Flight training in Australia!

[fabbe92]

Hello, I am looking to go abroad to do my flight training and after investigating places outside europe, Australia seems to be an interesting place. Anyhow, I have a couple of questions that I can´t seem to figure out.

Can I do the ATPL in europe and do the rest in Australia? I´ve heard that you need some sort of permission to do that.

Is it much more expensive to train and live in Australia compared to the states and europe?

And with all the schools I´ve looked up here on pprune and on google, wich is the best modular school to date, that offers good quality and a reasonable price. Preferably, close to Sydney.

Are there any disadvantages/advantages for a European person that is looking to train JAA and thereafter have the same oppurtunities as the guy that did the same thing in Europe or the US.

Thanks!

[redsnail]

There are only 2 schools in Australia that do JAA/EASA training.
One is in Western Australia, see WAAC (http://www.waaviationcollege.com.au/courses/JARModular/index.asp) and there's one in Victoria,Oxford (http://www.oaa.com/pages/about_us/locations/melbourne.php).

I don't know the Melbourne set up WRT to Oxford. The WAAC has been going a little while now. Note, for the IR you will be doing that in the UK.

Not sure what you mean by ATPL in Europe? That's 1500 hours worth including 500 hours multi pilot. That's a tad expensive to fund.

If you want EASA/JAA, at this point in time, there are no accredited schools near Sydney. You'll have to go to Melbourne or Perth.

Australia is a bit more expensive than the US but a lot cheaper than the UK. You'll need to factor in airfares and accommodation/living expenses. The flying rules appear to be more similar in Australia than in the US. (I have only flown twice in the States. Both times leaving!)

No difference wrt to jobs etc. You'll be doing the IR in the UK/Europe and that's where the "fun" is. The biggest difference is how disciplined you are when "hour building". Faffing around versus setting decent challenges and goals. That's the difference.

[fabbe92]

What I mean by ATPL is the ATPL-ground school. My plan is to do the ground school in Europe, most likely the UK and then head off to Australia to do the CPL/ME/IR etc.

I found a school in Sydney that have many students from Europe. www.basair.com/au (http://www.basair.com/au) isn´t this JAA?

[redsnail]

I have had a quick look around their site and I cannot see where they say they conduct JAA/EASA training. Indians train there and I would ignore their boast about fleet size.

They definitely do Australian stuff but that's no good unless you do all the ground school stuff too. (PPL and CPL).

I would do a lot more research on them too, I have had no dealings with them.

You could of course do an Australian CPL and then convert it in the UK... You'd just have to do the 14 EASA exams, some flying and the IR.

As I posted, I believe there are only 2 JAA accredited schools in Australia. If you don't see the initials JAA or EASA and the word accredited (or similar) then it's not.

[fabbe92]

OK, I see. I have been trying to fins some information about OAA in victoria but they don´t seem to have a website? I can enter the oaa.com website and find some brief information about the locations but nothing about prices, course details and so on. I can see the course info on oaa.com but that is based on the UK/US locations. nothing about Australia.

[nastyevil110]

Take my advice dont do that in AUSTRALIA get your hours done in USA then come back to uk/europe for the rest AUSTRALIA is very expensive, if you look at the rates and convert them in £ or euro you spot the difference and living is very expensive in AUSTRALIA and yeah airfare will cost you more than $4000. rest is up to u

[fabbe92]

Yeah but I have heard really bad things about the US training. I´m not rich and therefore a reasonable price would be good but priority number one is good quality training, fleets, instructors and that I actually learn the right stuff. I´ve heard really bad things about the JAA schools in the US.

The only schools in the states that I haven´t heard crap about, are the CATS partners. I am thinking about www.aviationpacific.ino (http://www.aviationpacific.ino) in California and www.flyeasa (http://www.flyeasa) in Florida. No info found here on PPRUNE though.

[samdaman]

I would echo nastyevils sentiments and advise to have other options open. I have trained in Aus and after talking to friends who already had CPL from other countries, I realized I should have done some more research before choosing Aus. Aus was cheaper in the past now prices have sky rocketed and I would be careful what school to choose from too, as Aussie immigration cancelled accredition of couple of schools in the past for unfair treatment towards students.

NZ is a very good option if studied in lenght. Similar training, great people I have known.

I too was not rich like you and ended up borrowing a lot lot more than the quoted price to get just my CPL. Training standard is great but when it comes to forking out the cash, I have other options in my mind now.

Cheers

[ReverseFlight]

Guys, the other JAR course in Australia is ISEA:
Now offering the JAR ATPL Integrated Program in Australia (http://www.isea.edu.au/page/)

[OZvandriver]

My only advice for training in Australia is:

Do NOT go to Australian Wings Academy.

This piece of advice will potentially save you a lot of money and anxiety!

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

Unless you are an Australian resident, there is no point doing Australian qualifications past PPL here if your ultimate aim is JAA.

The most cost effective way to a JAA licence is:

Do the PPL and build up to 175 hours here in Australia.

Then, go to Europe and do the exams and the CPL, IR modules etc there.

No converions to do, no hassle with visas, costs a fraction of the price of an integrated course, have the holiday of a lifetime while building hours, get some real flying done ... rather than spend a fortune to on an integrated course at a sausage factory with inexperienced instructors ... because the funny "bling" uniform is really all you are paying the extra for.

[Hangonawing]

True AWA rates are high!!!

While ago i heard lot of good things about wings from some of my omani buddies.

There are very good well trained and experienced instructors there.

Since TOM da Dickinson joined the wings team wings lost heaps of students + the whole system was ruined.

I think the conditions will improve now since Tom da dickinson is fired!!