Personnel Licensing & Aircraft Registry
What is Aviation Personnel Licensing ?
The need to have proper authorization to carry out certain functions in the aviation industry has always been a requirement. This authorization is normally issued in the form of a “Licence”. The granting of a licence is the legal instrument used by a Licensing Authority to confer to an individual or organization the legal responsible to perform specific activities that are otherwise prohibited either by Law or by custom; and which, unless performed properly, may endanger life and property.
A licence is evidence that the issuing State is satisfied that the individual or organization has demonstrated an internationally acceptable degree of competency after successfully completing an approved standard of training. The process of licensing consist of the granting of privileges to the applicant who meets the prescribe standard.
Depending on the type of licence issued, the licence may or may not have a time limitation imposed and may or may not have limitations with respect to function performed. The licence may have certain conditions to be observed prior to the exercising of certain function or privileges. Such conditions if they exist, can be termed “the obligations of the licence holder”. Such obligations are detailed in the State’s/ country’s Laws and Regulations.
The validity of a Licence is the length of time that a licence holder can legally exercise the privileges of his/ her licence and this time limit is usually prescribed by the issuing State/ country.
Approved Aviation Courses conducted in Barbados
There are :
- The Approved Air-Traffic Controllers Course which is conducted at the Air-Traffic Control School; and
- The Private Pilot’s flight Course facilitated by the Flight Training Institute (Barbados) Inc.
The contact details for the Flight Training Institute (Barbados) Inc.:
Address
South Ramp
Grantley Adams International Airport
Christ Church
Barbados
Tel: +1(246) 538-3446
Email: info@ftibarbados.com
Website: ftibarbados.com
All other flight crew and engineering licensing will be granted based on the approval of a foreign course.
The approval of foreign courses and aviation training facilities:
All aviation training courses conducted for the licensing of aviation personnel must be accepted and approved by the state or country issuing the aviation licence. For example: the United States of America, Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in its Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) documents, sets out training standards that must be met by all approved aviation training courses as well as all approved aviation training facilities facilitating this training.
Acceptance of a foreign licence:
The approval of an applicant with a foreign licence and/or rating will be conducted by the Barbados CAA PEL office in two phases:
- Phase 1 will see an assessment of the applicant’s foreign licence application on the bases of the training standards provided by the foreign country’s Licensing Authority. Please note that the training standards of the foreign Licensing Authority must meet or exceed the local aviation training standards for the applicant’s licence application to be successful.
- Phase 2 will seek to have the applicant successfully complete the Barbados Air Law examination as well as an aviation medical examination conducted by a Barbados Approved Aviation Medical Examiner.
Essential functions of the Barbados Civil Aviation PEL Office
The essential functions of the Barbados Civil Aviation PEL Office are as follows:
- The assessment and approval of applications for licences and ratings;
- The application of medical fitness assessment relating to licence requirements;
- The issue of licences and ratings;
- The validation of foreign licences;
- The setting and marking of written examinations; and
- The promulgation of a scale of Licensing fees for the procurement of a licence, ratings and certificates.
- The drafting and amendment of rules relating to the training and licensing of aviation personnel;
- The approval of organizations and persons for specific task related to training and testing. For example: The Designated Flight Test Examiners and the Approved Flight Instructor;
- The assessment of the qualifications of foreign civilian and military trained personnel in order to determine examination and flight test exemptions; and
- The enforcement of licensing Laws and regulations.
Medical Assessor
Dr. Guy Kirton
Holborn House 36A,
Pine Road,
St. Michael
Medical Examiners
Dr. Kim Solomon
Health Wise Medical Clinic
Cnr. Lowlands & Pilgrim Road,
Christ Church
Dr. Michael Charles
“Sefton Lodge”
Brittons Cross Rd
St. Michael
(246) 228-0243
Dr. Ricardo Coppin
Anruco Medical Centre
Jordan’s Supermarket Complex,
St. James
Dr. Janneke Haywood
Coverley Medical Centre
The Villages at Coverley,
Christ Church
Flight Operations
The Flight Operation Unit is responsible for maintaining regular surveillance of the operational aspects of Air Operators in order to ensure safe and efficient air transport services in Barbados. Effective safety oversight ensures high standards and international obligations are maintained.
Airworthiness
The Airworthiness Unit is responsible for maintaining continuous regulation and supervision of the airworthiness activities of air operators and maintenance facilities. Effective safety oversight ensures high standards and international obligations are maintained.
