Aircraft Services Directorate (ASD)

ASD Overview

The Aircraft Services Directorate (ASD) is responsible for the provisioning, maintenance and modification of aircraft and the delivery of services in support of Transport Canada operations. Operating under the Canadian Aviation Regulations as a Commercial Air Operator, they provide services to TC’s Civil Aviation Directorate, the Marine Safety and Security Program, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans/Canadian Coast Guard, the Department of National Defense, Environment Canada, the Ottawa Regional Police, and other government departments and agencies. This includes the provision of appropriate professional training for Civil Aviation Inspectors from Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, as well as for maintenance personnel.  

The day to day operations of Aircraft Services require professional and dedicated employees who provide services in the following areas:  

  • Flight Operations; 

  • Technical Services; 

  • Engineering Services; 

  • Training; and 

  • Aviation Safety.  

 These five sectors provide Canadians with one of the most effective and safety oriented aviation systems in the world. 

Flight Operations 

As an Air Operator, ASD is certified under Canadian Air Regulation (CAR) 704 (Commuter), CAR 703 (Air Taxi), CAR 702 (Aerial Work), CAR 573 Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) and an Approved Training Organization as per CAR 403.08. Aircraft are operated mainly within Canada for a multitude of governmental purposes which can be characterized as non-revenue and non-scheduled. Aircraft Services Directorate provides services to the following: 

  • Transport Canada, Safety and Security, Aviation Group and Marine Safety; 

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Canadian Coast Guard; and 

  • as directed by the Minister 

The ASD flight operations is composed of its Headquarters (HQ) office located at the Ottawa airport and 14 regional bases located in five-(5) Transport Canada regions (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie and Northern and Pacific).  

Transport Canada Regions 

(click for larger view)

Location of the 15 flight operations bases across Canada.

(click for larger view)

Ottawa 

The Ottawa base is the ASD national HQ for operations, maintenance and administration. Twelve aircraft are based in Ottawa which include a single engine Cessna, two Challenger CL 601s, two Challenger CL 604s, a King Air C 90A, a Cessna Citation, a Bombardier Dash-7 and Dash-8, a Bell 206 and a Bell 407 helicopter. The ASD Ottawa base has the largest number of client pilots (approximately 45). It also provides a flight dispatch service. This base also houses the ASD training centre and provides training to pilots including other crewmembers initial and recurrent aircraft type training for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The training organization is critical in ensuring that all personnel have the required qualifications and certifications to operate aircraft or perform scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance task. 

Atlantic Region 

This region consists of five CCG regional bases and one ASD regional base to operate and maintain aircraft. They are: 

  • St John’s, NL operates a Bell 412 and two Bell 429 helicopters; 

  • Stephenville, NL operates a Bell 429 helicopter; 

  • Shearwater, NS operates a Bell 412 and two Bell 429 Helicopters; 

  • Charlottetown, PE operates a Bell 429 helicopter; 

  • Saint John, NB operates a Bell 429 helicopter; and 

  • Moncton, NB operates a Cessna Citation and a Dash-8. 

These locations service local flights as well as significant shipboard and Arctic operations. The ASD Moncton base also provides flight dispatch services. 

Quebec Region 

This region consists of a CCG and an ASD regional base to operate and maintain aircraft. The ASD regional base, located in Montreal (Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport), QC is the home of a King Air C 90A, a Cessna Citation and a Bell 407. The CCG Quebec, QC regional base has four Bell 429s and a Bell 412. Operations for Civil Aviation, Nav Canada and CCG are conducted from these bases throughout the province as well as significant shipboard and Arctic operations. The ASD Montreal base provides also flight dispatch services. 

Ontario Region 

This region consists of three regional bases (including Ottawa that has been discussed in section 1.1.1.1) to operate and maintain aircraft. The ASD Hamilton, ON regional base has two King Air C 90As. The CCG Parry Sound, ON regional base has a Bell 429 and a Bell 412 helicopter. These aircraft support the Transport Safety Board, Civil Aviation, Nav Canada and CCG. The ASD Hamilton base also provides flight dispatch services. 

Prairie and Northern Region 

This region consists of an ASD regional base to operate and maintain aircraft. Winnipeg, MB regional base has two Cessna Citations. These aircraft support the Transport Safety Board, Civil Aviation and Nav Canada operations. Flight dispatch services are also provided. 

Pacific Region 

This region is consisted of three regional bases to operate and maintain aircraft. The ASD Vancouver, BC regional base has a King Air C 90A, a Dash-8 and a Bell 407. The CCG Prince Rupert, BC regional base has two Bell 412s. The CCG Victoria, BC regional base has three Bell 429s and a Bell 412. 

These aircraft support the Transport Canada National Air Surveillance Program (NASP), Transport Safety Board, Civil Aviation, Nav Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and CCG operations. The CCG helicopters are conducting operations along the B.C. coast as well as conducting summer deployments from CCG vessels to the western Arctic and Yukon. 

Technical Services 

The technical services branch is the organization providing maintenance on fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Maintenance activities are performed in accordance with standard or equivalent standard methods, techniques and practices, using standard or equivalent standard for tools, equipment and test apparatus recommended by manufacturers or in accordance with other methods acceptable to the Minister.  

ASD carries out aircraft maintenance on Department of National Defence aircraft and for other ASD clients (Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), Civil Aviation, Transport Safety Board (TSB) and Transport Canada (TC)) using aircraft where ASD is the owner/operator. 

