Engineering aviation service of the civil aviation: from technical operation to continued airworthiness (part 1)

In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory and the related 75th anniversary of the engineering aviation service of the civil aviation of Russia, the article analyzes the activities of the service during the Soviet period. It is stated, that the engineering aviation service of the civil aviation was established, based on the model of the air force engineering aviation service, which was reflected in the system of the key regulatory documents in the form of guidelines and a Charter within the legal framework of the Air Codes. The analysis of the goals, objectives and functions of the engineering aviation service activities over a forty-year period, regulated by four guidelines, was conducted. It is shown how they changed, reformulated and supplemented in the process of accumulating experience until a coherent system of technical operation of aviation equipment was established, which included aviation personnel – the foundation of the engineering aviation service. The article focuses on the answer to a key question of the guidelines: what kind of aircraft can be allowed to fly? During the analyzed period of the engineering aviation service activity, the answer was unambiguous – only airworthy aircraft can be allowed to fly. All activities of the engineering aviation service were subordinated to this principle. The article formulates the paradigm of continued airworthiness, which is the basis of international civil aviation, and serves as the foundation for the developing of the domestic system of continued airworthiness. A correct understanding of the relationship and interconnection between technical maintenance and continued airworthiness is essential for the development of professional and educational standards that should define the names and the content of training programs and specialties for which the University prepares students and cadets. The analysis conducted in the article and the materials prepared for the subsequent article will provide answers to pressing questions on how to ensure the training of highly qualified specialists for the engineering aviation service, possessing all the necessary competencies to be sought after by operators and organizations in the industry.