Engine Running
 

Just wondered if you had to be a licensed Engineer to carry out Ground Runs?

Unless you're a pilot with a licence on type...

...or the aircraft isn't a civilian one :)

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Through difficulties to the cinema

Who can carry out an engine run is a company decision. As far as I'm aware, in the UK at least, there is no specific legislation that prohibits unlicensed company personal from engine running any aircraft.


Regards


The Doc

I cannot imagine any company allowing a unlicensed engineer to run engines (low pwr included) without a valid licence and approval on type!

Anybody is allowed to run an APU though!!!

In the old day's of the 747 classic a lot of time given to ensure the guy's knew what they should be looking for on APU start etc, does that still happen??

What's the industry norm with respect of how many people on the eng gnd run have to hold the approval?

I'm 100% sure at least one UK company allows unlicensed engineers to run aircraft. As I said before, there is no legislation in place to make this practice illegal. Given the appropriate training I personally don't believe this to be an unsafe practice.

Regards


The Doc

Running an engine, same as an APU or taxiing is granted under a company approval and not an authorisation . Authorisations are required for a CRS. Each company quality department will have guidelines regarding training prior to issue of approvals{or should have]. The thing is in the day and age of the jar 145 org it is unusual i suppose to have unlicenced guys working on the line.

But surely you MUST have approval on type of engines to be run?

Our company, you must be licenced and authorised on type (including the engine type) to carry out engine runs. There must be 1 other person conversant with the procedures in the flt. deck.
B2 licence holders can also carry out eng. runs but at grd idle only.
747 classic must have at least 2 licenced and authorised personnel.

I only have Full Airframe Auth/Approval and can run the Engines on low power upto Min/Flt Idle, and not Taxi the A/C. A person with Full engine licence/approval can run at max power and Taxi the A/C, once checked out by the Base training captain and approved by QM.
You have to have a min two qualified personnal on the flt deck to do this.
I don't believe un-licenced personnel can Run engines, although they can operate the APU.

This is of course all in the ideal world ( ;) ).

I'm an Avionics licenced chap and in our company i'm allowed to run all the types I hold to ground idle (after a 2 day engine run course). 2 in the flight deck at all times during the run and no unlicenced eng's are allowed to run engines.
APU's are a different matter, anyone with approval on type can run APU's in our company and as all the types we have now are glass cockpit you can't monitor the APU until it's up and running if there's no ground power. Once it's started they all have auto shutdown and no requirement for constant monitoring.
From what i've heard BA at Gatwick allow properly trained Eng/AF eng's to taxi when required??

In Australia you must hold an Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Licence with a Type rating for the engine,some airlines further restrict this by only allowing supervisory LAMES to do this.

Correct - you must have a medical and taxi/radio training.

ground runs on A/C engines
 

As I see it that is a pretty generic question. Do you need a licence to run an engine.

On large turbine powered machines you probably need company approval. How you get that is their game.

Please remember you airline type guys that there are probably about 5000 or more different types of powered aircraft out there and NO you don't need a licence to run them.

Coleface

I think that about finally answers this question!

Merry Xmas and a happy New Year to all other aircraft engineers around the world. (oh and everybody else to) :p

The Doc