This unit of competency requires application of hand skills and use of maintenance documentation and manuals to inspect aircraft structure and identify damage and deterioration during scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. Work may be performed individually or as part of a team.

Applications include the structure of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

The unit is part of the Aeroskills Structures Maintenance Certificate IV and of the Mechanical Certificate IV (Aircraft Maintenance Stream) training pathways.

The unit is used in workplaces that operate under the airworthiness regulatory systems of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria under the specified conditions of assessment, and must include:

applying all relevant WHS procedures, including the use of PPE and MSDS

using approved maintenance documentation and aircraft publications relating to aircraft structure

identifying various aircraft metals and their basic properties

identifying potential causes of structural failure

demonstrating appropriate cleaning procedures to enable structure inspection

demonstrating correct inspection procedures, in particular pressurised aircraft, in accordance with aircraft and procedures manuals

performing aircraft mensuration and alignment checks

identifying damage to aircraft metallic (ferrous and non-ferrous) structures and/or components by way of:

impact

fatigue

corrosion

identifying the various forms of structural corrosion, stating the causes and structural effects of corrosion on aircraft

identifying composite materials used in aircraft construction, associated safety precautions and hazards

inspecting damage and assessing composite components/structures for:

impact damage

fatigue.

The underlying skills inherent in this unit should be transferable across a range of structural inspections associated with aircraft maintenance. It is essential that the procedures take into account all aircraft and personal safety precautions relating to aircraft structure.

Evidence is required of the ability to interpret and apply aircraft structural inspection requirements. This may be demonstrated through application across a range of structural components and materials. Ability to interpret inspection procedures and specifications (allowable limits) and apply them in practice is critical. The application of the procedures should also clearly indicate knowledge of structural flight loads.

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

aircraft construction principles

structural component attachment methods

describing the construction methods used in:

fuselage sections

wing sections

engine nacelles and mounts

windows and window frames

doors, locks and access panels in pressurised and unpressurised aircraft

defining of structural terms, i.e. safe life, damage tolerant, failsafe, stress, strain, shear and cycles

inspection requirements for metal and composite structure, including:

ageing aircraft inspection requirements

safe life structure

damage tolerant structure

fail safe structure

procedures and methodology for performing aircraft mensuration and alignment checks

describing NDT methods and application of the various techniques

describing construction methods of, and assessing common defects in, aircraft plastic transparencies

describing basic constructional features of, and assessing common defects in, glass windscreens

defining the terms associated with composite materials

WHS procedures

relevant PPE

how to obtain MSDS.

Competency should be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace using tools and equipment specified in maintenance documentation. It is also expected that general-purpose tools and test equipment found in most routine situations would be used where appropriate.

The following conditions of assessment represent the requirements of the Regulators (ADF and CASA) and maintenance stakeholders and must be rigorously observed.

A person cannot be assessed as competent until it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the workplace assessor that the relevant elements and performance criteria of the unit of competency are being achieved under routine supervision on at least one (1) task from each of the following groups:

preparation for non-destructive testing (NDT) (access to relevant structural zones and components)

inspection of:

non-ferrous and ferrous alloys and composite (FRP) materials used in aircraft construction

structural fastening and attachment hardware and/or devices

seals and sealants

glass and moulded plastics

application of NDT techniques

doors, hinges and locking mechanisms for damage/misalignment

inspections applicable to each of safe life, damage tolerant and fail safe structure relevant to enterprise

ageing aircraft inspection programs.

This shall be established via the records in the Log of Industrial Experience and Achievement or, where appropriate, an equivalent Industry Evidence Guide (for details refer to the Companion Volume Assessment Guidelines).

Assessors must satisfy the requirements of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Australian Skills Quality Authority, or its successors).

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Aviation maintenance