The Defence Aviation Safety Regulations (DASR) 147 – Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisation, establish the requirements to be met by an organisation seeking approval to conduct aviation technical training or military aircraft type rating training and examinations as specified in DASR 66 to be eligible for a Military Aircraft Maintenance Licence (MAML).
An organisation that has been approved by DASA to provide maintenance training for a Defence aircraft is termed a Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO). An MTO may be a Military or Defence Industry organisation, located in Australia, and may encompass one or multiple military aircraft type ratings.
An MTO may be awarded by DASA when satisfied that the organisation complies with the requirements of DASR 147. The DASR presents eligibility criteria, requirements for either the Basic Knowledge or military aircraft type rating training, terms of approval, scope of approval and obligations. The MTO approval is an essential requirement for organisations that wish to provide approved maintenance training courses for Defence aircraft. The certification provides assurance that the organisation has the necessary facilities, resources and expertise to deliver high-quality training programs that comply with DASA safety standards.
DASA does not accept unsolicited applications for MDO approval; rather, there must be a Defence capability need for that MTO. An application for MTO approval is made via Form 12 - Application for DASR 147 Initial-Changes of Approval.
Where an extant MTO is merely requesting an expansion of its current MTO approval, for example the addition of an aircraft type or an expanded privilege, the DASA assessment may be proportionately reduced. Applications for such changes are made via DASA Form 12A - Military Aircraft Type Rating Initial Change Course Approval.
DASA’s approval of an MTO is reflected on a Form 11 – Maintenance Training Organisation Approval Certificate, which summarises the terms of that approval, including:
Scope of approval: The type of aircraft maintenance training activities (Basic or Type) for which approval is granted
Category/Type: The specific Military aircraft types or category within the scope of the approval.
Conditions: Any requirements that are provisional to this approval
Limitations: Any limitations on the above.
IAW DASR 147.A.140, the primary application artefact is the Maintenance Training Organisation Exposition (MTOE), which describes, directly or by cross-reference, the organisation, the relevant procedures and the products (or changes to products) to be trained. Furthermore, where partner organisations or subcontractors are to be employed, the MTOE also includes information on how the MTO is to ensure those organisations under their QMS comply with relevant DASRs.
DASA Approval. DASA’s approval of a new MTO will usually be based on a desktop assessment of the MTOE. Particularly where the candidate organisation is ‘new’ DASA may then conduct a deeper assessment, usually consisting an on-site visit, once the organisation has exercised and started to mature its maintenance training systems. The approval process involves a thorough evaluation of the organisation’s facilities, training programs, training materials, personnel and the qualifications of its instructors. The organisation must also demonstrate that it has a quality management system in place to ensure that the training is delivered consistently and to a high standard.
Interaction and timing. Where Defence decides to engage a new Industry MTO, the Defence contracting organisation should engage with DASA well before a Request for Tender (or similar) is released. DASA will help the contracting organisation explore its contract options and identify essential contract inclusions. DASA may also help the contracting organisation with pre-contract assessments of the prospective MTO.
Prospective MTO should engage with DASA soon after the formal decision is made for them to take on that role. DASA will educate the prospective MTO on application requirements, and will assign an internal point of contact. In DASA’s experience, the time from first contact to approval of the MTO can vary between three and six months.
Responsibilities of a MTO approval are required to:
ensure that all instruction and examinations carried out by the MTO meet the standards required by the DASA, and
maintain the MTOE in conformity, ensuring that the necessary finance, human resources and facilities are available and conform to the requirements of DASR 147 as stipulated by the DASA.
all necessary Airworthiness data published by the DASA and aircraft manufacturers as appropriate, is made available and course material is updated accordingly.
Once an MTO approval is achieved, DASA will commence ongoing MTO compliance assurance, to gain confidence that the MTO remains a professional and effective training organisation.
DASA compliance assurance is normally achieved through on-site visits, remote assessments, and ongoing monitoring. Summarised:
On-site visits. On-site visits may be informal or formal. Informal visits are usually to provide regulatory support and guidance, and for engagement with an organisation, while formal visit are used to validate the management of previous DASA findings and to conduct oversight which may result in new findings.
Remote assessments. Remote assessments may be suitable if a visit to the organisation is not feasible for reasons of security, health, budget and availability of personnel or the area to be assessed doesn't justify a full onsite visit. Business Intelligence and the use of Strategic Data techniques are often used to assist in the targeting of areas to be reviewed.
Ongoing monitoring. DASA desk officers may identify other ways of gaining ongoing confidence in MTO performance without necessarily engaging the MTO.
DASA’s oversight processes for MTO are contained in the DASA Instructions, DASA(I) SAPO 01-002, DASA Oversight (On-Site and Remote) and DASA(I) 01-009, DASR Findings. Both are available on the DASA intranet site.