**Executive Summary**
This document proposes amendments to CAR Section II Series F Part XIII, which outlines the airworthiness requirements for gliders. The changes include updates to inspection procedures, limitations on glider usage based on age and service history, and clarification of certification processes. Requirements are applicable to gliders due for annual inspection after 31-10-70, with valid Certificates of Airworthiness required for all gliders after 31-10-71.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Applicability and Definitions:**
* The CAR lays down the requirements for the issue/renewal of Certificate of Airworthiness, the issue/extension of ARC for Gliders, and the maintenance of gliders in an airworthy condition.
* Defines terms like "Glider component", "Major damage", "Major defect", and "Certificate of compliance".
* **Conditions for Flight:**
* Gliders used for hire, training, or joy rides must possess a valid Certificate of Airworthiness.
* **Issue and Validity of Certificate of Airworthiness:**
* Certificates are granted to gliders manufactured in the country with a valid type certificate or manufactured abroad with acceptable standards.
* The application for the issue of Certificate of Airworthiness should be made to the DGCA Headquarters Regional Airworthiness Office.
* The Certificate of Airworthiness validity is normally 12 months. For gliders over 20 years old, the validity is restricted to 6 months. Gliders over 25 years cannot be renewed.
* Certificate of Airworthiness is suspended if inspections are not carried out, mandatory modifications are not completed, or modifications/repairs are not approved.
* **Instruments and Equipment:**
* Gliders must be equipped with specified minimum instruments (safety harness, airspeed indicator, altimeter, variometer, bank indicator) that are of approved type and in serviceable condition.
* **Renewal of Certificate:**
* Renewal of Certificate of Airworthiness is tied to satisfactory completion of stall/spin tests.
* For gliders where the loop test is not performed, the glider will not be cleared for such maneuvers.
* **Glider Components and Certification:**
* Components must be covered by a Release Note or equivalent and certified as serviceable by an approved organization.
* All gliders that require a valid C of A and ARC shall not be flown, unless it has been inspected and certified as safe for flight.
* **Weighment:**
* The Director General may require the glider to be weighed prior to issue/renewal of Certificate of Airworthiness/ ARC or at any time when it is considered necessary.
* **Maintenance and Records:**
* Operators must possess manufacturer's manuals and ensure they receive amendments.
* Repairs and overhauls must follow approved schemes.
* Detailed maintenance records, including component life limitations, must be maintained and preserved.
* Log books and records should be maintained until the glider is permanently withdrawn from use.
* **Department Inspections:**
* Operators must make gliders and components available for inspection by the Regional Airworthiness Office DGCA.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Glider Operators/Organizations**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to new inspection schedules, limitations based on glider age, and revised certification procedures. They are responsible for maintaining gliders in an airworthy condition, using approved manuals, and keeping detailed records.
* **Action Required:** Review maintenance and inspection programs to align with the amended regulations. Ensure all gliders meet instrumentation and equipment requirements. Make gliders available for inspection.
**Stakeholder: Glider Maintenance Engineers**
* **Impact:** Responsible for inspecting and certifying gliders as safe for flight, following approved schedules. Their certifications are tied to specific inspection criteria and approved standards.
* **Action Required:** Stay informed on the new inspection procedures and certification requirements. Ensure certifications are issued according to the updated guidelines.
**Stakeholder: Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing and enforcing the amended airworthiness requirements. They have the authority to grant, suspend, or renew Certificates of Airworthiness.
* **Action Required:** Update internal processes and guidelines to reflect the amended regulations. Conduct inspections to ensure compliance.
**Stakeholder: Glider Pilots**
* **Impact:** Can only operate gliders with valid Certificate of Airworthiness, adhering to any maneuver restrictions.
* **Action Required:** Check log books to determine airworthiness.
Key Entities Referenced
Director General: Regulatory authority with oversight for airworthiness standards; approves certificates, inspections, and modifications related to gliders.
Civil Airworthiness Requirements (CAR) Section II Series F Part XIII: Document laying down the airworthiness requirements for gliders.
Certificate of Airworthiness: Official document validating a glider's airworthiness, essential for its operation.
Regional Airworthiness Office DGCA: Office responsible for inspections.
Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC): Review Certificate related to Airworthiness.
CAR Section II Series F Part XIII is proposed to be amended. The propose
amendments are shown in subsequent affected paragraphs.
The text of the amendment is arranged to show deleted text, new or amended text
as shown below:
(a) deleted text is marked with strikethrough;
(b) new or amended text is highlighted in grey;
(c) an ellipsis (…) indicates that the remaining text is unchanged in front of or
following the reflected amendment
SECTION 2 - AIRWORTHINESS
SERIES 'F' PART XIII
Subject : Airworthiness Requirements for Gliders.
1. Applicability :
1.1 This part CAR lays down the requirements for issue/renewal of Certificate of
Airworthiness and issue / extension of ARC for Gliders and for maintaining gliders in
continued state of airworthiness. The Operators/Organisations, engaged in
maintenance, overhaul, inspection, repair of gliders and glider components shall be
responsible for maintaining the gliders in airworthy condition.
