services
There is an old joke in aviation that a plane can only fly when the weight of its paperwork equals the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft. As with all humour, it is the grain of truth that makes it funny. Without the requisite certifications and documentation, your pride and joy is merely a pile of spare parts that are stacked in an eye-catching manner.
That's where we come in.
We specialise in airworthiness certification for Australian aircraft of either local or foreign manufacture. This involves the processing and issuing of Australian Certificates of Airworthiness and associated legal documents under authorities granted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), a regulatory branch of the Australian Government.
Certificate of Airworthiness
All Australian registered aircraft are required to possess a Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) before they can fly in normal operations. This is issued either upon the aircraft's arrival in Australia, as it is manufactured, or prior to importation. In certain circumstances such as a lapsed, cancelled or varied Certificate, they have to be reissued while the aircraft is on the Australian Register.
Export Certificate of Airworthiness
When an aircraft is exported from Australia, in many cases, the country that the aircraft is going to will require an Export Certificate of Airworthiness (Export C of A) as a statement that the aircraft meets the Australian standards for issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness, as well as the notified differences in certification that the country has lodged with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Special Flight Permit
An aircraft which is on the Australian register that does not meet the requirements for flight as laid down in the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) may be allowed to operate on a limited basis under a Special Flight Permit. One example of this is to allow an Australian registered aircraft to be flown to Australia on a ferry flight where it is to undergo inspection for the issue of an Australian Certificate of Airworthiness.
Maintenance Release
When an aircraft is certified overseas, it needs to have a Maintenance Release issued to it before it can fly - this can't be done automatically under maintenance shop approvals granted by a foreign government.
All of these functions can be carried out in-house by Paper Planes on fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and manned free balloons. The links will take you to the relevant sections for more details on what we can do.
Additional Services
We also offer a range of additional services as required in support of aircraft certification and maintenance planning. We can conduct logbook searches, organise ageing aircraft clearance submissions and offer advice on compliance with Australian and International requirements. Where we cannot carry out a particular function in-house, we can use our extensive network of contacts in the Australian aviation industry to help you find the right people for the job.