Hour building, any ideas? Australia?

[Just another student]

I have run a search and could not find any real relevant info so here I go. I am looking for a place to do some serious hour building in the very near future. Obviously the main aim apart from logging the hours, is to save some money. I am not even considering hour building in the U.K. for obvious reasons;) (prices) Does anyone have recommendations for any schools in Australia/NZ? I have a feeling that any money saved would be spent on the flight there, however I would have free accomodation so thats a bonus!(family living in Aus/NZ) Any schools in Cairns?
I know that probably my best bet is to go back to the U.S. however I like to look at all possibilities! Well............ its a break from study:D

Cheers

[redsnail]

Yep, I got 99% of my hours in Oz. All 4500 of them! ;)

I can't remember Basair's in Sydney's website details. It is a very good website with lots of good info. However, a friend went there and he wasn't that happy. Look up CASA's (http://www.casa.gov.au) for more info re temporary PPL's.
I got a mate that runs a flying school at Bankstown and Coff's Harbour, NSW. She runs Aerospace Aviation. I flew with them recently and I found her instructors to be quite good. I can't remember the rates off hand but the Partenavia was about $280/hr dual. Aerospace does have a website...
I can recommend flying around Coff's. Very scenic.
Cairns is good as it is coming into the Dry Season now and the weather is pretty stable and not too hot.
If you can look up yellowpages.com.au (or whatever the URL is) do a search for flying school/aeroclubs and it should point you in the right direction re Cairns. I know there is a very good school at Innisfail about an hour or so down the road from Cairns.

You'll have a great time flying in Oz. The navigation and RT will stand you in good stead for when you return to the UK. The RT is very similar. Plus you'll have a really enjoyable holiday.

[Just another student]

Thanks for the info, it would be great to do some flying in Australia! As a JAA licence holder, would it be easy to log hours in Aus or would a conversion be needed? I would be looking to go in February, what is the weather like then? Coolish or kinda warm?:cool:

[redsnail]

Kinda warm? It's hot in Feb!
It will be hard to avoid the heat then. Feb is usually Sydney's hottest month. Up north it is well into the monsoonal season.
However, all is not lost. If you plan to fly early and avoid the build ups you'll be fine. By early I mean plan to be airborne by 8 or 9 and be on the ground by 2ish.
By heat, Sydney temps. Ave 26 deg C Humidity about 60%. (you can be unlucky and get a cool patch (`22 deg C). Cairns = 33 deg C humidity about 80%! Drink lots of water, carry lots of water when flying. Have a look at .Bureau of Meteorology (http://www.bom.gov.au) for more weather info.
Go to the CASA website and have a look. I know you can get a temporary permit based on your JAR one. I think a medical and a checkride is necessary. Expect a checkride any way before hiring a plane. Now, Oz isn't the mega slack country some people think it is. You will have to demonstrate that you can navigate. So, revise your skills (on the ground) before spending any of your hard earned cash. Trust me, if you do it properly the skills you'll gain will help you when you go for your CPL.
Also remember, you have to have fun :D

[Irv]

I think it makes better (more rounded) pilot to fly in other countries, etc, even if it is just a shepparded hour when on vacation, so I'd encourage anyone to fly where-ever they are. Hours building - well, it's not just the price is it, it's find the right weather (= predictable).
I've had fun weeks in Florida (even in summer when it's not perfect but is predictable b yhour of day!) and also South Africa knocking on some hours - usually v predictable too. I only have recent rates from the SA place (Algoa) (www.algoafc.co.za )and they are:
> C150/C152 dual is R590; hire is R460
> C172 dual is R700 and hire is R570
>
Rand is somewhere around 15 I think. I'm sure others have recent USD prices.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Far be it from me to try and talk somebody out of a jolly to Oz, a friend of mine has just flown a microlight all the way around it, and seems to have had a wonderful time.

But, I do think that potentially the cheapest way to gain hours is to buy a cheap PFA single seater and fly the pants off it. Let's say you want 500 hrs....

500hrs x cheap rental (£50/hr) = £25k
+ £1000 or so to get there and back, and miscellaneous expenses.

= £26k

Lets say you buy a minimax at about £5k.
500hrs x £20/hr = £10k
Sell it desperately in need of TLC for £3k

Total = £12k.


If you wanted 100 hrs, it would come out at about £6000 to go and fly a cheap rental around Oz and about £4k with something like a Minimax. Looks like the break-even is probably around 80 hrs.


Just making the point really that there are more than one way to skin the cat.

G

[Just another student]

Yes I could see that buying a cheap plane and just fly, fly, fly, could work out well economically, however I guess it wudn't be as simple as that:)

[Troy McClure]

Basair's website is basair.com.au

Seem a pretty good outfit. I hired an Archer from Illawarra too, right next door at Bankstown.

There's some great flying in Australia and cost of living is half that in the US. More than 3 or 4 weeks and you've saved your airfare in accommodation bills alone.

And you can fly on your CAA medical. You'll just need an Australian Special Pilots Licence ($50 while you wait - CASA office within sight of Basair / Illawarra) which lasts as long as your home licence is current.

Airspace etc is v different though. Expect quite a long period of check-outs before they'll let you leave.

[Just another student]

Hi Troy starred in any famous films recently;) Does anyone know the standard required for these check rides? From what info I have gathered they seem pretty stringent, almost as if they don't trust foreign students:D They sound like a 'full on' skills test! I might have free accomodation out there which is the main incentive for going, along with cheap flying, good weather and great booze:cool: South Africa is really out of the question, I have to give consideration as to what my family think and they would not be happy with me going there! Has anyone been to Aus hour building? If so what are your experiences?

Cheers

and

[Just another student]

I would consider SA, however I don't intend to go against my family in order to go. I would not feel safe staying in SA to be honest. I know people who have lived there who have said"great country but crime is a BIG problem." Sure every country has its rough parts, however SA's reputation goes before it! :(

[A and C]

I have rented from basair at bankstown and if the australia route is the one that you wish to go down then they would get my recomendation.

If you want to know more about Basair and or flying in australia from the point of view of a visiting pilot then email me.

[NickGreen]

In all of my trips to South Africa I have never seen any problems, whereas I live in North London and have to confront it every day! Common sense is the best protection - not fear. Besides, Port Elizabeth SA is perhaps the most friendly place I've been to in years. I did my PPL there last June, it was fantastic. Don't be put off by scaremongers - tip top training, cheap hours, superb weather, friendly atmosphere, relaxed and jovial. I haven't found its equal in the UK yet - although Popham is close (almost). Look up the club Irv mentions - they're a non profit organisation with 30 years behind them. The a/c are well maintained and the instructors incredibly well organised. The controlled airspace around PE is also great for the RT and procedures. With the exchange rate as it is you'll regret not considering it.

[flyboy6876]

Hi

If you want some more info on cost of flying etc. in Australia, there is some good, indicative information on our club website - www.racwa.asn.au .

Perth is a great place to fly, with fairly good weather all year round and Jandakot is supposedly the busiest GA airport in the southern hemisphere, so lots of good experience.

Hope this helps and if you head down this way, drop me a line and I'll introduce you round the club.

AB

[planepaper]

Perth Western Australia!

No better place to learn to fly or build those hours
the country is your oyster.
weathers perfect most of the time too
if you want drop us an email and i will let you know some great places to go and suggest a few people to talk to.

[Aussie Andy]

I'd also suggest Port Macquarie - a couple of hours up the coast from Sydney, see http://www.portaero.com.au/Location.htm Maybe cheaper than Sydney? Certainly a lovely place...