Does anyone know about Basair aviation college in Australia?

[tkluk]

Hi there,
Does anyone know about Basair aviation college in Australia? Is it a good school?

[davebowyer]

Tkluk, I've had a limited amount of involvement with Basair through the "careers workshops" they've started running. These are basically 2-day workshops, involving classroom discussions and 2 1-hour trial flights, to help people make the decision about whether to pursue a commercial flying career.

I've made the decision not to pursue a commercial career (for family and financial reasons) and instead to focus in the next few years on getting my PPL for recreational purposes. My main insight on Basair would be that if you're thinking of a commercial flying career, they seem to be well set up as a training organisation - but if you just want to fly privately, they're probably not your best bet.

The instructor who took me up for the 2nd of my 2 trial flights actually put this view to me, which coincided with my own assessment. Basair are training a large number of commercial students - predominantly Indian trainees - and are geared up as a well-established and professional commercial training school. Personally, I'm looking for more of a "flying club" feel so will probably go with someone else.

I have heard from one or two sources that they've had a few fleet/safety issues over the years but I can't back that up from my own knowledge.

Their fleet seems well maintained and in good condition, and the instructors I've spoken to seem professional and knowledgeable. They are, of course, exposed to the current increase in turnover of instructors due to pilot demand in Australia, but I think they're less exposed than the smaller flying schools.

My only real niggling concern would be that you might be treated a bit like a number, rather than as an individual - but you'd have to make your own assessment about that.

[tkluk]

Dear Davebowyer,

Thanks for your opinion. So far I have narrowed my choices to two centres: adelaide flight training centre (aftc) and Basair. Have you ever heard of that? So should I join aftc or the latter one?

tkluk

[A and C]

I rented an aircraft for a flight up the east coast (as far as Townsville) from Basair about 9 years back and found them to be a very professional company to deal with.
I know a lot can change in nine years but it at least proves that they are stable company.

[AmarokGTI]

Hi there,

I just got back from Australia to HK having looked at both places.

AFTC were so good to me, whereas Basair knew I had flown from the UK to see them and only offered me 20 minutes of their time, and also seemed to have forgotten I was coming.

AFTC had good facilities and offered me almost 4 hours of their time.

When paying up to $100,000 AUS they owe us no favours so this went a long way to helping me decide.

[Oz_TB10]

Swiftski,

Sorry to intrude with the financial side of things, but is that in HKD or AUD?

Nice guys working down there, hope you have fun in adelaide!

Cheers

[av1at0r]

I hear that Basair is starting one school in Senai Airport, sometime in Sept..you may want to check out

[capt787]

personally i won't recommend basair because of its safety issue. over the pass few years there has been a few incidents/accidents, although i have heard rumours saying all instructors involved have moved on the major airline :\ (open to be corrected)

you may want to check out schofield flying club if you are looking for recreational flying. i heard they held some sort of flying competition from time to time, and their CFI Pat Watson is a really nice bloke

[joseph500s]

I was looking at doing the Diploma in aviation as basair, after i did all my research and added it all up it turns out to be very expensive compared to other flying schools as the plane you will be doing most of your hours in is a tiny little Tecnam RAA/GA (pretty much a ultra light)! that fine if you love flying and don't mind what you fly as i do but when you are career orientated as i was told most employers look for pilots who have most of there hours in planes they will actually be working in like Cessna 172/182 FULL GA PLANES!! and for i about $50,000 for the course you would expect to be at least in a 172 not a cheep to run ultra light. don't get me wrong i will happily fly anything =) but yes you would expect to be getting what you pay for i think. A school i can recommend (that i will be attending in the next 4 weeks just for my PPL) but also offer full commercials and every thing else is Johnston aviation services its sooooo much cheaper and all your flying is done in a C152 and c172 and your twin training in a Beech craft Barron. Do check them out!! www.johnstonaviation.com.au (http://www.johnstonaviation.com.au/) .Oh just to add Bankstown airport is very very very busy where Basair is at.;)