Newbie & Flying Training Advice (Merged)

[jjhews]

Just a few things to be mindul of if picking Melbourne. If possible, I would recommend another state, WA or QLD with year-round sunshine and exclude VIC altogether. Waiting for good weather in Melbourne can extend your course by considerable time; from first hand experience. If you're on a student visa, this is a headache. Likely 6 months 9 months addtional. A non-defined course end date that keeps moving due to weather gets quite costly. Extentions on accomocation, living expenses - if you were expecting to be done in 15 months - all get blown out.

If your relative must definitelty come to Melbourne, I trained at CAE and can only speak for my experience there; you're free to message me.

Goodluck

[lazyfrost]

Limping on my RPL

Hello,

I got my RPL several months ago and had intended to start working on my PPL late last year but due to some personal obligations, I had to postpone starting my navigation training several times. I'm currently scheduled to start that training later this month but again, due to other obligations pulling at my financial resources, I suspect that at some point I will have to pause training yet again thus stay on the RPL for longer. To try and keep myself proficient I've been going up with an instructor for a hour or so every couple weeks.

So I've got a couple of questions;

1. How can a person like me with an RPL and without a navigation endorsement easily rent an aircraft in the Melbourne area (YMMB) at a decent price wet/dry? A quick search says most require PPL + some significant PIC time, both of which I don't have. Currently renting from my flying school but that is on the high side.
2. Should I stick with the DA40 (w/G1000 glass cockpit/manual prop)? I currently fly the DA40 and despite loving the plane and finding it easy to handle, it is on the higher side from a cost perspective. The only other planes I've flown are Foxbats + Sling2s. I'd prefer not to fly light sport but I'm considering converting to another GA aircraft if the cost savings are significant enough. What GA aircraft would fit the bill?
3. Should I join RaaAus or AOPA Australia? I was with RaaAus but I cancelled that membership as I wasn't finding a lot of value. I looked at AOPA as well and the benefits are vaguely listed on their site. Ultimately I'm looking at ways to keep up with what's happening in the aviation community and hopefully find some mentors as I slowly work towards my PPL.
4. Is it worth joining aero clubs? If so which are the decent ones in Melbourne?
5. In the event that I stay on an RPL for the rest of the year, are there great places to fly out of in the Melbourne area without busting the 25nm limit?
6. Any recommendations for PPL practice exams?

Thanks for the help.

[quarryking]

Originally Posted by pilotchute

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.

Any recommendations for the USA? There seems to be a plethora of schools there ..!!

[quarryking]

Originally Posted by jjhews

Just a few things to be mindul of if picking Melbourne. If possible, I would recommend another state, WA or QLD with year-round sunshine and exclude VIC altogether. Waiting for good weather in Melbourne can extend your course by considerable time; from first hand experience. If you're on a student visa, this is a headache. Likely 6 months 9 months addtional. A non-defined course end date that keeps moving due to weather gets quite costly. Extentions on accomocation, living expenses - if you were expecting to be done in 15 months - all get blown out.

If your relative must definitelty come to Melbourne, I trained at CAE and can only speak for my experience there; you're free to message me.

Goodluck

Many thanks for the info on the whole VIC Flight Training scene. Any schools you’d recommend in WA or QLD ?

[Andy_G]

1. You can fly cheaply in Melbourne, there are plenty of planes, just not at the schools.

2. DA40 is inherently expensive, so is a late model c172, so is anything new, why? Glass cockpit and all the bells and whistles$$$$$. Going to go for APTL one day? stick to those planes. Want to go with just the PPL and actually fly just for the fun of flying? All you need is an ol’ C152/C172 with a six pack and an IPAD strapped to your leg. That about the only level of tech you’ll ever need. Don’t forget to actually look out the window from time to time, it’s actually quite nice.

3. AOPA is all about looking after us persons in aviation. They fight, and they fight hard. They are the squeaky wheel that goes in for the underdog. I pay my yearly subscription and all I expect from them is representation and advocacy on all our behalf. I grin when see those senate hearings of when the regulator is squirming in their seat and AOPA is kicking goals all over the place. Do you want to look after your flying future and rights?

4. Aero clubs. Why aren’t you in one already? Yes they are cheaper, much cheaper. Just think for a moment why that might be. Hell, I rent a C182q for 240 bucks an hour wet! Beat that! Also a C172n for 190 an hour!,(both planes equipped with gps and autopilot) I would bet the farm you’re getting charged more than that to circuit bash in a Foxbat at Moorabbin. Go to Point cook, Lilydale or Tyabb. Another bonus, the people you meet there are not trying to cut a hole in your pocket, in fact they’re like minded souls who are there to discuss aviation, enjoy the company and probably ask you to come flying.

