Learning to Fly in Australia

[Sarl]

Please could someone out there help?
My son has arranged a 12 month sabbatical in 2005 and will be heading for Australia.
He wants to gain his PPL while he is there and I wondered if anybody can provide details of a flying school and an indication of potential cost if he were to do it full time.
Also what might be the complications in returning to the UK and converting his qualification to UK requirements?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Aussie Andy]

Flying in Australia is certainly cheaper than it is here - about 1/3rd of the cost in my experience!

An excellent website to start from is http://www.basair.com.au as they have a really good set of FAQ's about the process of getting an Australian license.

Basair is one of the big schools at Sydney's major GA airfield, Bankstown (YSBK). See http://www.bankstownairport.com.au.

I can personally recommend another club at Bankstown that I have rented from when visiting Sydney (whcih is my home town): Schofields Flying Club are really great. See there website at http://www.schofields-flying-club.com.au/ (all of this reminds me: these are excellent websites, I wonder why we don't tend to see such good ones for UK flying clubs and airfields!?).

If you wan to know more, you could post a question in the Australia/NZ PPRUNE forums (known as "Dunnunda and Godzone") - try this one: http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=2&forumid=91

Hope this helps,


Andy

p.s. a view to tempt anyone thinking of flying in Sydney: this is what it looks like when you orbit at the harbour... easy to get ATC permission for this if you ask nicely!

http://www.schofields-flying-club.com.au/images/bridge.jpg

[Sarl]

Aussie Andy

Thanks for a great response and so quickly.

I will certainly be acting on your last paragraph and have already looked at the Basair site and reported details of your post to my son.

Thanks again

[AIRWAY]

p.s. a view to tempt anyone thinking of flying in Sydney

Beautiful :} Amazing :ok: What a view :E

Hopefully will be doing the comercial side of my licence in Oz ( im currently a PPL student )

Good weather all year round, talking about weather i better cancel my slot for saturday, it looks like i wont be flying at all,rain and strong winds on the way :mad:

[On Track]

Sarl and Airway,

I endorse Aussie Andy's remarks, but feel free to PM me if you want some more information about flying in the Sydney region.

I'm not sure how much hassle is involved in converting an Australian PPL or CPL into a British or JAR one, but learning to fly in Australia is certainly a much cheaper way to obtain the basic skills.

[sickBocks]

Another recommendation for Schofields. I was over last New Year and managed to get checked-out and off solo in a matter of hours (with around 6 weeks booking notice via email). Nice atmosphere with friendly receptionists (something lacking in the UK).

Infact Andy, I was there the day after you in Jan 2003 (and am ex-BAFC too). Small world.

sB

[nipper1]

I did 10 hours of safety flying and aerobatics at Sydney Aerobatic School (also at Bankstown) shortly after completing my PPL here in the UK. I can honestly say it saved my life a few months later when I had an engine failure and forced landing back in England.

They do everything from ab-initio PPL through to advanced aerobatics and IR. The instructors are mostly ex-Aussie Air Force with a tough but fair attitude. I learned more in ten hours with them than I did in more than 50 hours getting my initial PPL.

I cannot recommend them highly enough.

http://www.sydneyaerobatics.com.au/

[The Nr Fairy]

Not f/w I know, but I did my Oz PPL(H) at Bankstown - had to convert to a UK one when I came home, but the basic skills were the same. And if you can wangle it, get a ride up the heli-lanes - the bridge looks a damn sight better from 500' over the southern pylon, and it gives the bridge climbers something to wave at.