Cracked the s**** with Sydney... and considering Perth
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Cracked the s**** with Sydney... and considering Perth
I'm doing my PPL in Sydney and am doing navs....
But I've reached the conclusion, after having 6 of my last 8 navs cancelled due to weather that if you actually need to get somewhere out of Sydney, you need to either fly IFR or get in a car. The Blue Mountains/ Gt Dividing Range mean that it's either cloudy in Sydney, low viz in Sydney or cloudy over the mountains or thunderstorms and rain.
I work overseas, and I just don't have time to hang around waiting for weather with the majority of my navs cancelled. I know you can get weather cancellations anywhere, but the 70-80% cancellation rate in Sydney is getting a bit silly.
So I'm considering going to Perth where the weather is better and more predictable and the Darling Escarpment is at least 1000 feet lower than the terrain around Sydney. I've already found a school with the same a/c type that I'm flying now.
How's the flying in Perth out of Jandakot? Are there any weather problems in Perth I don't know about?
And can some Perth based VFR pilots comment about how often you cancel your flights?
But I've reached the conclusion, after having 6 of my last 8 navs cancelled due to weather that if you actually need to get somewhere out of Sydney, you need to either fly IFR or get in a car. The Blue Mountains/ Gt Dividing Range mean that it's either cloudy in Sydney, low viz in Sydney or cloudy over the mountains or thunderstorms and rain.
I work overseas, and I just don't have time to hang around waiting for weather with the majority of my navs cancelled. I know you can get weather cancellations anywhere, but the 70-80% cancellation rate in Sydney is getting a bit silly.
So I'm considering going to Perth where the weather is better and more predictable and the Darling Escarpment is at least 1000 feet lower than the terrain around Sydney. I've already found a school with the same a/c type that I'm flying now.
How's the flying in Perth out of Jandakot? Are there any weather problems in Perth I don't know about?
And can some Perth based VFR pilots comment about how often you cancel your flights?
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You don't get too many cancellations here.
Wx has been 10/8 Blue here for longer than I can remember.
Only problem is the circuit congestion at JT with half the world's fleet of C172's belonging to Singapore College all doing circuits.
otherwise it's as good a flying environment as you get anywhere.
Wx has been 10/8 Blue here for longer than I can remember.
Only problem is the circuit congestion at JT with half the world's fleet of C172's belonging to Singapore College all doing circuits.
otherwise it's as good a flying environment as you get anywhere.
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In general the south west is pretty good, although in a month or two the frontal season will start where there is quite a few days of impractical training VFR weather. Just when the weather over in Sydney will be fine! But in general go Perth you will have better weather than Sydney! good luck!
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Today's ex-YSBK nav got cancelled, due to low cloud and thunderstorms.
Yesterdays nav got cancelled due to low cloud. Training area was also no-go due to low viz.
Before that was cancelled due to turbulence and cloud.
Due to the terrain around Sydney, you can even have almost clear skies in Sydney, almost clear skies inland but cloud on the ground over the Blue Mountains which you have to cross to get anywhere.
One of the instructors told me there was a 5 week period a while back when there wasn't any VFR flying... not even circuits because there was cloud hanging around at 1000 feet AAL for weeks which just didn't go away.
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For suggestions other than Perth - for me it has to be either Sydney or Perth as I've got friends/family in Perth and in Sydney.
Yesterdays nav got cancelled due to low cloud. Training area was also no-go due to low viz.
Before that was cancelled due to turbulence and cloud.
Due to the terrain around Sydney, you can even have almost clear skies in Sydney, almost clear skies inland but cloud on the ground over the Blue Mountains which you have to cross to get anywhere.
One of the instructors told me there was a 5 week period a while back when there wasn't any VFR flying... not even circuits because there was cloud hanging around at 1000 feet AAL for weeks which just didn't go away.
===
For suggestions other than Perth - for me it has to be either Sydney or Perth as I've got friends/family in Perth and in Sydney.
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Seagull for an instructor?
