EASA Part66 Experience Requirements
Practical maintenance experience required for an initial Part66 aircraft maintenance licence — point 66.A.30
Text on this page reproduces Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/989, point 66.A.30. View full regulation.
Experience requirements at a glance
Three routes to the required experience, depending on your prior training. The shorter routes apply only if the prior training is recognised by the competent authority.
| Licence category | No previous technical training | Skilled-worker route | Part-147 graduate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, B1.2, B1.4, B3 | 3 years | 2 years | 1 year |
| B2, B1.1, B1.3 | 5 years | 3 years | 2 years |
| B2L | 3 years | 2 years | 1 year |
| L (sailplane / balloon) | 2 years | — | — (1 year with limited licence per 66.A.45(h)(ii)(3)) |
For licence extensions (adding a category to one you already hold), the matrix is in months — see Licence Extension.
Full requirements (point 66.A.30)
(a) An applicant for an aircraft maintenance licence shall have acquired:
1. For category A, subcategories B1.2 and B1.4 and category B3:
- 3 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft, if the applicant has no previous relevant technical training; or
- 2 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft and completion of training considered relevant by the competent authority as a skilled worker, in a technical trade; or
- 1 year of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft and completion of a basic training course approved in accordance with Annex IV (Part-147).
2. For category B2 and subcategories B1.1 and B1.3:
- 5 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft if the applicant has no previous relevant technical training; or
- 3 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft and completion of training considered relevant by the competent authority as a skilled worker, in a technical trade; or
- 2 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft and completion of a basic training course approved in accordance with Annex IV (Part-147).
2a. For category B2L:
- 3 years of practical maintenance experience in operating aircraft, covering the corresponding system rating(s), if the applicant has no previous relevant technical training; or
- 2 years of practical maintenance experience in operating aircraft, covering the corresponding system rating(s), and completion of training considered relevant by the competent authority as a skilled worker in a technical trade; or
- 1 year of practical maintenance experience in operating aircraft, covering the corresponding system rating(s), and completion of a Part-147 approved basic training course. For the addition of new system rating(s) to an existing B2L licence, 3 months of practical maintenance experience relevant to the new system rating(s) shall be required for each system rating added.
2b. For category L (sailplane / balloon / non-pressurised single-piston ≤ 1 200 kg) — show details
- 2 years of practical maintenance experience in operating aircraft covering a representative cross section of maintenance activities in the corresponding subcategory;
- as a derogation from point (i), 1 year of practical maintenance experience in operating aircraft covering a representative cross section of maintenance activities in the corresponding subcategory, subject to the introduction of the limitation provided for in point 66.A.45(h)(ii)(3).
3. For category C with respect to complex motor-powered aircraft (CMPA):
- 3 years of experience exercising B1.1, B1.3 or B2 privileges as support staff (or both support staff and certifying staff), per point 145.A.35, at a maintenance organisation working on CMPA, including 12 months as base maintenance support staff; or
- 5 years of equivalent experience exercising B1.2, B1.4 or L5 privileges; or
- for applicants holding an academic degree, 3 years of experience in an aircraft maintenance environment on a representative selection of tasks directly associated with aircraft maintenance, including 6 months of base maintenance participation on operating CMPA;
-
to extend an endorsed category C (non-CMPA) to CMPA:
- (a) 2 years of experience exercising B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B1.4, B2 or L5 privileges as support staff (or support + certifying), per 145.A.35, in CMPA, including 6 months base maintenance support; or
- (b) when holding C based on an academic degree, 2 years in an aircraft maintenance environment on representative tasks on operating CMPA, including 3 months base maintenance participation.
4. For category C with respect to other than CMPA:
- 3 years of experience exercising B1, B2, B2L, B3 or L privileges as support staff (or support + certifying), per 145.A.35, at a maintenance organisation in operating other than CMPA, including 6 months as base maintenance support staff; or
- for holders of an academic degree, 3 years of experience in an aircraft maintenance environment on a representative selection of tasks directly associated with aircraft maintenance, including 6 months of base maintenance participation on operating other than CMPA.
5. The academic degree
shall be in a relevant technical discipline, issued by a university or other higher educational institution recognised by the competent authority.
(b) An applicant for an extension to an aircraft maintenance licence shall have a minimum civil aircraft maintenance experience requirement appropriate to the additional category or subcategory of licence applied for, as defined in Appendix IV.
(c) The experience shall be practical and involve a representative cross section of maintenance tasks on aircraft.
(d) At least 1 year of the required experience shall be recent maintenance experience on aircraft of the category/subcategory for which the initial licence is sought. For subsequent category/subcategory additions to an existing licence, the additional recent maintenance experience may be less than 1 year, but shall be at least 3 months. The required experience shall depend upon the difference between the licence category/subcategory held and applied for.
(e) Notwithstanding point (a), experience in aircraft maintenance gained in organisations not approved in accordance with Annexes II (Part-145) or Vd (Part-CAO) may be recognised when such maintenance is equivalent to that required by this Annex as established by the competent authority. However, demonstration of additional experience in organisations approved in accordance with Annexes II or Vd or under the supervision of independent certifying staff shall be required.
(f) Experience shall have been acquired within the 10 years preceding the application for an aircraft maintenance licence or the addition of a category or subcategory.
Category C — From / To summary (GM1 66.A.30(a))
A scannable summary of the Category C routes above, by what you currently hold.
| If you hold… | → C for CMPA | → C for other than CMPA |
|---|---|---|
| B1.1, B1.3, B2 (B3 / B2L / L — only for non-CMPA route) | 3 years as support staff (or support + certifying), in CMPA, incl. 12 months base maintenance support. | 3 years as certifying or support staff in non-CMPA, incl. 6 months base maintenance support. |
| B1.2, B1.4 or L5 (CMPA route only) | 5 years as support staff (or support + certifying), in CMPA, incl. 12 months base maintenance support. | (see row above for non-CMPA) |
| Academic degree (relevant technical discipline) | 3 years in aircraft maintenance environment on representative tasks, incl. 6 months base maintenance on CMPA. | 3 years (same) on non-CMPA, incl. 6 months base maintenance. |
| C for non-CMPA | 2 years as B1/B2/L5 support staff (or support + certifying) on CMPA, incl. 6 months base maintenance support. Academic-degree variant: 2 years in aircraft maintenance environment on CMPA tasks, incl. 3 months base maintenance. |
— (already holds it) |
| C for CMPA | — (already holds it) | C for CMPA already includes C for non-CMPA. |
Recency window explained
66.A.30(f)
10-year window
All required experience must sit inside the 10 years immediately preceding the licence (or extension) application.
66.A.30(d)
1 year recent
For the initial licence, at least 1 year of the experience must be recent — typically 50% within the last 12 months, the remainder within the last 7 years.
66.A.30(d)
3 months minimum
For subsequent category additions to an existing licence, the additional recent experience may drop to as little as 3 months, depending on the difference between held and applied-for category.