Page 10 - Beginner's Guide to Aviation
P. 10
The first component is civil aviation authorities. Countries are responsible for ensuring the safety of their own national air transportation system. Every country has a Civil Aviation Authority, more commonly referred to as a CAA. The country’s CAA oversees the smooth running of civil aviation within the nation. CAAs are essentially a regulatory framework that enforces aviation safety standards.
CAAs enforce standards by executing the following diligently:
1. Certify and provide licenses to flight crew 2. Issue certificates of airworthiness
3. Certify airlines and airports
4. Maintain air navigation services
5. Continuously monitor the industry to ensure compliance with SARPs 6. Perform aircraft investigations
SARPs are Standards and Recommended Practices stating the minimum safety standards. They are developed by ICAO. (We will find out more about ICAO later!)
FUN FACT:
even though the main role of a CAA is to ensure safety, safety is also every other component’s responsibility.
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