Yesterdays nav got cancelled due to low cloud.
Admittedly crap today, but I'd have thought the majority of days over the last couple of months have been great for VFR!
Today at YPJT was balmy CAVOK and 24C.
I can't wait for the rain to come
But yes it is coming to the time when we will get the frontal weather as someone suggested earlier. But you can still get a few pearler days such as today in there!
Last few days the circuit hasn't even been too busy!
I can't wait for the rain to come
But yes it is coming to the time when we will get the frontal weather as someone suggested earlier. But you can still get a few pearler days such as today in there!
Last few days the circuit hasn't even been too busy!
January April is not a good time weather wise in Sydney basin for VFR. The next few months should be pretty good. Cool clear days. Perth gets most of its rain in June and July (but not as much as Sydney gets in the summer)
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Right - today's ex-Bankstown nav has just been cancelled, this time due to unscheduled aircraft maintenance.
For those familiar with Perth weather in May; I remember from when I was living in Perth that you can get a lot of cloudy days starting around this time of year... but that was before I started flying and I didn't pay any attention to what type of cloud, how far inland it goes, how high the base is etc etc...
Any Perth VFR pilots care to comment on typical flying weather in mid May?
cheers.
For those familiar with Perth weather in May; I remember from when I was living in Perth that you can get a lot of cloudy days starting around this time of year... but that was before I started flying and I didn't pay any attention to what type of cloud, how far inland it goes, how high the base is etc etc...
Any Perth VFR pilots care to comment on typical flying weather in mid May?
cheers.
Mate I suggest you have a look around he airfield and see if the decisions being made by your school are aligned with those of other schools.
If you are looking for a career in aviation you need to be exposed to a range of weather conditions so you understand what you can do, what you can't do, what is an acceptable risk and what is not.
I am all for "safety" but sometimes I suspect BK instructors are scared of flying and/or they think a bit of rain might cause their gold bars to shrink
If you are looking for a career in aviation you need to be exposed to a range of weather conditions so you understand what you can do, what you can't do, what is an acceptable risk and what is not.
I am all for "safety" but sometimes I suspect BK instructors are scared of flying and/or they think a bit of rain might cause their gold bars to shrink
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I normally fly out of Northam. It's about 100k east of Perth and NO congested airspace to worry about although flight training is moving out of Jandakot to Northam with a couple of schools already having made the move.
In 15 years of flying from there I've only had to cancel night VFR slots because of the weather (mainly cloud base below VFR minima but otherwise fine).
In 15 years of flying from there I've only had to cancel night VFR slots because of the weather (mainly cloud base below VFR minima but otherwise fine).
I'm with 'sisemen'.......
Northam - excellent area for training. No congestion, lots of wide open spaces, navaids within easy reach if required (YCUN) and the usual low crappy cloud over Perth around May - those 'April showers that come in May' - seems to break up just over the Darling Range, meaning that Northam has more suitable flying days than does JT...usually...
Friendly aero club.......
Cheers
Northam - excellent area for training. No congestion, lots of wide open spaces, navaids within easy reach if required (YCUN) and the usual low crappy cloud over Perth around May - those 'April showers that come in May' - seems to break up just over the Darling Range, meaning that Northam has more suitable flying days than does JT...usually...
Friendly aero club.......
Cheers
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Vent
I need to have a rant to get this out of my system...
I'm really pissed off with flying in Sydney. I'm on my third Sydney school and third aircraft type.
My first school, I did 1.5 weeks with them; had to return overseas to work. When I came back about a year later, they had gone bankrupt. Had another break.
Next I went to Aerospace Aviation and a new aircraft type. Did about 1.5 weeks with them last year; went well although I still got plenty of cancelled flights due to weather even though I was only doing circuits and training area. Turned up again in Feb, did a Tuesday flight with them, a Friday flight with them, turned up at 8am on Saturday for my next flight to find a notice on the front door saying they had gone into liquidation overnight. Had to call up my bank to cancel the advance I'd put on account with them. Bye bye second school.
