IFR Rating

[leans404]

I was wondering if anyone has any input on where a good place to do a IFR rating is. Preferably down south.

Cheers

[Soulman]

Hey leans404,

You will have to specify how far down south you are talking about coming. If you're referring to Victoria, I'd say give one of the many flying schools at Moorabbin a go - there's plenty around. Most, if not all, conduct IFR ratings, and there is no shortage of operators.

Like I said, you'll have to specify exactly where you are looking to head before anyone can point you in the right direction.

Best of luck with it all.

Cheers,

Souls.

[G-LOK]

An Adelaide based charter company called Air South is offering Multi Engine instument ratings in a Baron (B58) and is following up with ICUS in a Baron and Cheiftain doing night freight. There are also Bandit and King Air endorsements available. Training is based out of Adelaide Airport.

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

johnson aviation at port macquarie, 02 65840484.

the one stop shop for it all, a baron is much more fun than a crappy seminole.

in my opinion, the best place in OZ.

[jetage]

it's actually JohnsTon Aviation

and yes they are a pretty good mob.
IFR ratings are their specialty so it stands to reason that they're good at training for them

i think they're also one of the cheaper operators too

[G11]

Who said anything about a Seminole???

Don't get Air South mixed up with Airlines of SA which runs Tony Kingham Flying School, and is also up for sale in Adelaide.

Air South is a CHARTER company with 5 aircraft : B200, EMB110, Titan, Chieftain and a Baron and has a flying school for ME IFR at Adelaide Airport with a sim and ground school which is good because you can land off an ILS and get familar with primary ATC and SMC.

Also you can get your foot in the door with a good Charter Company which has Turbine aircraft and permanant night freight runs 7 nights a week. I think they also do mining crew changes in their Bandit.

Call them on 08 8234 3244 and ask for Dale, he will help you out.

Good luck, IFR is fun!!


:D

[stremair]

Yea give Dale a call, he is a really nice bloke, a CP and LAME, I spoke to him the other day about charter jobs at Air South and he said Air South is now the biggest charter company in SA so it sounds like a good place to do a rating!!

Also their Baron does 190kts !! Do a rating in that and then some ICUS and it will help you heaps to get some twin work down the track. You can also do a PA31 endorsment and do ICUS in that too.

Good to see a company who follows up with some industry exposure after training. Pretty rare these days.

...........:ok:

[Careful McTavish]

I think that being able to fly some IFR trips straight after doing a rating is very beneficial. Many pilots wait months if not years to get an IFR job after they have a rating and other than the minimums to retain a valid IR many of the useful IF tools are forgotten if not used often, not to mention scan rates and IFR procedures etc.

Good on ya Air South.

[wannalearn]

Does anyone know how the ICUS at air south works? I looked on their website and there is nothing about a flying school or ICUS.
Do you get ICUS as part of the instrument rating package or do you have to pay for it? Can you just pay for ICUS on its own? I notice on their website that they have a titan as well I wonder if you can do endorsements in that?

[Ang737]

If your coming South, Melbourne I assume... Check out Peter Bini Advanced Flight Training at YMMB. Easily the best in Melbourne...

Ang ;)

[G11]

Wannalearn,

I think they have a rate for students and a rate for other pilots. BUT... why don't you just call them and find out.

[Onthegear]

If I have one piece of advice it is this:

DO SOME ICUS BEFORE YOU GO OUT INTO THE BIG WORLD

Flying with an experienced Pilot doing charter is worth a
$#!^load. Especially if you don't have much charter experience, and also if its at night, even better.

Doing a rating at a place that can also employ you as a Pilot will give you a much better chance of getting a job with them too.

[wannalearn]

What do emplyers think of ICUS? Will it really help to get a job? How much ICUS is too much? Anyone with experience in recruitment for GA care to comment?

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

in reality ICUS on any mid size twin when you have 200TT is a waste of money, you will not be offered a job on completion.

by all means pay for 10 hours, but 100 me icus means didly squat.

save your money untill your third renewal and TT of around 1000.

[Onthegear]

Wannalearn

Employers don't see ICUS as a bad thing, U can't fly IFR charter unless u have 10 hrs on type so getting 10 hrs on a twin that is popular i.e a Chieftain, Baron, C310 is handy.

I've seen guys rocking up for charter jobs at a company that has many different twins and these guys have lots of endorsements but are useless cos they don't have 10 hrs on type. Thats what ICUS is used for, getting 10 hrs on type. So really, a type endorsement is useless as far as getting payed work goes unless you have 10 on type. Now some employers will help you get 10 if they need ya but sometimes its the difference between getting a look in or being shown the door.

Best bet is to call some companies you would like to work for in future and ask them what they prefer.

As far as doing 100 hrs, I agree with Rockthrower, not worth a pinch, 10 hrs is enough.

;)

[downwind]

Guys,

I personally think the best place down south to fly at is Peter Binni at Moorabbin, they are a first rate IFR flying school and have been specialising in twin training for years. It is not as big as say GFS, but the quality of PB beats most if not all the schools at MB hands down without a doubt. Steve Pearce the CFI has over 20,000 hrs, so he is well versed on IFR stuff, CPL etc....

[Moo 2]

Have to agree with some of the above posts - Depends on your situation as to what might be best for you. If you have just the bare minimum in hours then any more than 10 hours is probably not what you need. However if you have about 1000 hours with bush time then it might be a foot in the door to get you out of whatever hell hole you may or may not be in. Also if they are doing the ICUS on their night runs then you might be able to kill two birds with one stone, because everyone who has been up north knows that night hours are as rare as hens teeth to get....

[Ash767]

leans404

I can not agree more with Ang737 and Downwind! I did my IFR rating with Peter Bini Advanced Flight Training earlier this year.

They were extremely professional in all pursuits of training. I strongly suggest to give them a ring, and fly with either Steve Pearce or Pete Bishop.

Regards
Ash767:ok:

[FO Cokebottle]

Try Ghris Gobel at Bendigo Aviation Services. Chris is an ex Australian Check and Training Captain (ex thanks to Peter and Bob).

Consider the "pass on" effect of "user pays" charges and fees to the end cost of your rating.

Bendigo council is aviation friendly - or last heard was aviation friendly with nil landing fees. Bendigo is a CTAF - no twr fees.

Bendigo has an NDB. Bendigo is close to Mangalor (also OCTA) for VOR work. Bendigo is close enough to the MEL Terminal Area for YMEN ILS and YMMB/YMAV VOR/NDB.

Bendigo girls.....well not on this forum:ok:

Good luck

[wannalearn]

Seems that Air South have the flying school. It is now on their website-

Air South (http://www.airsouth.com.au/home.htm)

I notice that they do ICUS as well. Does anyone know if the flying school they now operate was the one that was for sale a couple of weeks ago that was I think ASAs MEIFR school that was also based out of Adelaide airport?

[Moo 2]

Nah its not ASA's school - dont know what is happening to that one other than it's for sale?? They are in the process of being taken over by Air North so they have a lot on their plate at the moment...

Got a few hours on the baron....its a beautiful aeroplane...

[leans404]

Thanks to all for your input.

I have elected to go with Air South whose course starts in November.

The icus time was a good idea but I elected to go with the Bandit end. with the co pilot time.

Any way thanks to all your responses

[Howard Hughes]

Got to agree with Ang, Ash and Downwind the only place to do an instrument rating in OZ is PBAFT. Did mine there 15 years ago with Steve, best money I ever spent..............:ok: