A significant milestone has been achieved by the LifeFlight Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) team, which has been granted CASA Part 145 approval.

The new approval demonstrates the LifeFlight AMO is operating to internationally recognised aviation regulations.

“Working to Part 145 requirements brings good business practices, focuses on safety, training and human factors management,” said Engineering Operations Manager, Michael Dopking.

The CASA Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR), Parts 42, 66, 145 and 147 regulations introduced an outcome-based approach to aviation safety and brings flexibility to how maintenance organisations can achieve regulatory compliance.

Until recently, RPT operators such as international and commercial airlines were the main organisations which had transitioned to Part 145.

For the past five years, although approved as a CASA CAR 30 organisation, the Engineering Department of LifeFlight has been operating to many of the Part 145 requirements, such as human factors management and tool control.

Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) and Queensland Health, organisations to which LifeFlight is contracted, have Aviation Standards which draw heavily from the EASA and CASA Part 145 Regulations.

So, while LifeFlight has already been practicing the requirements of Part 145, the approval granted by CASA is the official recognition that the processes, procedures, people and culture of the AMO are to the standard required by Part 145 Regulations.

The AMO is responsible for the maintenance of 16 helicopters including one of the biggest fleets of AW139s in Australia, three Bell 412s, a BK117 and AS350, two Lear 45s and four Bombardier 604s jets.

LifeFlight AMO maintenance bases are located as far afield as Singapore to Tasmania, throughout Queensland and operate 24/7/365 days a year.

The AMO’s Exposition and all the development work to gain Part 145 approval was carried out in house by LifeFlight staff.

“It’s our Exposition, our procedures so we own it, we use it, and it’s not something provided by a consultant that might sit on a shelf,” said Michael Dopking.

“It’s been very much a team effort to bring the AMO to this level. The culture and commitment by all of the Engineering team was recognised by the CASA staff carrying out the pre-approval assessment,” LifeFlight’s Engineering General Manager, Peter De Marzi added