School no. 3 (not necessary to say which one, but there's only two schools left at YSBK now anyway; all the others have gone bankrupt) and another aircraft type. I'm quite happy with the school, but I'm still getting a lot of weather cancellations. If this is over-conservativism or genuinely non-VFR weather, I don't have the experience to say. FYI a few weeks after I joined this new school, Proflight (Proflyte?) down the road also went bust. Lucky I didn't go with them after Aerospace went bust or I'd now be on my fourth school.
So overall, IMHO, learning to fly in Sydney is a waste of time. And if you are not getting paid because you have taken time off work to train, it's a waste of money as well.
I've decided to cut my losses since I've already been away from work for a month longer than I should have been. I'll discontinue flying in Sydney for good (even once I get my PPL I still reckon you would be better off driving if you want to get anywhere if you are leaving from Sydney). I'll complete my PPL next trip and it is almost certainly going to be in Perth. Rant over....
I'm really pissed off with flying in Sydney. I'm on my third Sydney school and third aircraft type.
My first school, I did 1.5 weeks with them; had to return overseas to work. When I came back about a year later, they had gone bankrupt. Had another break.
Next I went to Aerospace Aviation and a new aircraft type. Did about 1.5 weeks with them last year; went well although I still got plenty of cancelled flights due to weather even though I was only doing circuits and training area. Turned up again in Feb, did a Tuesday flight with them, a Friday flight with them, turned up at 8am on Saturday for my next flight to find a notice on the front door saying they had gone into liquidation overnight. Had to call up my bank to cancel the advance I'd put on account with them. Bye bye second school.
School no. 3 (not necessary to say which one, but there's only two schools left at YSBK now anyway; all the others have gone bankrupt) and another aircraft type. I'm quite happy with the school, but I'm still getting a lot of weather cancellations. If this is over-conservativism or genuinely non-VFR weather, I don't have the experience to say. FYI a few weeks after I joined this new school, Proflight (Proflyte?) down the road also went bust. Lucky I didn't go with them after Aerospace went bust or I'd now be on my fourth school.
So overall, IMHO, learning to fly in Sydney is a waste of time. And if you are not getting paid because you have taken time off work to train, it's a waste of money as well.
I've decided to cut my losses since I've already been away from work for a month longer than I should have been. I'll discontinue flying in Sydney for good (even once I get my PPL I still reckon you would be better off driving if you want to get anywhere if you are leaving from Sydney). I'll complete my PPL next trip and it is almost certainly going to be in Perth. Rant over....
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Here is an idea, only just up the road, plenty of good wines grown locally....just in moderation hey!
The owner is a nice bloke, and seems to know what he is doing, despite what horatio leafblower says!
:: Airspeed Aviation | Home ::
Give them a call, or go to SE QLD, not as cold just not as far as Perth!
The owner is a nice bloke, and seems to know what he is doing, despite what horatio leafblower says!
:: Airspeed Aviation | Home ::
Give them a call, or go to SE QLD, not as cold just not as far as Perth!
AW, come on 'BL'.......
We complain about the airspace, and THAT doesn't get us anywhere......
We complain about the Politics, and THAT doesn't get us anywhere.......
WE CAN complain about the weather, and guess wot..?? We CAN do something about it....we can actually move to a better locale......
Like, who would want to do all of their training at the South Pole??
Or, in say, Darwin in the middle of 'the wet'...and expect CAVOK??
If this guy is 'time limited' then why not seek a better location..??
Cheers
p.s. Come 'west' young man......
We complain about the airspace, and THAT doesn't get us anywhere......
We complain about the Politics, and THAT doesn't get us anywhere.......
WE CAN complain about the weather, and guess wot..?? We CAN do something about it....we can actually move to a better locale......
Like, who would want to do all of their training at the South Pole??
Or, in say, Darwin in the middle of 'the wet'...and expect CAVOK??
If this guy is 'time limited' then why not seek a better location..??
Cheers
p.s. Come 'west' young man......
