Becoming a BGA Inspector
BGA inspectors form an important part of club and private owner aircraft maintenance support. Maintenance standards are a crucially important part of safety management. The requirements for becoming a BGA inspector are essentially unchanged from the past. The mix of experience available within a gliding environment coupled with self-study can provide the necessary background. You can read more about becoming a BGA inspector here.
Since 2020, there has been a UK legal requirement for BGA inspectors to hold a Part66L licence with appropriate privileges to sign a certificate of release to service on a Part 21 sailplane/powered sailplane/TMG. New applicants for a Part66L licence need to pass a set of exams. These exams, like those for a PPL, are provided online by the CAA. The BGA has proposed a solution to CAA and DfT regarding known problems with the CAA’s Part66L e-exams. The proposal is being considered.
Meanwhile, The BGA recommends that those interested in getting involved in maintenance continue to build their experience. A great starting point is helping the club glider maintenance team, getting into ‘Pilot/Owner’ maintenance, attending BGA CTO Gordon MacDonald’s seminars….and reading/studying the unavoidable theory detail needed for the Part66L licence. Click here for more information regarding the Part66L licence and theory detail.