Flying School northern Melbourne

[gtboss16]

Hello,
I am about to continue my GFPT / PPL training, just looking for some input to help me decide on a flying school. I am moving around the Greensborough area

What would you recommend.

Thanks.
GtBoss16

[GA_FATMAN]

Same old Essendon airport flying schools or maybe Lilydale Flying School.

But if you happy for a bit of a drive Kestrel Aviation out of Mangalore airport also cater in that department.
They have a New Liberty XL2 and no landing fees

Cheers

[Wally Mk2]

'gt16' depending on yr long term goals with a pilots license meaning stay private or lead a life of misery for many years as CPL then the place to go can vary. MNG is good location wise as mentioned, am not too sure on Lilydale. Kyneton (Nth of Mt Macedon) has a basic C172 & a great Aero club where you can do yr flying training. Cheaper than any Melb based operators but as I said depends where yr heading with it all
Oh BTW if yr near Greensborough then you could join the Greenborough Radio Control club (toy planes), cheaper & real close too, no pain either if you crash other than lightening yr wallet:}.

Wmk2:)

[gtboss16]

my goal is a CPL, do you know much about lilydale?

[john_tullamarine]

do you know much about lilydale?

Haven't had anything to do with Lilydale for years and I am not making any comment for or against the local organisation ...

... however, I understand that Hugh H is the present Chief Pilot out there .. you would be doing very well to find a more comprehensively experienced pilot for your training ...

[gtboss16]

Yeah i dont think i would go to essendon, sounds like a pain to learn at... but im thinking lilydale sounds good, only because its closer than melton, even though melton sounds alright...

what about coldstream? heard anything about them??

[triton140]

A vote for YLIL - you can go through to CPL there. Good instructors, friendly bunch.

Plus, since it's only CTAF, no mucking around, just hop in and go. For ILS and stuff, short hop to YMEN.

Also aerobatics in the Decathlon, if that's your thing.

[Bounceferret]

Lilydale is a good choice for GFPT / PPL - good quality instructing, reasonable rates, your money will go into building piloting skills and receiving GOOD instruction rather then flying a c152 with a g1000.


PM if you want any info

[gtboss16]

do you know the price per hour to fly at lilydale? well is there website up to date?

[Dangnammit]

Do your research. Go to every flying school you can at Lilydale, MNG, EN, MB, Bacchus Marsh, etc and see which outfit suits you, your budget, and future. Remember they will give you the absolute minimum price possible regarding the hours legally required. Add a few more dollars to the price.

Speak to as many people as you can- Everywhere, not just on this forum.
Remember, don't take what people tell you here as gospel.
The decision is yours and yours alone.

I could tell you where I did all my cpl training is the best, and it was, for me. You must decide what fits you, and that is the most important thing.

[aerokitty]

Just a thought if you don't mind a drive try Bendigo Aviation Services.
Well maintained aircraft, high quality instruction and no add on landing or airspace fees.
It's cheaper to drive to Bendigo for a dual flight than to learn to fly at Essendon or Moorabbin (better year round weather too!)

[Sunstar320]

What about TVSA at Bacchus Marsh. No Landing fees out there, 40mins from City, quite an experienced bunch out there.

As Dangnammit (http://www.pprune.org/members/297089-dangnammit) said, go and chat with some, do a Trial flight if need be, have a look around. Will be hard to find a school around Melbourne without one fellow ppruner having something negative to say about it, everyone is different. For instance, my first impressions of the highly regarded MFT were shocking and was quite disappointing, but mabye it was just a bad time.

[gtboss16]

yeah im not going to take everything as the gospel. i already fly in the country of victoria, but moving to melbourne to do business but still want to fly to get my CPL... but i wasnt sure which place to go... i think i might need to go to some flying schools to see what they are like. the flight school im currently flying at is amazing because its No landing fees and its just a good school. but im just thinking about going home every few weeks to fly instead of finding a school i would enjoy to fly at in melbourne.

[triton140]

Depends how far you want to go - I hear Recflyingdotcomdotau (http://www.pprune.org/members/308190-recflyingdotcomdotau) is finishing off his ATPL in the Jabs at YLIL :rolleyes:

[gtboss16]

well airline is my main goal... is it possible to do your ATPL in the Jab?

[maverick22]

Lilydale is a good airfield... nice grass runways, close to Essenden, Moorabbin etc. Runways do get boggy when it rains though which can be a pain (especially in the Jabiru with those small tyres)

If you fly at Lilydale they will try and put you in the jabiru straight up. Be clear to them about what you want to achieve though. The Jabiru is is not VH registered, it is RAAus rego'd and as such you will be gaining your recreational pilot certificate as opposed to GFPT. They'll keep you in the jab up to the navigation endorsement, and then do a PPL conversion in the warrior. They will market it as a cheaper way to go, as the jab is cheaper, but having said that you will probably do a few more hours in the jab to get used to it as they can be a tricky thing to master if you have been flying larger aircraft already. Try and talk to some students there to see what they reckon. Personally, if you want to get into the airlines I would give the jab a miss and just fly the warrior. But as others have suggested, shop around, see what other flying schools have to offer

And yes, RAA hours can be counted towards ATPL (max of 750)

[Bounceferret]

I've spent 20 hours of my life flying a Jab which I'm never going to get back....


I'd get straight into a warrior or 172 (without GPS) and learn the basics from day one, then progressivly increase to larger more complex planes.
shortly after CPL someone else will be paying for your hours to ATPL... hopefully.

[eocvictim]

Go to Lilydale and ask for a 15 min meeting with Matt Jones. He'll give you the raw deal on flying there. You will get good experience just find an instructor there who works well for you. If you're not happy dont be affraid to change instructors.

Dont waste your time on the Jabs, I've priced it up and it works out about $2-3000 different over a CPL. The Jabs are fantastic if you just want to be a fair wx pilot or you're 15 years old and keen to Nav ASAP.