EASA Part-66 On-the-Job Training (OJT)
The practical-experience step required for your first aircraft type rating — point 66.A.45(c)
This page reproduces Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, Annex III (Part-66), point 66.A.45(c) and Appendix III (Section 6), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/989. View the regulation.
What OJT is & when you need it
On-the-Job Training (OJT) is a structured period of supervised, real maintenance work on the actual aircraft type — the hands-on experience that turns type-course theory into the competence to certify safe maintenance.
Under EASA Part-66, OJT is required for the endorsement of your first aircraft type rating within a given category or subcategory (for every category except C). It sits on top of the theoretical and practical type training, and only the first type rating needs it — later type ratings in the same category need less.
Step 1
Theoretical training & exam
Approved type-training course theory, with the type examination.
Step 2
Practical training
Practical elements of the type course, assessed to the required standard.
Step 3
On-the-Job Training
Supervised real tasks on the aircraft — required for the first type rating.
Result: your first aircraft type rating is endorsed on your Part-66 licence.
How EASA OJT works (Appendix III, Section 6)
The building blocks of a compliant OJT programme. Items tagged AMC/GM are recommended means of compliance (guidance); items tagged Rule are the regulation itself.
| Requirement | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who approves it | The competent authority that issued your licence approves the OJT programme. | Rule |
| Where it is done | At and under the control of an appropriately approved maintenance organisation (Part-145, or MA Subpart F / Part-CAO) holding an A rating for that aircraft type. The organisation writes its OJT procedure into its exposition — MOE Chapter 3.15. | Rule |
| Supervision | One-to-one supervision, performing real maintenance tasks on the aircraft or its components — covering line and/or base maintenance. | AMC/GM |
| No simulators | OJT must be actual work on actual aircraft or components; simulators are not accepted for OJT. | AMC/GM |
| Task coverage | At least 50% of the tasks in Appendix II to the AMC to Part-66, with some tasks drawn from each paragraph, selected for the aircraft type and licence (sub)category. (It is not necessary to complete exactly 50% of every ATA chapter — 50% is the overall list-coverage target.) | AMC/GM |
| Sequencing vs theory | Up to 50% of the OJT may be undertaken before the theoretical type-training course begins; the remainder alongside or after it. | AMC/GM |
| Time window | The OJT must be started and completed within the 3 years preceding the application for the type-rating endorsement. | Rule |
| Records & sign-off | Each task is logged and countersigned by a designated supervisor. A mandatory final assessment is performed by a designated assessor, evidenced by detailed worksheets/logbook plus a compliance report to the authority. | Rule |
The objective, in the regulation's own words, is “to gain the required competence and experience in performing safe maintenance”.
Getting ready for type training
OJT is where you prove hands-on competence — but the type course and its examination test how well you know the aircraft's systems first. While you work through type training, our aircraft type-rating practice tests help you master the ATA-chapter systems knowledge the type exam is built on, so you walk onto the aircraft for OJT already fluent in how it works.
Prepare for type training with our type-rating question banks
Thousands of practice questions per aircraft type, organised by ATA chapter with the correct answer marked — ideal alongside your type course and OJT.
OJT around the world
Nearly every Part-66-lineage authority requires OJT for the first aircraft type rating — usually in near-identical wording. Here is how the regulators we compare elsewhere on the site line up.
| Authority | OJT for first type? | Rule reference | vs EASA |
|---|---|---|---|
| EASA | Yes — all categories except C | 66.A.45(c) + Appendix III | — baseline — |
| UK CAA | Yes | Retained Reg (EU) 1321/2014, 66.A.45(c) + App III | Near-identical (reads ‘the CAA’) |
| CASA (Australia) | Yes (first rating, B1/B2) | CASR Part 66 MOS; AC 66-07 | Aligned; adds PCT / POC / SOE pathways |
| UAE GCAA | Yes (termed ‘OJE’) | CAR-66 66.45(c) + Appendix III | Mirrors EASA; less numeric detail published |
| Qatar CAA | Yes | QCAR 1003/2006, Annex III (Part-66) | Near-verbatim EASA copy |
| CAAS (Singapore) | Yes | SAR-66.45(d) / AMC 66.45(d); AC 66-2 | Near-clone; approved SOE/OJT programme |
| HK CAD | Yes (first type only) | HKAR 66.45(c) + Appendix III | Direct JAR-66 / Part-66 transposition |
| DGCA (India) | Yes — except C | CAR-66 Issue III (2024), 66.A.45(c) | Newly harmonised with Part-66 |
| FAA (USA) | No equivalent | 14 CFR 65.77; 145.163 / 121.375 | A&P has no type rating — type competence via employer training |
Why the FAA (USA) is different
The US A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) mechanic certificate carries no aircraft type rating, so there is no “first type rating” and no OJT gate tied to one. An A&P is certified broadly by experience (14 CFR 65.77), then made competent on a specific aircraft through the employer's or repair station's FAA-approved training programme (14 CFR 145.163 / 121.375 / 135.433) and manufacturer courses. The competence bar is real — it is just reached outside the certificate rather than as a licensed type endorsement.
UAE GCAA — “OJE” instead of “OJT”
The UAE GCAA requires the same thing but calls it On-the-Job Experience (OJE) in CAR-66. Its rule text mandates GCAA-approved OJE for the first type rating, in an appropriately approved organisation, with per-task countersignature, a 3-year window and a final assessment — but it publishes less numeric detail than EASA (it uses “a cross section of tasks acceptable to the GCAA” rather than the explicit ≥50% figure).
India (DGCA) — recently harmonised
India moved its AME licensing onto an EASA-aligned footing with CAR-66 Issue III, dated 12 April 2024, which adopts point 66.A.45(c) and Appendix III and now explicitly requires OJT for the first type rating (all categories except C). Because it is a recent change, confirm current DGCA requirements — the transition arrangements for legacy licence holders are not fully published.
The ≥50%, one-to-one supervision and no-simulator figures are AMC/GM guidance in each system; Hong Kong applies 50% / 30% / 20% for the first / second / subsequent type of a manufacturer group. No form or regulation numbers here are invented — each is drawn from the named authority's published text.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need OJT for every aircraft type rating?
Does OJT apply to a Category C licence?
Can I start OJT before my theoretical type course?
Where must OJT be carried out?
How long do I have to complete the OJT?
Who signs off the OJT?
Is OJT the same outside the EU?
Free download
How to Become a Licensed Aircraft Engineer
The complete EASA Part-66 handbook — licence categories, all 17 modules, exam format and pass marks, experience and OJT, the rules in 11 countries, type ratings and continuation training. Includes 255 practice questions with explanations. 2026 Edition, PDF.
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