3, 8, 9A and 10 are the same for both
B1 and B2 examinations.
3. Some of our modules (6 and 7A for example) we have managed to split into B1 and B2. When
ordering ensure that you order the correct module.
4. For those modules we have not split into B1/B2, then they have been written to the higher level in
each case.
5. The CAA examination consists of a multi-choice paper for each module and an essay paper for
modules 7, 9 and 10.
6. For CAA examination purposes the modules can be taken in any order (including the essay
papers), though there are too many to be taken all in one day. Unless you have a long way to
travel it would be better to take the bigger modules one at a time and the smaller ones either
singly or in twos or threes.
7. It is generally considered better to take the essay exam for module 7 when doing the multi choice
paper for module 7, with the same principle applying for the essay papers for modules 9 and 10.
Remember, in all cases there is an exam fee payable for both the essay paper and the multi choice
paper. (If the essay questions are all taken together then there is one fee payable.)
8. Suggested sequence for taking the modules. Take 1 to 5 in order. Take 6 and 7 together at any
time. Take 8, 9 and 10 at any time in any order. Take the ‘trade’ modules last (11 to 17).
9. There are almost no exemptions allowed against any of the module examinations. Certain degrees
will attract exemptions to some modules – for details contact the CAA.

Remember. The modules, once passed, have a life of 10 years so if you do not complete all the modules
in 10 years you will start to loose the first modules passed.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.

The BCAR Licences

Used in the UK for all civil aircraft until 2001 when it was phased out (for aircraft above 5700kg) in
favour of the then JAR66 licence. In 2003 the JAR66 licence was replaced by the EASA Part 66 licence
which, effectively, covered all aircraft weights.

Conversions for those holding BCAR licences where allowed and must have been completed by
November 2005.

For those still holding BCAR licences; these had to be converted to EASA Part 66 licences (with
restrictions). (We provide part modules to cover the lifting of the restrictions – contact LBP.)

In some countries the BCAR section L issue 14 Licence Without Type Rating (LWTR) is still being used.
Divided into:

Cat A Aeroplanes 1
Cat C Piston engines (with aeroplanes 1)
Turbine engines (with aeroplanes 1)
Cat A & C Rotorcraft piston
Rotorcraft turbine
Cat X Electrical
Instruments
Autopilots (fixed wing or rotary wing)
Cat R Radio
Radar

We stock Study Books covering the LWTR licences. Please contact LBP for details.

CAA Examination Venues

The module examinations are taken at CAA examination centres in the UK (currently Gatwick, Oxford,
Glasgow, Manchester and Shuttleworth College near Biggleswade); also at some Part 145 companies and
certain overseas locations (check CAA website). The CAA centre at Aviation House Gatwick is a 5
minute bus ride from the terminals at London Gatwick Airport and is a popular venue for students coming
from overseas. Gatwick can also be reached by bus from London Heathrow Airport (about 25 miles –
40km).

Another venue used by overseas students is the one at Oxford. This can be reached by bus from London
Heathrow Airport (about 45 miles – 72km). The exams are held at Oxford Airport which is a 10 minute
walk from the village of Kidlington which is itself about 5 miles (8km) north of Oxford.

Dates for exams at CAA centres are usually the first Friday in each month. The UK CAA examinations
are mainly taken in the UK but there are now some locations else-where in the world where the exams are
conducted, Malaysia for example. Check the CAAs website for details.

For accommodation details at Oxford and Gatwick check our Contacts page.
All students with LBP are provided with CAA application forms, dates, venues etc, and advice on how
and when to apply for the examinations.

CAA examination fees vary and at the time of writing (2012) are £43-00 each module. Note that if the
essay papers for modules 7, 9 & 10 are taken in one sitting the fee is one fee (£43-00).