info for flying in Australia

[Rockets11]

How's things? I am from Ireland but
I am moving to Perth in June for a while and was hoping to maybe do a bit of flying there.
I have a query regarding PPL flying in Australia. I have been there before, but never looked into the flying proper. Anyway I have around 6 hours done here in Ireland and have the medical done for the PPL in Gatwick.
I will be getting my SPL here in Ireland within the next month and hope to maybe go solo before I leave Ireland if I can. Iv been told il need to get an Australian licence to fly over their. Obviously it would only be a student licence. I like to fly maybe with a club I. Perth if circumstances allowed.
I'm wondering will I be able to keep building hours in Perth or will I be able to have an Australian licence,
Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks
V

[aquadraco]

Hi Rockets; you should be able to find out all you need to know from the CASA website - Civil Aviation Safety Authority - Home (http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:HOMEPAGE::pc=HOME) - and/or post your question on the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific PPRuNe forum for some personal responses.

[On Track]

Hello Rockets.

There is no reason why you should not learn to fly in Australia, but as you know it will be necessary to obtain an Australian SPL. And in order to fly solo, you will also need an Australian medical - Class 2 at least.

To obtain a SPL you will also have to go through the security checking process which is a bit time-consuming, so it's relevant to consider how long you expect to be in Australia.

I suggest you go to Civil Aviation Safety Authority - Home (http://www.casa.gov.au) to look up the requirements for obtaining a SPL. I'm sure any other questions could be answered by the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia... [email protected]

Hope it works out for you. Australia is a country designed for aviation.

[172driver]

Rockets, you say you will be moving to Perth 'for a while'. If you intend to come back to Europe and if you then intend to fly in Europe, be aware that the Oz license is a standalone license, IOW you will have to convert to an EASA license afterwards. It might be better for you to finish your training in Ireland and then validate (as opposed to convert) your EASA license for flying in Oz. It's a somewhat time consuming process (mainly the ASIC - security thingy), but otherwise pretty straightforward.

[tlamdweeb]

Rockets - if you can get your licence before going out to OZ then all well and good; you can get it validated by the Australian authorities, provided you give authority for the Irish authorities to release the info.

I've just completed my NPPL(M) (licence application into the BMAA this pm fingers crossed) and I'm off to Perth next Summer for about 4 years, so hopefully I can build my hours here(!) and then go through the RAA to get my NPPL validated. CASA will have to make enquiries of the CAA as part of that process.

If you can't get your licence before heading over there, I suspect you'll have to enrol in an Australian course and rely on the hours under your belt in Ireland to get you off to a good start. I don't think that they will accept your logged student hours in Ireland towards the award of an Australian licence.

Good luck and perhaps we'll bump into each other over there - from the research I've done so far it looks like a great area to fly around.

[awqward]

You also need to be aware that Australia is one of the most expensive places in the world right now....for everything, not just flying....so take LOTS of money!

[tecman]

There are certainly plenty of options available to you for PPL training. Have a look on the web for Jandakot or Murrayfield training options. There are also a few things you could do to mitigate the effect of the current strong Aussie currency. For example, you might consider training in an RA Aus environment, then doing the relevant upgrade when you return to Ireland. If you train somewhere like the Bunbury Aero Club, you get the same instructors and aircraft as the GA stream. It depends a bit on your long-term goals but the RA route would get you airborne and a licence to explore. I fly in both the GA and RA environments and have no axe to grind either way. But it'd be worth doing a bit of research before you commit. I'd also comment that WA has some of the highest GA training prices in Australia so make sure you shop around before committing yourself to a particular operator. Good luck!

[Fuji Abound]

Not long back from Perth - and it is a fabulous area in which to fly with extremely pleasant weather - as long as you like it hot.

I can confirm the comment made earlier - Perth is an expensive City, my guess being pretty much everything is 50% more than in the UK.

[tlamdweeb]

Have a look at Skysports in York WA - their dry rate for an Ultralight equates to what I'm paying for a C42 over here. Admittedly I'm in Microlight land and you may be set on the GA community...

[ohinever]

Perth is a great place to fly. I got a ppl out there in 2001 when hire of a 172 was approx $120/hr and the exchange rate about 2.7-1 if I recall. I went back over in Feb and May of last year. It is still a lovely place (if a little more globalised and busy - the lovely countryside around Jandakot is now an industrial estate for example) . However it is crazy expensive. Of course the exchange rate halving hasn't helped, but dollar prices have nearly doubled. If I tell you a cheap bottle of plonk in a restaurant was the best part of £40, you can guess how much aviation costs.

In 2003 I went back with a friend and flew around most of Oz in a 172 over a month. The total cost for hire of the pane was about £900 each. Dread to think what that would cost now.

[On Track]

Ohinever, 40 quid for a "cheap" bottle of plonk in a restaurant? You must be joking. I've never paid anywhere near that amount in Australia or anywhere else.

Anyway there's no need to buy wine from a restaurant. There are good BYOs wherever you go in Australasia.

[LowNSlow]

Astrolabe Voyage Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is currently selling at Aus $20/bottle from the "crazy price" online stores. This is roughly £13.50/bottle. A restaurant I used to go to on the Gold Coast is selling this at Aus $50/bottle = £33.30/bottle. Pretty much UK prices then.....

Everything else is at least 40-50% more than the UK. My Irish inlaws are currently living on the Gold Coast and they reckon that it's at least 30% more expensive than Ireland.

As mentioned the ASIC process is time consuming so start it as soon as you get there if you want to go flying to any airports with a tower.

[gileraguy]

You'll need to get your ASIC card sorted out well in advance. Check the CASA website for details of this little gem of a security card.

[Rockets11]

Thanks for your replies. Appreciated. I think I will apply for the SPL here 1st in Ireland and get it validated by the Australian authority.
Also I'm going to look into the ASIC card. I had never hear about before!
Thanks again,
V