5. I remember a fella like you when I was at point cook. He was concerned about the 25 mile thing and where he could go. Well, Point cook is just made for it. If you draw a circle measurement on google earth, you’ll be nicely surprised what you see. Eg, you can take off from point cook, turn east to the city, do a city orbit, then track south coastal, fly the beaches all the way down to the narrows at point Lonsdale, track via ocean grove beach, head over geelong, then pass overhead Avalon airport, and then strait in for a landing back at point cook. All about 110nm. That could be about a 1 ½ hour flight if you took your time and slowed it down a little bit. You could even take a passenger, heck why not ask a PPL to come along, and hey presto! You can leave that 25nm zone as long as they are PIC, but guess what- that is what aero clubs are all about, cost sharing and fun sharing. (tip- that is the one of the beat scenic flights you’ll ever do in your region).

6. Bob taits theory books and online practice tests. And join an aero club, other pilots will give you advice and help.

[lazyfrost]

Thanks for the tips Andy_G . Didn't even know Point Cook was an option, always just assumed it was RAAF only. I'm going to look at some clubs down at Tyabb. Thanks again.

[mrhello]

Hi everyone,

Was just looking to get a few reccomendations if possible! Currently PPL with approx 100 hours but I haven't flown in about 4 or so years. Medical is up to date so I was wondering if anyone has any reccomendations on where I could get back up to speed/ do a BFR?

I live just west of Melbourne. I know theres Bacchus of course and also Essendon (although I know theres expensive landing fees there), but thought I'd put it out there in case theres somewhere I haven't thought of?

Also, once I do get current again, any reccomendations for a good priced wet hire of a 172 or even 152 in the area to build command time towards CPL? As mentioned above there's Point Cook, and i think there's just TVSA at Bacchus? I'm also not sure if there's anything to hire at Lethbridge as it seems to all be RAA aircraft? If anyone knows anywhere that I haven't thought of I'd much appreciate the advice!

Thanks and have a great day!

[samdol1978]

CASA CPL(A) Theory Exams

Hi Guys,

I am in the process of taking my 6 other CPL(A) papers after clearing my Human Factors(CPL). Currently a PPL(A)and RAA RPC(A) holder

Able to share the difficulty level from 1-5 on the following papers CASA CPL(A) theory papers? Pls share tips to clear as well. I am studying using Bob Tait and practising question bank using Pilot Practise Exam.

Aerodynamics
Flight Operation And Planning
Airlaw
Navigation
Meteorology
Airgen

Thx all.

[Dougie Buckets]

Originally Posted by samdol1978

Hi Guys,

I am in the process of taking my 6 other CPL(A) papers after clearing my Human Factors(CPL). Currently a PPL(A)and RAA RPC(A) holder

Able to share the difficulty level from 1-5 on the following papers CASA CPL(A) theory papers? Pls share tips to clear as well. I am studying using Bob Tait and practising question bank using Pilot Practise Exam.

Aerodynamics
Flight Operation And Planning
Airlaw
Navigation
Meteorology
Airgen

Thx all.

First, if you have a PPL, don't bother telling people you have an RPL, most pilots hate RPL pilots and think of them as cowboys.
When it comes to the subjects I believe everyone is different, I personally really enjoyed self studying Performance, a lot of people don't enjoy the topic. I also hear a lot Performance is the hardest exam of the 7, i also disagree with this and found the exam relatively straight forward... As long as you put the work in of course!

Depending on how fast you want to get the exams done, ill list them in what i found easiest to hardest...
AGK - Definitely the easiest exam out of the 7 by a massive country mile! Most people including myself walked out of the exam room within 15 minutes with decent scores. Go through your Bob Tait book, do the practice exams, any systems you are not 100% sure about, re read the topic, make yourself familiar.

Air law - Another easy one, honestly if there was an exam I didn't deserve to pass it was Air Law. I didnt put much effort in as I was focused for my PPL flight test when I sat it. However my biggest advice for you when sitting Air Law, USE ALL THE TIME! When you answer all the questions, dont just submit it and hope for the best, re check all your references and answers, if you have checked them, re check them again. Use up every minute and second you have absolutely confirming every answer. I honestly did next to no study on this one, but only got one wrong purely because I cross checked every reference.

