Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 131 /Thursday, July 9, 1998 / Notices 37211

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Proposed Advisory Circulars: 66–XX,

Part 66—The New Certification

Regulations for Aviation Maintenance

Personnel; 66–XX, Recurrent Training

for Aviation Maintenance Personnel,

and 66–XX, Approval of Aviation

Maintenance Technician (Transport)

Training Program Providers

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of

proposed advisory circulars (ACs) and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

availability of and requests comments

on the following proposed ACs: 66–XX,

Part 66—The New Certification

Regulations for Aviation Maintenance

Personnel; 66–XX, Recurrent Training

for Aviation Maintenance Personnel,

and 66–XX, Approval of Aviation

Maintenance Technician (Transport)

Training Program Providers. The FAA

recently has issued a Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking (NPRM) titled Revision of

Certification Requirements: Mechanics

and Repairmen, published elsewhere in

this separate part of the Federal

Register. That NPRM would propose the

addition of part 66 of Title 14, Code of

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) and make

significant revisions to the certification

and training requirements for aviation

maintenance personnel. The proposed

ACs would explain the changes

proposed in the NPRM, provide

guidance on complying with the

recurrent training provisions of

proposed part 66, and provide

information to organizations seeking

approval as aviation maintenance

technician (transport) (AMT(T)) training

providers.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before November 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments on the

proposed ACs to: Federal Aviation

Administration, Continuous

Airworthiness Maintenance Division

(AFS–300), Flight Standards Service,

Federal Aviation Administration, 800

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20591. Comments may

be examined at the above address

between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on

weekdays, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leslie K. Vipond, AFS–350, Continuous

Airworthiness Maintenance Division,

Flight Standards Service, Federal

Aviation Administration, 800

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202)

267–3269.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

A copy of each draft AC may be

obtained by contracting the person

named above under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. Interested

persons are invited to comment on the

proposed ACs by submitting such

written data, views, or arguments as

they may desire. Commenters should

identify the AC to which comment is

being made and submit comments in

duplicate to the address specified above.

By separate document published

elsewhere in this separate part of the

Federal Register, the FAA also is

inviting interested persons to comment

on the NPRM titled Revision of

Certification Requirements: Mechanics

and Repairmen. The FAA will consider

comments on this notice and on the

NPRM in deciding the final action of

each. All communications received on

or before the closing date for comments

will be considered by the FAA before

issuing the final ACs.

Discussion

Current regulations prescribing the

certification and training requirements

for aviation maintenance personnel do

not reflect the significant technological

advances that have occurred in the

aviation industry, the extensive

differences in maintenance skills

required of currently certificated

personnel, and recent enhancements in

training and instructional methods. To

ensure the regulations governing

aviation maintenance personnel remain

consistent with changes in the aviation

environment, the FAA has conducted a

multiphase review of the certification

and training requirements that pertain

to mechanics and repairmen. A

complete regulatory review of the

certification requirements for these

airmen has not been accomplished since

the recodification of the Civil Air

Regulations into the Federal Aviation

Regulations on August 10, 1962.

Elsewhere in this separate part of the

Federal Register, the FAA has issued

the NPRM titled Revision of

Certification Requirements: Mechanics

and Repairmen. The proposed rule

would consolidate and clarify all

certification, training, and experience

requirements for aviation maintenance

personnel in a newly established 14

CFR part 66. The proposed rule would

create additional certificates and ratings

and would modify the privileges and

limitations of current certificates to

respond more closely to the

responsibilities of aviation maintenance

personnel. In addition, the proposal

would establish new training

requirements that would enhance the

technical capabilities of an increase the

level of professionalism among aviation

maintenance personnel. Further, the

proposal would provide the FAA with

essential demographic information that

could be used to disseminate vital

aviation safety and training information,

thereby enhancing aviation safety. All of

the proposals in the NPRM were

extensively researched for the FAA by

the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory

Committee (ARAC) Part 65 Working

Group and based on the ARCA’s

recommendations.

To provide the public with additional

guidance on complying with the

proposed requirements, the FAA has

drafted three ACs. AC 66–XX, Part 66—

The New Certification Regulations for

Aviation Maintenance personnel,

discusses the new certification and

training requirements in a question-andanswer format. AC 66–XX, Recurrent

Training for Aviation Maintenance

Personnel, provides guidance to

aviation maintenance personnel

concerning the fulfillment of recurrent

training requirements proposed for

holders of aviation maintenance

technician (AMT) and AMT(T)

certificates who exercise the privileges

of their certificates for compensation or

hire and do not participate in

maintenance and preventive

maintenance training programs

regulated by 14 CFR part 121, 135, or

145, AC 66–XX, Approval of Aviation

Maintenance Technician (Transport)

Training Program Providers, furnishes

guidance to assist persons in obtaining

FAA approval as AMT(T) training

program providers.

The proposed ACs would become

effective only after a final rule revising

the certification requirements for

mechanics and repairmen becomes

effective.

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 26,

1998.

Ava L. Mims,

Acting Director, Flight Standards Service.

[FR Doc. 98–17591 Filed 7–8–98; 8:45 am]

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