PPL from USA in Sydney - share hours/cost?

[elaineo]

Greetings,

I have a PPL from the US, with about 300 hours mostly in single engine Cessnas and Pipers. I am a visiting scholar at the University of Sydney this year, and am looking into getting checked out to fly here. I will most likely join Schofields out of Bankstown after reading some reviews here.

I was very shocked at how high the aircraft rates are out here :eek: I'm not trying to build hours and I don't have airline transport pilot aspirations, I just want to see what it's like to fly out here :) I was wondering if there are other pilots interested in sharing flight time and splitting costs. If this isn't the right place to look, could someone direct me to the correct forum?

Cheers,
Elaine

[Owen Stanley]

Elaine,

Not only are the rates high, you will get to fly 30+ year old aircraft for the priviledge of handing over your money :ugh:

I personally don't think looking on pprune will find you the best hour sharing partners. I'd suggest that finding the school you are most comfortable with then telling them what you want. They will have students/PPL's in a similar position to yourself and go from there :ok:

Oh, and Class E airspace as you know it is not exactly Class E in Australia, be careful of that, you might find yourself on the end of an ESIR :ugh:

[VH-XXX]

With the conversion rate from USD to Australian Peso in your favour, our hourly rates are a cafe lunch for you guys.

[Ted D Bear]

Elaine

If you join Schoies (that will cost you too :uhoh:), you can put a 'classified' on their website (Schofields Flying Club Home Page (http://www.schofields-flying-club.com.au/)) inviting other pilots to contact you if they're interested in sharing.

Ted

[TLAW]

...........

[Peter Fanelli]

Not only are the rates high, you will get to fly 30+ year old aircraft for the priviledge of handing over your money


Get over it.

[Ted D Bear]

Elaine

Check your private messages (PMs)

Ted

[elaineo]

Thanks very much for the replies!

I don't mind flying 30+ year old aircraft, as rentals tend to be older all over the world :)

The USD is only about 1.1 AUD these days... it was almost 2x AUD about ten years ago. Hiring aircraft would have been cheap back then :)

I sent a message to Schofield's a couple days ago but have not gotten a response... I will probably just drop by the airport next weekend.

Do pilots down here fly from the left seat or the right?? :confused:

[mates rates]

normally the L/H seat but there is no legal requirement for that.

[frigatebird]

Elaine
In the interests of American/Australian good relations, you can fly my old H model on a local flight from the left seat as long as I am in the right..! when you get to Queensland..

[elaineo]

frigatebird -
be careful, i might find my way to QLD and take you up on that! :E