Newbie & Flying Training Advice (Merged)
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Flight school Perth or Melbourne
hey y’all!
I’m thinking of getting my PPL, either heli or airplane, in Australia (Perth or Melbourne) and need some advice on good flight schools! With good I mean great teachers, no online ground school etc. Location doesn’t matter too much.
Good thing about Perth is I have somewhere to stay for free...
hit me!
thanks ⭐️
I’m thinking of getting my PPL, either heli or airplane, in Australia (Perth or Melbourne) and need some advice on good flight schools! With good I mean great teachers, no online ground school etc. Location doesn’t matter too much.
Good thing about Perth is I have somewhere to stay for free...
hit me!
thanks ⭐️
Last edited by miramis; 27th Mar 2019 at 23:19.
Moderator
Also posted in the PPRuNe, Canadian Forum a couple of days ago:
Don't you think you should be deciding where you want to go and what you want to do before asking these questions? 
I am Swedish but planning to become a commercial pilot in Canada (Vancouver area preferably) and settle down there. I have a BIG dilemma though! I'm not sure what type of aircraft to choose?!
I've flown a helicopter R22, a cessna 150/172 and a piper supercub (float). Enjoyed all of them equally!!! (No license yet)
I've flown a helicopter R22, a cessna 150/172 and a piper supercub (float). Enjoyed all of them equally!!! (No license yet)
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sorry what do you mean?
I’m asking because I can see myself flying both heli and airplane commercially, therefore it would be smarter to pick the one with more job opportunities.. Canada and Australia I’ve been told is the better market for both!
so I kinda have to ask about “where” and “what”..
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Currently: A landlocked country with high terrain, otherwise Melbourne, Australia + Washington D.C.
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You'll probably get more flyable days in Perth, but Melbourne might have a busier airspace and therefore have more learning value (apologies if I offended anyone and happy to be corrected if I'm wrong). That being said however, I'm assuming you'll be doing this full time so the weather won't actually be that much of a problem, whether you train in Perth or Melbourne. Because you're doing this full time, you'll be hanging around at the school filling gaps in between flying by learning the material for the written exams. Therefore I'd be looking to add other factors into your decision making process, the city definitely being an important one. Here again, I think you'll find that Melbourne is a much larger city than Perth, and as such has more to offer to young people.
Choosing a school itself has been the subject of many threads on pprune so you should have no trouble finding the answers you're after using the search tool. I can't speak much about schools in Perth but when it comes to those based in Moorabbin, be wary of marketing, shiny looks and seemingly cheap rates. There's no free lunch and you get what you pay for. Ask yourself what type of aircraft the school operates and whether they're the ones you'd want to fly in. Do your research by reading reviews, and talk to them directly. If you have the option to visit and do a trial flight with a couple of them, that'll give you some real insights into what to expect. Finally if you want to mitigate the risk of being stuck with a school you're dissatisfied with, use the fact that you can get a RPL (both for fixed and rotary wings) after some 25-30 hours and change schools to carry on with your PPL. There might be some visa considerations to observe but that's an option that would give you more freedom. If you're happy with your school, you may as well skip the RPL and go straight for the PPL.
I've had positive impressions of a school operating a fleet of Cirrus. Not the cheapest option in town by any standard but I highly liked that they charge on flight switch (as opposed to engine as most schools do) which is more conducive to learning because you won't rush your run-up checks and won't stress if you have to wait for 20' at the holding point. If you were charged on engine time, you'd be spending around 20% of your budget on ground time at a large class D airport like Bankstown or Moorabbin. Lastly they're not cheap but they have very experienced instructors and, with all due respect, there's a strong chance that you'll learn heaps more from a 50 year old instructor who's been flying for 25 years than a 22 year old who just got his instructor rating (again, no offence, I've been instructed very well by junior instructors). Other schools that operate a mix of Pipers and Cessnas have a solid reputation. Then you have a range of newer schools that operate lighter aircraft in both GA and RA. I can't say much about those and only time will tell how successful they are.
Choosing a school itself has been the subject of many threads on pprune so you should have no trouble finding the answers you're after using the search tool. I can't speak much about schools in Perth but when it comes to those based in Moorabbin, be wary of marketing, shiny looks and seemingly cheap rates. There's no free lunch and you get what you pay for. Ask yourself what type of aircraft the school operates and whether they're the ones you'd want to fly in. Do your research by reading reviews, and talk to them directly. If you have the option to visit and do a trial flight with a couple of them, that'll give you some real insights into what to expect. Finally if you want to mitigate the risk of being stuck with a school you're dissatisfied with, use the fact that you can get a RPL (both for fixed and rotary wings) after some 25-30 hours and change schools to carry on with your PPL. There might be some visa considerations to observe but that's an option that would give you more freedom. If you're happy with your school, you may as well skip the RPL and go straight for the PPL.
I've had positive impressions of a school operating a fleet of Cirrus. Not the cheapest option in town by any standard but I highly liked that they charge on flight switch (as opposed to engine as most schools do) which is more conducive to learning because you won't rush your run-up checks and won't stress if you have to wait for 20' at the holding point. If you were charged on engine time, you'd be spending around 20% of your budget on ground time at a large class D airport like Bankstown or Moorabbin. Lastly they're not cheap but they have very experienced instructors and, with all due respect, there's a strong chance that you'll learn heaps more from a 50 year old instructor who's been flying for 25 years than a 22 year old who just got his instructor rating (again, no offence, I've been instructed very well by junior instructors). Other schools that operate a mix of Pipers and Cessnas have a solid reputation. Then you have a range of newer schools that operate lighter aircraft in both GA and RA. I can't say much about those and only time will tell how successful they are.
Last edited by Okihara; 28th Mar 2019 at 16:07.
Mirimis,
Perth, there are some good small schools at Jandakot (and I am not biased -- I am in Sydney) and as Perth is about as far as you can get from Fort Fumble (CASA HQ) things are generally (but not always) reasonably pragmatic.
Have you considered NZ, Canada or the US to start off ---- they all have their advantages, compared to Australia.
Tootle pip!!
Perth, there are some good small schools at Jandakot (and I am not biased -- I am in Sydney) and as Perth is about as far as you can get from Fort Fumble (CASA HQ) things are generally (but not always) reasonably pragmatic.
Have you considered NZ, Canada or the US to start off ---- they all have their advantages, compared to Australia.
Tootle pip!!
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Best place to complete PPL in New Zealand (2019)
Hi all, I've done about 70 hours of flight training in the US and now looking to finish my PPL in New Zealand. Any current recommendations for best flight schools?
There seems to be a good option in Wanaka where the scenery looks spectacular and the school seems really nice but they only have old non-fuel injected 172s. I would rather finish my training in a modern 172, or even better, something with modern avionics.
Any recommendations or tips most appreciated!
There seems to be a good option in Wanaka where the scenery looks spectacular and the school seems really nice but they only have old non-fuel injected 172s. I would rather finish my training in a modern 172, or even better, something with modern avionics.
Any recommendations or tips most appreciated!
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Flight School Recommendations in Melbourne, Australia
Hi folks, helping a relative shortlist Flight Schools in Melbourne, Australia for a Commercial Pilot Training Course. As of now, some of the schools that they're looking at are
1. MELBOURNE FLIGHT TRAINING
2. CAE OXFORD
3. SOAR AVIATION
4. LEARN TO FLY
5. ROYAL VICTORIAN AERO CLUB
Course duration's seem to vary from 12 months – 15 months.
And course fees also seem to vary considerably from school to school.
Any recommendations on any other flights schools apart from the above and info on the topic would be greatly appreciated
(Apologies if this is in the wrong forum)
1. MELBOURNE FLIGHT TRAINING
2. CAE OXFORD
3. SOAR AVIATION
4. LEARN TO FLY
5. ROYAL VICTORIAN AERO CLUB
Course duration's seem to vary from 12 months – 15 months.
And course fees also seem to vary considerably from school to school.
Any recommendations on any other flights schools apart from the above and info on the topic would be greatly appreciated
(Apologies if this is in the wrong forum)
CAE is an overpriced sausage factory. RVAC not much better. MFT is ok and dont touch the rest.
You will waste a lot of time waiting for good weather in Melbourne. Perth is a good option.
You will waste a lot of time waiting for good weather in Melbourne. Perth is a good option.
MFT for Victoria. Ballarat they are based also. Glen is a good operator but the airport is a hole.
Perth and NQAC for abroad. The latter is highly regarded.
Everyone else run a mile. Two on the bottom part of that list especially.
Perth and NQAC for abroad. The latter is highly regarded.
Everyone else run a mile. Two on the bottom part of that list especially.
I would give Busselton Aeroclub a look into in WA. Great weather and competitive prices. Also you could gain a commercial quicker but it’s dependent on you. Biggest problem people face is getting through the theory quick enough. That’s what usually stalled my students.
https://australianaviation.com.au/20...mit-from-2020/
Also takes this into account as it may provide some benefit to you.
Good luck
https://australianaviation.com.au/20...mit-from-2020/
Also takes this into account as it may provide some benefit to you.
Good luck
In the USA you can be done in 6-9 months. If you train in Australia on the East Coast 12 months is the norm due to weather and getting through all the exams.
If you have a choice between FAA or CASA I would take FAA.
If you have a choice between FAA or CASA I would take FAA.