2. Effectivity :
2.1 These requirements shall be applicable to all gliders stated in para 4 below, which will
be due for annual inspection in accordance with the current procedure after 31-10-70.
In any case, no glider required to possess a Certificate of Airworthiness in accordance
with Rule 15 of the Aircraft Rules, shall fly without a valid Certificate of Airworthiness
after 31-10-71.
3. Definition :
3.1 "Glider component" means any part, the soundness and correct functioning of which
when fitted to a glider is essential to the continued airworthiness or safety of the glider.
3.2 "Major damage" means any damage to a glider or glider component which may effect
the safety of the glider or the safety of persons on board.
3.3 "Major defect" means any fault, failure or malfunctioning of a glider or a glider
component, which may affect the safety of persons on board.
3.4 "Certificate of compliance" is a certification to the effect that all the work on the glider or
glider component has been performed in accordance with the requirements specified
by the Director General.
4. Condition for flight of a glider :
4.1 No glider let out for hire, for the purpose of being flown by the hirer or by any other
person (including gliders operated by the Gliding Clubs for imparting training or giving
joy rides) shall be flown unless it possesses a valid certificate of airworthiness.
5. Issue of Certificate of Airworthiness :
5.1 All gliders, manufactured in the country and possessing a valid type certificate, issued
by the Director General, or manufactured in a foreign country whose standards ofairworthiness are acceptable to the Director General, may be granted Certificate of
Airworthiness subject to such conditions as considered necessary. Applications for the
issue of Certificate of Airworthiness shall be made to the DGCA Headquarters
Regional Airworthiness Office, in appropriate forms, together with the requisite fee of
Rupees twenty five only.
Note 1:- In case there is appreciable lapse of time between the manufacture or storage after
the manufacture of a glider and the issue of the Certificate of Airworthiness for the
same, the glider shall be subjected to a thorough inspection even if it was subjected
to such an inspection earlier, so as to detect any deterioration of structure due to
storage before the issue of the Certificate of Airworthiness.
Note 2. All wooden gliders can continue in service upto 25 years TSN provided that they
have been subjected to a satisfactory 20 years inspection schedule. Certificate of
Airworthiness shall not be issued for a wooden glider having an age more than 25
years.
6. Validity of C of A :
6.1 The Certificate of Airworthiness shall remain valid for a period not exceeding 12 months
as specified in CAR Section 2 Series ‘F’ Part III , unless withdrawn or suspended
earlier by the Director General, however, the Certificate of Airworthiness shall not be
valid renewed for a wooden glider having an age more than 25 years. For gliders
having an age more than 20 years, the C of A validity shall be restricted to six months.
6.2 However The Certificate of Airworthiness of a glider shall automatically stand deemed
to be suspended if;
(i) The glider is not inspected at approved intervals in accordance with approved
maintenance/overhaul schedules.
(ii) The mandatory modifications/inspection as required by the Director General are not
carried out, and
(iii)The modifications/repairs affecting airworthiness of the glider, not approved by the
makers or by the Director General, are carried out.
Note : Manoeuvering of gliders which have completed 20 years TSN shall be prohibited.
This is applicable to gliders which have been designed for Aerobatics also.
Accordingly, the Certificate of Airworthiness, Pilot Handbook shall be revised with
suitable placarding in the Cockpit.
7. Instruments and equipments :
7.1 Minimum
7.1 In order to qualify for the issue/renewal of a Certificate of Airworthiness / ARC, all
gliders shall be equipped with the following minimum instruments and equipment
which shall be of approved type and in a serviceable condition at all times:-
(i) Safety Harness for each occupant
(ii) Air Speed Indicator
(iii) Altimeter
(iv) Variometer
(v) Bank Indicatorand such other additional instruments and equipments as may be specified in the type
certificate. The Director General may require installation of additional instrument/items of
equipment under certain circumstances from time to time.
7.2 Overhaul periods.
7.2.1 The instruments and equipment shall be maintained in an airworthy serviceable
condition and overhauled in accordance with the approved maintenance programme.
procedures in CAR Series 'I' Part I.
8. Renewal of certificate of airworthinessI Issue / extension of ARC:
8.1 The Director General may issue / extend Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC renew
the C of A in respect of a glider for a maximum period of 12 months after such
inspection and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed. Application for the
issue / extension of ARC renewal of Certificate of Airworthiness should be made to
the Regional Airworthiness Office in an appropriate form together with the requisite
fees prescribed in Aircraft Rule, 62. For gliders having an age more than 20 years, the
ARC validity shall be restricted to six months
8.2 The C of A ARC of the gliders should not be issued / extended renewed unless
stall/spin test are satisfactorily carried out during C of A renewal test flights. Cases
may arise where due to non attainment of sufficient height during course of test flight,
the loop test, as required in respect of certain gliders, may not be performed.
Considering that "loop maneuvers" are deliberate and are not carried out during
normal flight, ARC C of A under such circumstances will be issued / extended
renewed, but the glider will not be cleared for such maneuvers till this exercise is
satisfactorily completed by a test pilot. For this purpose a suitable placard prohibiting
such maneuvers shall be affixed on the instrument panel in clear view of the pilot.
