The Government Safety Inspector (GSI) Operations – Air Operator Certification (OPS) Course was developed as a collaborative effort between the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to provide operations, airworthiness, and personnel licensing aviation safety inspectors, on a worldwide basis, with uniform skills and knowledge to conduct specific safety oversight functions. This 14-days course, designed for operations inspectors, covers the basic concepts and steps involved in certificating an air transport operator. Participants will be taught the five-phase certification process based upon ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Model Civil Aviation Regulations (MCARs).

After having successfully completed the GSI OPS, the trainees will be able to:

• Evaluate perspective Operators Pre-assessment Statement forms for acceptability;
• Identify Pre-application Meeting Objectives;
• Conduct a cursory review of the packages and, from the review, evaluate the quality of one package and identify formal application meeting objectives for the other package;
• Evaluate narrative and reference statements;
• Conduct an in-depth evaluation of an excerpt from a mock Operations Manual;
• Evaluate a sample curriculum segment from a mock operator’s training programme;
• Evaluate an excerpt of a mock operator’s Cabin Attendant Manual for acceptability;
• Evaluate a mock operator’s A300 Aircraft Operating Manual for acceptability;
• Evaluate a mock operator’s proposed Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and Configuration Design List (CDL);
• Verify submitted performance planning data for acceptability;
• Evaluate an excerpt of a mock operator’s Aircraft Loading and Handling Manual for acceptability and identify errors;
• Evaluate excerpts from the mock operator’s Exit Row Seating programme;
• Evaluate the results of an inspector’s main base inspection for acceptability and determine inspector actions;
• Evaluate the inspector’s observations of a training programme and facilities for acceptability and determine the correct inspector actions;
• Evaluate emergency evacuation demonstration scenarios to determine if they were satisfactory and provide reasons for your decision;
• Determine appropriate recommendations for scenarios involving inspector observations/reports of four demonstration flights and reasons for the recommendations; and
• Complete a mock operator’s certificate and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identify items that must be included in the certification report.

• Module 0: Introduction
• Module 1: ICAO Obligations
• Module 2: The Pre-Application Phase
• Module 3: Conducting the Pre-Application Meeting
• Module 4: Conducting a Formal Application Meeting
• Module 5: Evaluating a Statement of Compliance
• Module 6: Evaluating Operations Manual
• Module 7: Evaluating a Quality Manual
• Module 8: Evaluating a Safety Management System Manual
• Module 9: Evaluating a Training Manual
• Module 10: Evaluating a Cabin Crew Manual
• Module 11: Evaluating an Aircraft Operating Manual
• Module 12: Evaluating a Minimum Equipment List
• Module 13: Evaluating a Performance Planning Manual
• Module 14: Evaluating a Loading and Handling Manual
• Module 15: Evaluating Other Required Manuals and Documents
• Module 16: Evaluating Applicant's Main Base and Station Facilities
• Module 17: Evaluating Training Programmes and Training Facilities
• Module 18: Evaluating Emergency Evacuation and Ditching Demonstrations
• Module 19: Evaluating Demonstration Flights
• Module 20: Issuing the Air Operator Certificate

This course is for Aviation Safety Inspectors tasked with certification of air operators.

Participants are required to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.