If you conduct or propose to conduct an aerial application operation in an aeroplane in Australia, you must hold an air operator’s certificate (AOC). We grant these certificates under Part 137 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR).
Part 137 prescribes the rules that relate to:
- flying and operating aeroplanes in aerial application operations under that Part
- the maintenance of equipment used in aerial application operations under that Part.
A person may also conduct analogous ‘dispensing operations’ under Part 138 of the CASR without an AOC.
Aerial application operations AOCs explained
Any legal entity may apply for an AOC, including:
- an individual
- an incorporated company or association
- a body corporate or politic created by statute.
We generally issue AOCs for aerial application operations for a 5-year term. To operate after that term, you must apply for and receive a new certificate before the existing certificate expires.
Applying for or varying an aerial application operations AOC
Use the application form for any of the following:
- Initial issue of an aerial application operations AOC.
- Variation to an existing aerial application operations AOC.
- Renewal of an existing aerial application operations AOC.
To do any of the above, you must submit form:
Supporting documents
In addition to the application form, you must provide supporting documents.
Initial issue applications
When applying for the first time you must include a complete operations manual covering all requirements of the regulations for your proposed operations.
Variations
You must resubmit your operations manual identifying the changes you wish to make, along with your supporting information. You may choose to give us your complete operations manual document with the changes.
Renewals without change
You only need to submit the signed application form.
If submitting a standard operations manual (as defined in paragraph 137.040 of the CASR), the application must include:
- a statement identifying the standard operations manual
- an undertaking to comply with the standard operations manual
- a schedule to the standard operations manual showing both:
- the ways (if any) in which the application operations are proposed to differ from those described in the standard operations manual (schedule of differences)
- the names of the persons who are proposed to be the CEO and holders of the key personnel positions.