Fully qualified Avionics Technician however want Part 66 B2 licence, any help?

[BeerCall88]

Hi all,...if any...

I am an Avionics Technician in the RAF and I plan to work on large aircraft, say Boeing 747 at Cardiff Airport however I don't plan to use agency work as a stepping stone as I need a bit more job security thus the more appealing I am to British Airways etc, the more money and likely to get hired.

Therefore I would like my B2 Licence, I'm wondering if there is anyone out there that has been in the same position as me and may perhaps be able to offer some advice and the process? costs....direction etc.

I have found that I can do the theory side of the B2 licence for around £2000 by self learning and sitting exams that is with a company based in Manchester called resource group, however as for the practical side I am unsure. does my current experience qualify?

any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Jay

[spannersatcx]

CAA guidance

[BeerCall88]

thanks for your reply,

I clicked your link and realised I have already been on that page. I have many unanswered questions that the page doesn't really resolve for me for example if I need to have 5 or 3 years practical experience as ive seen on some forums I may need five however I have an nvq level 3 in avionics, so surely that puts me in the 3 year category?

really any info/advice from people who've been in my position can give to get me on the right path to the career I'm after.

cheers,

Jay

[woptb]

Jay,
Did this many years ago, but the rules have since changed ; Try airmech , there are more ex-mil engineers who've gone down the civil route that post there.
Good luck mate.

[lowfat]

The regulator (CAA) while it does accredit your experience As a skilled worker and reduce your training time it does not recognise your qualifications.
Therefore you have to do all the exams, multi guess and written.
Your military log book is next to useless unless you are working under part 145
not military regs. I.E shawbury .
resource at kemble is popular 147 training school and you can use your learning credits.

[BeerCall88]

woptb - thanks for the advice ill put something up on airmech as well.

lowfat - Thanks for your reply this is the kind of info I need.

as for the modular exams I'm aware I'm not exempt from the theory when I was referring to my qualifications that was purely to determine which category I fall in for practical experience, whether i will only need 3 or 5 based on :

-5 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft if the applicant has no previous relevant technical training.
-3 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft and completion of training considered relevant by the competent authority as a skilled worker, in a technical trade;

Also you mentioned a log book. to clarify are you saying that if I was to work on fast jet/large aircraft in the raf that experiounce would not count to wards the practical maintenance aspect of the licence?

for example if i was posted to work on Hercules for the next 3 years whilst i did the theory side of the licence (modules) that experience would not count?

cheers,

Jay

[lowfat]

I had 10 years on VC10 RAF... it counts for nothing..

It needs to be under part 145 regs The new voyager for example.

COMR civil owned military registration..

Hercules is not even a European civil aircraft....

[BeerCall88]

so to conclude, in order to stand any chance of getting my practical experience whilst in the RAF that the CAA want for the B2 licence I would have to be posted to A400/Voyager etc other wise I'm nackered?

Cheers,

Jay

[Capot]

Resource at Kemble is a Part 147 establishment, and you can sit the Part 66 Module exams there. They also offer short intensive courses for each Module, ending with the exam, set by them. This dubious but legal practice is under the EASA spotlight, and may well come to an end, but only at EASA's sclerotic pace, so it would be good to use it if you can. You would find most of the Modules a doddle, after your training and experience.

They will be very familiar with people in your position, and at least one of their more senior staff is ex-RAF. As I understand it, your RAF experience may be credited to the work experience requirement regardless of what it was on, ie can probably reduce it by a negotiable amount, and they would know how to go about fixing that. I may be wrong, but a chat with them would cost nothing.

BTW, I have no connection! If you do deal with them, make sure you get what you want, no less and no more; beware sales pressure.

PS I have no idea why PPRuNe is putting an unhappy face on this post!

PPS I just looked at their website, and found their short intensive courses; click on "Book Now" for the B2 course, and you'll get to the page with their prices for the short Module courses rather than the whole lot together. Or just click here.

[BluFin]

Take your time a read part 66 and understand it, attention to 66.A.30(e)

[lowfat]

the minimum civil experience they allow for grant of the basic licence is 12 months for a skilled worker.
So you need 12 months of recorded civil work across the spectrum of your trade.Your military log book gates you the right of the reduced experience.

At the start of the caa log book is a list of skills and tasks which you can get signed off as you go like crimping and such like.
I completed these and with my workpack of experience had no issues.
I know of several X military guys who didn't bother with the tasks in the log books who then had to go and take training at a part 147 establishment to satisfy the CAA inspector issuing the licence.

[BluFin]

Not Quite,

12 months in addition to the acceptable submitted previous experience as accepted by the authority. A proportion of the previous work would not be acceptable as its not IAW the Annex.

[lowfat]

read it again blu fin..
thats what it says