9. Glider components, spares parts and materials used on a glider :
9.1 Glider components/spare parts and materials used thereon shall be :-
(i) covered by a Release Note or equivalent document acceptable to the Director
General.
(ii) manufactured or repaired/overhauled, inspected and certified as serviceable by an
approved organisation or persons appropriately licensed or authorised by the
Director General.
10. Certification:
10.1 No Glider which required to hold a valid C of A and ARC shall not be flown (except for
a test flight) unless during the preceding 24 hours it has been inspected in accordance
with the approved schedule and certified as safe for flight. The certificate shall be in
the form given at appendix 'A' to this CAR and shall be issued by an appropriately
licensed Glider Maintenance Engineer or a person approved authorised by the
Director General or by the maintenance organisation for this purpose in accordance
with the procedure laid down in the organisation exposition/ manual. Civil
Airworthiness requirement Section 2 Series 'L' Part III.
10.2 The 'Certificate of Safety' shall be made in duplicate. One copy shall be handed over to
the pilot and the other shall be retained by the operator for a period of one month
unless the flight to which it relates ends in an accident, when such a certificate shall be
retained as required by the competent authority investigating the accident.
11. Weighment:(a) The Director General may require the glider to be weighed prior to issue/renewal of
Certificate of Airworthiness/ ARC or at any time when it is considered necessary.
(b) Empty weight, all-up-weight,C.G. position corresponding to empty weight and the
permissible C.G. range shall be displayed in the cockpit of all gliders.
12. Placards indicating the permissible manoeuvres, speed limitations and such other
information as required by the type certificate or by the Director General shall be
installed in the cockpit of the glider in a manner that the same can be clearly seen by
the pilot whilst sitting in the cockpit.
13. Service documents, manuals, repair schemes etc:
(i) Operators/organisations shall not undertake maintenance/overhaul of gliders unless they
have in their possession the manufacturer's manuals and have made arrangements for
receiving amendments thereto. They shall ensure that Service Documents issued by the
Manufacturers from time to time are received by them.
(ii) Repairs, modifications and overhaul of gliders and glider components shall be performed
in accordance with the approved drawings/repair schemes, and overhaul instruments
issued by the manufacturers. In certain cases the Director General may accept repairs
carried out conforming to standard aeronautical practices.
(iii) Maker's service bulletins/instructions shall be deemed to have prior approval of the
Director General unless otherwise notified by him.
(iv) Repairs/modifications not covered by maker's documents and affecting airworthiness of
the gliders shall require prior approval of the Director General.
(v) Compliance of Service bulletins/instructions, mandatory inspections/modifications, issued
by the makers or by the Director General, will be governed by the CAR Series 'M' Part I.
14. Test flights :
14.1 Test flight where necessary shall be carried out prior to issuance of Maintenance
Release in accordance with the requirements laid down in the Civil Airworthiness
Requirements, Series 'T'.
15. Tools and equipment :
15.1 Operators/Organisations shall use the tools and equipment as recommended by the
manufacturers during maintenance/overhaul of gliders.
16. Maintenance/overhaul records :
16.1 Records of all inspections, overhauls, replacements, repairs, modifications and test
flights shall be maintained in appropriate log book. The log may, however, contain brief
information, but full details shall be given in the work/procedure sheets. Reference of
work/procedure sheets shall be given in the log book.
16.2 The record shall include full information of total time in service and time since last
overhaul of all major components which have life limitations. This shall be in terms of
number of launches executed. Similar records in respect of components whose life is
governed by calendar periods shall also be maintained. With a view to making the
identification of materials and glider components possible, suitable entries shall be
made with reference to applicable incoming Release Note or equivalent certification
document.
16.3 The records shall be preserved for the following periods :-((ia) Glider log book Until such time as the glider is permanently withdrawn
(ii) Procedure/worksheets from use and its Certificate of Registration is cancelled by
pertaining to Glider the Director General provided that in the case of a glider
meeting with an accident resulting in damage beyond
economical repair, the glider log book and associated
work sheets shall be preserved for a period of two years
after the date of the accident or subject to such periods
as required by the competent authority investigating the
accident.
(b Records, including Until one year after the components permanently
work/procedure withdrawn from use.
sheets, forfor all
components subject
to life limitations.
17. Department inspections Oversight:
17.1 Operators/organisations shall make a glider, glider components and item of equipment
available for inspection by to an officer of the Regional Airworthiness Office DGCA as
and when considered necessary by him required.
Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation
APPENDIX 'A'CERTIFICATE OF SAFETY FOR FLIGHT
Operator's Name _________________________________________________
Glider Type.......................... Regn. Mark VTI
hereby certify that I have this day inspected the above glider including its instruments and
equipment and that I am satisfied that it is safe in every way for flight, provided the conditions of
loading specified in the Certificate of Airworthiness are complied with.
Signatures_____________________
Name __________________________
Authority/Licence No............
Place of Issue :___________________________
Time and Date of issue :__________________