MODULE CODE: AE5003 LEVEL: 5 CREDITS: 30

TITLE: Practical Engineering Skills and CAD

PRE-REQUISITES: None

CO-REQUISITES: None

MODULE SUMMARY (INDICATIVE)

This module introduces and provides an opportunity for students to develop the hand
skills and basic maintenance skills needed to an aircraft maintenance engineer. The
module is not intended to turn the student into skilled experts; rather it is designed to
provide a thorough introduction and solid grounding for further training, practice and
development. The hand-skills experience will include: reading engineering drawings,
marking out, cutting, filing, drilling, and thread cutting etc. Initially students will be
closely supported and guided; however, as the module progresses, the students
dependence on staff is expected to decrease and the tolerances to which they work
increase. The maintenance skills will include: using maintenance manuals, following
procedures, completing documentation and fundamental maintenance activities such
as: identifying parts, wire-locking, panel removal and refitment, torque loading,
assembly and disassembly. At all times throughout the module, students will be
expected to display maturity, integrity, good work practices and have a responsible
attitude towards safety.
This module also gives students an opportunity to practice and demonstrate that they
are capable of independent learning. Students will be given access to a CAD
package and expected to learn how to use it by reviewing and completing tutorials;
and using help pages and any other resources they are able to locate. Students will
be expected to maintain a log book of their experience and complete an CAD-based
assignment that will form part of the module assessment strategy. The experience
gained and feedback received from maintaining the log book will be beneficial to the
students when completing projects in the third year of the programme.

AIM (DEFINITIVE)
The aims of this module are to:
Introduce and develop the practical skills required to perform hand-skill tasks
and fundamental aircraft maintenance activities.
Instil a responsible attitude towards all aspects of aircraft maintenance
irrespective of type, size or scope of the work.
Introduce students to independent learning and provide them with an
opportunity to develop and demonstrate their independent learning skills.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (DEFINITIVE)

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Interpret aircraft engineering drawings, schematic diagrams and wiring
diagrams and be conversant with the structure and content of ATA100 aircraft
manuals.

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 Complete engineering hand-skill tasks and fundamental aircraft maintenance
activities safely and effectively, by correctly selecting and using the tools,
equipment, hardware, manuals and documentation appropriate to the specific
task.
Maintain accurate and effective records of work undertaken and demonstrate
sound working practices and a responsible attitude in respect of flight safety
and the airworthiness of aircraft.
Produce basic engineering drawings using a CAD software package having
independently learnt how to use the software.

CURRICULUM CONTENT (INDICATIVE)

This module is intended to provide the practical (often referred to as hand-skills) and
basic maintenance skills associated with EASA Part-66 Modules 6 and 7. However, if
the hours declared in the Breakdown of Teaching and Learning (below) are used, it is
likely that additional experience will have to be completed in order to satisfy the
training-hours requirement of an EASA Part-147 approved course.
During this module, students will be introduced to and given the opportunity to
practice and develop basic practical skills and maintenance skills. This will include
but not be limited to:
Interpreting and using engineering drawings.
Marking out, cutting, filing, bending, drilling, tapping and riveting.
Soldering, crimping pins and tags, working with connectors, and looming.
Interpreting wiring and schematic diagrams.
Selecting appropriate tools, equipment and manuals for a job.
Using hand- tools, electric and pneumatic power tools, and typical aircraft
workshop machinery
Using measuring and test equipment commonly found in aircraft maintenance
organisations.
Using aircraft manuals.
Aircraft weight and balance calculations and aircraft weighing.
Students will also complete a significant directed self-study learning exercise based
on Computer Aided Design (CAD).

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY (INDICATIVE)

This module introduces and give students an opportunity to develop the practical and
maintenance skills associated with the theory delivered in AE5001 Aircraft Materials,
Hardware and Maintenance. The module also gives students an opportunity to
experience directed self-study and demonstrate that they are capable of independent
learning. Because of the close link with AE5001, this module will be delivered after
AE5001 has finished or simultaneously with it. If the two modules are delivered
simultaneously, the delivery will be managed to ensure that students are not exposed
to any practical training for which they have not received the associated theory.
The learning outcomes of this module will be achieved through practical exercises
carried out in workshops and/or simulated aircraft maintenance environments and
directed independent learning.

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Practical (hand) skills will be introduced and developed through a series of workshop
exercises. The complexity of the exercises and the standard of workmanship
expected will increase as the student progresses through the series. Early exercises
are normally used to learn and practice a skill, later exercises are used to develop a
skill and for assessment purposes. The basic maintenance tasks (e.g. wire locking,
panel removal and refitment, sealant application etc.) are managed in a similar way
to the hand-skills with students being given an opportunity to practice tasks before
any are formally assessed.
Throughout the module students are given guidance and feedback on their
workmanship and progress; the overall aim being to try to help and encourage the
students to develop the skills to a competent level. It needs to be made clear that
this module will not turn students into skilled experts; students will require a lot more
practice to achieve this. The module will, however, prepare students to progress onto
AE6002 Aircraft Maintenance Practices module that is delivered in the final year of
the programme and provide a foundation for further development. The combination of
this module and AE6002 will give students the basic skill set and confidence needed
to start work in the aircraft maintenance industry. Once in the industry, they will have
the opportunity to develop and hone the skills, and become the skilled experts of the
future.
For the directed independent learning element of the module, students will be given
access to a Cad package (proposed: AutoDesk AutoCAD) and asked to teach
themselves how to use it using tutorials, help pages and any other resources they
are able to locate. Tutor support will be available to students but the expectation is
that students will complete this phase unaided by teaching staff. During the learning,
students will be expected to maintain a log book similar to the one they will need to
maintain for the capstone project in the final year. The log book will be reviewed by
teaching staff for feedback purposes but feedback will be minimal and intended
primarily to ensure students to not go totally off-track.