The functions of the Unit are to:
- Register aircraft and maintain the national register;
- Ensure the continuing airworthiness of aircraft and their components;
- Issue maintenance certifications for air operators;
- Review and approve maintenance training organizations and programs;
- License aircraft maintenance personnel;
- Conduct regular surveillance, audits, and inspections of local operators;
- Perform periodic surveillance and ramp inspections on foreign-registered aircraft operating in Barbados;
- Administer examinations to ensure AME licenses align with competency-based assessment standards;
- Develop, issue, and amend Airworthiness Directives, Advisory Circulars, and related documents;
- Develop and maintain national operating regulations to ensure ongoing compliance with prescribed standards;
- Conduct surveillance inspections and certification for local AOC holders and foreign operators performing scheduled and non-scheduled flights;
- Inspect Barbados-registered aircraft and their maintenance documentation annually and on an ongoing basis;
- Investigate accidents and incidents;
- Assess the technical competence of operators seeking licenses or permits to operate in and out of Barbados;
- Inspect local and foreign maintenance facilities used by Barbadian operators;
The Regulatory Framework enables the Authority to ensure that all airworthiness activities comply with ICAO standards and the National Civil Aviation Regulations.
The Airworthiness Unit is staffed by two Airworthiness Inspectors, both are licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers.
Aerodromes & Ground Aids
The Aerodromes Unit
The Aerodromes Unit within the Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for the conduct of audits and inspections and to provide continued surveillance at the aerodrome in Barbados, this is to ensure that the operator is in compliance with the national and international standards.
Functions of the Aerodromes and Ground Aids Unit:
- Verify the aerodrome data in the aerodrome manual and aeronautical information publications;
- Conduct on-site verification and audits of aerodrome operating procedures;
- Conduct on-site checking and testing of aerodrome facilities and equipment;
- Conduct flying assessments and aeronautical studies at aerodromes in coordination with other inspectors;
- develop aerodrome oversight;
- assess the aerodrome emergency plans and associated testing;
- conduct on site checking and testing of rescue and fire-fighting services; and
- certification of aerodromes and heliports.
Aviation Security & Facilitation
The Aviation Security Division oversees and monitors the implementation of aviation security standards in Barbados.
The safety, and efficiency of Civil Aviation and its facilities are critical to safeguarding passengers, flight crew, ground staff, the general public, and Civil Aviation facilities against acts of unlawful interference on the ground and in flight.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, seeks to promote appropriate levels of aviation security throughout the global community. Through Annex 17 (security) of the Convention on International Civil Aviation Chicago Convention, 1944, (coordinating and regulating air travel ), ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
Being a signatory state to the Chicago Convention, Barbados is obliged to implement the Standards and Recommended Practices adopted by ICAO and signed Tokyo Conventions 1963 (convention on offenses and acts committed on board an aircraft), Hauge Convention 1970 ( convention for the suppression of the unlawful seizure of aircraft), Montreal Convention 1971 (convention for the unlawful Acts against the safety of civil aviation).
Regulations
The Regulatory Framework allows the Authority to ensure that all Aviation Security activities conform to the prescribed Standards of ICAO and the National Civil Aviation Regulations.
The functions and responsibilities of this office include:
- Develop and ensure the implementation of the Quality Control Program.
- Exercise oversight and surveillance activities including audits, inspections, and tests of airports and their facilities, air carriers, and other service providers.
- Review security manuals of air carriers, aerodrome operators, contracted security providers, and other aviation stakeholders for approval.
- Review security training manuals of air carriers, aerodrome operators, contracted security providers, and other aviation stakeholders for approval.
- Monitor the airport operators’ security tabletop and full-scale exercises.
- Administer the Certification for contracted security providers, aviation security screeners, and national aviation security instructors.
- Ensure and monitor compliance with all appropriate security standards by the airport, air carriers, and related aviation service providers in Barbados:
- Provide necessary guidelines, coordinate, and communicate with various stakeholders and organisations on Avsec matters.
- in accordance with the International Convention on Civil Aviation, ICAO Annex 9 & 17;
- equivalent to those of the national Regulations, standards, and detailed measures for the implementation of aviation security and facilitation.; and
- necessary to comply with the National Civil Aviation Security Program.
Aviation Security (AVSEC) Unit Accomplishments
- The Aviation Security Unit has accomplished a significant number of achievements to include the following:
- Certification of contracted security providers, aviation security screeners, and AVSEC instructors;
- Facilitating security workshops in collaboration with international aviation agencies on security awareness and access control;
- Assessing the airport operators’ security tabletop and full-scale exercises and emergency plans at the Grantley Adams International Airport in 2023;
- Approving security manuals for aircraft operators, aerodrome operators, contracted security providers, ground handling companies, and other agencies.
- Approving security training manual for air operators, aerodrome operators, contracted security providers, catering companies, ground handling agents, and other aviation stakeholders;
Training
Where do Air Traffic Controllers obtain their training?
All ATC training for Barbados is accomplished at The Barbados Civil Aviation Training Centre