The Director of Technical Services is accountable for all aspects of the maintenance, logistic support, repair and overhaul and associated maintenance contracts for the ASD fleet of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. 

The Director is assisted by the Associate Director Technical Services, who is delegated certain responsibilities. The scope of duties include the functional management and oversight of the logistical support sections within the Technical Services branch. 

The areas of functional responsibility delegated to the Associate Director Technical Services include: 

  •  quality assurance division; 

  •  maintenance analysis and planning section (MAPS); 

  •  procurement, contracting and technical asset management; and 

  •  supply and warehouse. 

While the Director Technical Services keeps the following functional responsibility: 

  • maintenance for rotary and fixed wing aircraft; 

  • aircraft maintenance avionics; 

  • engineering maintenance; and 

  • maintenance training. 

Engineering Services 

ASD is a Transport Canada approved Airworthiness Engineering Organization (AEO) with the authority to approve changes to aeronautical product type design, modification design, and repair design in all aircraft maintained at ASD. Engineering and drafting services are responsible for: 

  • avionics and structural design changes; 

  • project management of prototype and production installations; 

  • making findings of compliance to the prescribed standards of airworthiness; and 

  • establishing instructions for continuing airworthiness to enable maintenance personnel to service the aircraft. 

As an Approved Engineering Organization, ASD has the authority to carry out repair and modification design or changes on civil registered aircraft that are owned by Transport Canada as well as other government departments and private sector clients. The role of the AEO is to exercise Ministerial delegation to design, analyze, document and provide approval for the efficient and consistent handling of modifications and repairs to Aircraft Services fleet of aircraft. 

Engineering activities on which the relevant technical data falls within the authority of the AEO to approve are governed by the Design Approval Delegate Authority Chart in the Engineering Procedures Manual and may include the following areas of specialty: 

  • structural installations; 

  • structural repairs; 

  • material substitutions; 

  • fastener substitutions; 

  • fabrication of parts for installation on aircraft; 

  • component replacement or substitution, providing a previous approval was obtained and a failure mode analysis, etc. is not required; 

  • avionics installations of approved equipment; 

  • avionics installations of specialized equipment for trial or special purpose operation (not part of the required aircraft equipment); 

  • interiors substitution; 

  • tests and witnessing; 

  • process substitutions; and 

  • electrical distribution/generation system changes. 

It is important to understand that the AEO is not a part of the AMO but rather a parallel organization, having its own procedures manual and Chief who reports to the Director Technical Services at ASD. 

Training 

The Ottawa ASD training centre provides to maintenance personnel initial and recurrent aircraft maintenance type training. This service is critical in ensuring that all personnel have the required qualifications and certifications to maintain aircraft. The training division ensures that pilots, crewmembers and AMEs have the proper competency and qualifications to perform their daily tasks. 

It is the policy of ASD to ensure all staff with technical responsibility are provided with appropriate training in technical, administrative, regulatory responsibilities, human factors and MCM policies and procedures relative to the work for which they are responsible. This includes personnel working directly on-aircraft as well as personnel with off aircraft responsibilities such as maintenance analysis and planning, technical library, purchasing, contracting and supply. 

A hard copy of training records will be made available to the TC Centre Ottawa on request. ASD must provide certifying authorities with a copy of all training activity records used to grant or update a certifying authority rating.   

Aircraft Certifying Authority (ACA)  

ACAs are issued to individuals with a valid Transport Canada AME license as an authority to sign a maintenance release in respect of work performed on an aircraft. 

Shop Certifying Authority (SCA)  

A SCA is issued to individuals as an authority to sign a maintenance release in respect of work on parts intended for installation on an aircraft. 

Limited Certifying Authority (LCA)  

A LCA is issued to individuals as an authority to sign for work performed or requested up to, but not including a maintenance release as defined by CAR 571.10. 

Inspector Authorities (IA) 

Inspector authorities are issued in two categories, quality control and/or quality assurance. Prior to the issuance of an IA, all requirements of MCM policies and procedures must be satisfied. Inspector authorities may only be issued to candidates as approved by the Chief AMQA or the Director Technical Services (PRM). 

An employee with technical responsibility is anyone performing functions that are mandated by the regulations under CAR 573 and 706. This includes personnel working directly on-aircraft as well as personnel with off aircraft responsibilities such as personnel from MAPS, technical library, purchasing, contracting and supply. Training for all personnel with technical responsibilities must include initial, update, additional and human factors training related to the work for which they are responsible. 

AME license certification oversights by the QA section is intended to ensure that ASD personnel receive and/or maintain certifying authority privileges only when they are appropriately qualified. This control system takes into account the individuals training, experience and ability. It is intended to ensure that, with regards to the actual performance of work, the Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) has ensured that any specific performance standards identified in the CARs and supporting standards are met. 

Aviation Safety 

The ASD aviation safety section is to provide services that support a fully integrated safety management system and a safety program within the ASD. The safety services section collects and analyses both proactive and reactive data to provide to decision makers and risk managers with a practical understanding of emerging hazards and risks. Through evaluation and performance measurement, senior management personnel are able to make more informed and better decisions. The aviation safety services section provides five core functions: 

  • safety reporting and data collection; 

  • investigation, analysis and risk assessment; 

  • safety performance measurement and system quality assurance; 

  • safety promotion; and 

  • aviation emergency response planning.