BREAKDOWN OF TEACHING AND LEARNING HOURS (DEFINITIVE)

When this module is delivered solely as an academic qualification and not linked to
an aviation authority approval, the breakdown of teaching and learning hours will be
as shown in the table below.
DEFINITIVE KIS CATEGORY INDICATIVE DESCRIPTION HOURS
Scheduled learning and teaching Practical 210
Guided independent study 90
Total 300

Course Hours - Aviation Authority Approved Programmes

When this module is delivered as part of an aviation authority approved training
course, the total module hours and the breakdown of those hours will be those
declared in the associated approval documentation. However, the total teaching and
learning hours declared above will be considered as a minimum requirement and will
always be satisfied.

Details of the hours associated with this module and the other modules in an
approved programme will be declared in the associated course handbook issued at
the start of the course and in the module guides issued at the start of each module. It

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should be noted that, if necessary, changes will be made to the breakdown of hours
in the approved course in order to maintain approval of the programme.

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY (INDICATIVE)

This module will be assessed by coursework comprising three elements. Practical
exercises to assess the hand-skills and basic maintenance activities and a log book
and assignment to assess the independent study element.
Assessment of the hand-skills and maintenance activities will not be by practical
exam: students are not given a test exercise to complete under exam conditions.
Instead, students work through supervised practical tasks that are reviewed and
marked at various stages throughout their completion. The work is closely supervised
throughout with students receiving regular feedback and advice on how to progress
and the marks achieved where applicable. Where time permits, students may be
given more than one opportunity to complete exercises they do not manage to
complete satisfactorily. However, there is a limit to the amount of time available to
complete a module and students will need to achieve an acceptable level of
competency in this time if they are to pass the module. Because of the way the
assessment is managed, grades are limited to: fail F2, bare pass D-, good B-,
excellent A. The grade awarded depends on the level of competence demonstrated
and the amount of guidance needed to complete the assessed tasks.
The independent learning log book will be assessed for content not presentation;
although it is expected to be legible and comprehendible. The log book is expected to
contain a complete and detailed history of the learning experience from the students
perspective and is expected to contain: thoughts, ideas, events, problems
encountered, solutions, decisions, choices made, comments and reflection in the
forms of: notes, sketches, mind-maps, figures, references etc.
The assignment will be used to assess achievement of the learning outcome.
Students will be required to produce an engineering drawing using the CAD package
they have learnt to use. Details of the drawing required will be given in an
assignment that will be issued part-way through the module.
Assessment - Aviation Authority Approved programmes
Students completing this module on an aviation authority approved training course
will be expected to complete all of the assessment associated with the approved
course. A failure to do may result in a loss of the benefits associated with study on an
aviation authority approved course.

Details of the assessment students are required to complete on aviation authority

approved courses will be given in the relevant course handbook issued at the start of
the course. It should be noted that aviation authority assessment will be changed, if
and when necessary, to ensure continued compliance with the approval.

MAPPING OF LEARNING OUTCOMES TO ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

(INDICATIVE)

LEARNING OUTCOME ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

On completion of the module, students will be
able to:
Interpret aircraft engineering drawings, Coursework.
schematic diagrams and wiring diagrams

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 and be conversant with the structure and
content of ATA100 aircraft manuals.
Complete engineering hand-skill tasks Coursework.
and fundamental aircraft maintenance
activities safely and effectively, by
correctly selecting and using the tools,
equipment, hardware, manuals and
documentation appropriate to the specific
task.
Maintain accurate and effective records of Coursework.
work undertaken and demonstrate sound
working practices and a responsible
attitude in respect of flight safety and the
airworthiness of aircraft.
Produce basic engineering drawings Coursework.
using a CAD package having
independently learnt how to use the
software.

MAJOR CATEGORIES OF ASSESSMENT (DEFINITIVE)

DEFINITIVE KIS CATEGORY INDICATIVE DESCRIPTION PERCENTAGE
Coursework Practical Exercises 60%
CAD Log Book 10%
CAD-based assignment 30%
Total 100%

ACHIEVING A PASS
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to
achieve an overall pass for the module

BIBLIOGRAPHY (INDICATIVE):
Core Text(s):
There are no core texts for this module.
Recommended reading:
The module material issued for module AE5001 Aircraft Materials, Hardware and
Maintenance.
Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, structural repair manuals and troubleshooting
manuals.
Federal Aviation Administration (1998) Advisory Circular AC 43.13 1B with
CHANGE 1, AC 43.13 2A Combined acceptable methods, techniques, and
practices aircraft inspection and repair USA, Englewood, Jeppesen
Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. (2009) A & P Technician General Textbook. Jeppesen.
ISBN-13 978-0884875222

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Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. (2003) A & P Technician Airframe Textbook. 3rd ed.
Jeppesen. ISBN-13 978-0884873310
Aviation Authority Approval Course Material
Aviation authorities normally require approved training organisations to produce and
maintain training material for the modules associated with the courses they deliver
under their approval. Students on aviation authority approved courses will be
provided with training material in accordance with the requirements of the approval
and the conditions specified by the training organisation. Partner organisations may
charge for this material.

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