COPA has been meeting with Transport Canada Civil Aviation official to discuss exempting small piston aircraft from calendar-based overhauls of variable pitch propellers.

On Nov. 21 2017, COPA submitted an exemption request to Standards 625 Appendix C item 5 to state that “No hard time, including calendar time, for the overhaul of variable pitch propellers need be observed in the case of small aircraft with reciprocating engines in non-commercial private operation.”

Following our 10-year prop overhaul exemption request submitted Nov. 21 2017, TCCA has come back to us with preliminary discussion items explaining the actual regulatory position. On April 18, COPA met with TCCA to discuss these items but also how to move ahead on this file, where we can work collaboratively and address our concerns while maintaining an acceptable level of safety.

Over the coming months, TCCA will be looking at finding supporting fact-based evidence, talking to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as investigating what, in the 12-month inspections, can be done to see trends or indications of possible failure. This situation and request will also be brought by TCCA and COPA to the table of the “Maintenance” Work Group of the General Aviation Safety Campaign (GASC) group, for discussion and exploration and possible input to help in the assessment. Information coming out of our work may also result in applicable changes to Appendix C pertaining to the overhaul exemption request.

TC has the information on hand to know how many aircraft would be targeted by this exemption request.The request will be treated in a fashion similar to one coming from a group of operators asking for a specific exemption.

The ultimate goal sought by this work is to alleviate the financial burden imposed by a fixed calendar time on aircraft owners, many of them COPA members, while maintaining the equivalent level of safety the actual regulations provide. COPA is pursuing the work on your behalf, with TCCA. Be assured that we will keep you updated on the developments.