Met - Met isn't easy, but i'm not amazing when it comes to weather. Honestly I haven't got much to say with Met other than read the Bob Tait books, answer all the questions, re read anything you're not 100% confident about. I like to picture myself trying to teach someone the topic, if I cant confidently 'pretend' teach someone than ill keep re reading it until i have a full understanding of it.

Aero - Aerodynamics was my favourite topic and still is when it comes to the 7 exams. It was also the first exam that I sat and honestly I didn't do as well as i wanted to, (I think it was 80%), but I was happy to pass my first CPL exam first go. The one thing every exam has in common is you must thoroughly read the book, don't just read it cover to cover and think, sweet i'm good to go now. You must challenge your knowledge on each topic, create your own questions and quizzes for yourself. The exam will honestly cover nearly everything in the book, so you must have at the very least, basic knowledge on everything contained.

Nav - Nav isn't a hard exam, however, it is EXTREMELY easy to make a simple mistake that can cost you 4 or 5 marks (around 10%). If you mess up the 2 highest marked questions with a simple mistake you almost fail from that alone. The main bit of advice I can give you is, take your time, RTFQ, use reasoning to determine your answer, if something doesn't look right, find why that is. I failed Nav first time, I went in confident, when I submitted the exam I was confident I passed with a good mark until I saw I failed by 1%, literally got 69%. Went in second time with an easy 90% because I realized after that I obviously made simple errors and made sure to cross check my answers in anyway possible.

Perf - Some say performance is hard, some say its easy, so I wont tell you its hard or easy, just to make sure you learn the formulas. Echo is honestly a very interesting chart, one that I really enjoyed learning and found fascinating that simple math can give us precise C of G changes when shifting weight around for example. Honestly its one of those exams where you must know the formulas but don't get so caught up in the formulas you forget your basics. Not every question will require a formula to work out so make sure you basic knowledge is up to scratch.

My final advice to you for the exams. All the exams are honestly easy, provided you put the work in! No one has ever sat a CPL exam having put a lot of work into attaining knowledge and found it extremely hard. As my instructor said to me at the time, you either know it or you don't. Sitting looking at the screen isnt going to help. Oh and most importantly... READ THE ******* QUESTION! That one is by far the most important. CASA will deliberately put answers in there to trick you into thinking the opposite. Half knowledge is the main problem, for example a question in AGK might be about detonation, now detonation will obviously rise our temperatures, but when 3 of the answers say temperatures will rise, which one do you pick?

If you need anymore advice feel free to PM.

[LateStarter66]

CQ University Degree

HI, I am considering a Bachelor of Aviation, (flight operations) together with Graduate Diploma of Aviation (Flight Operations). Has anyone had any experience doing these courses? How did you go, what was the outcome at the end for you and how beneficial do you feel it was in helping you into either regional or mainline operations? Is it worth doing the degree/diploma rather than a basic CPL, IFR and Multi endorsements and then doing ATPL later, or should one consider an associate degree first. My understanding is that one is more employable with a degree. Please let me know your thoughts - thanking you all in advance.

[wild goose]

Can anyone recommend a good website to do an online Dangerous Goods course for aircrew?
(I know CASA recommend several)
Cheers

[hillbillybob]

Did mine with airsafe. Not much to say other than it ticks the box and was straightforward

[Hamza.K]

RMIT vs UniSA vs UNSW for an aviation degree?

G'day,
I am currently studying in year 12 and the university applications are going to open very soon. I was just researching on which uni should I chose. RMIT, UniSA and UNSW all offer similar piloting courses at bachelor level. I guess the most important thing is the employability and qualifications. I know that UniSA offer ATPL theory 1 and 2 by the end of 3rd year starting in 2020 and RMIT offer ATPL theory 1 and 2 at associate degree level but not Bachelor level.

[morno]

Much cheaper and no need for an aviation degree if all you’re going to do is become a pilot.

[zanthrus]

Of the three options you gave, I would choose UNSW.

[Centaurus]

https://psmag.com/education/what-an-pilot-shortage-reveals-about-higher-education

Wasting your money on a Degree to be a pilot.

[checked_and_set]

I wholeheartedly agree that an Aviation degree, be it a Bachelor or an Associate, is completely useless if you plan on flying your entire career.

My question is though, what if things don’t work out further down the track and you can no longer work as pilot? What if you lose your medical? What if your airline collapses?

A degree will give you peace of mind knowing that you have tertiary education that is tangible to someone who works outside of aviation.

Back to your question though; I would recommend either Swinburne or UNSW. I have a degree from Swinburne, feel free to PM me.

[dr dre]

Originally Posted by checked_and_set

My question is though, what if things don’t work out further down the track and you can no longer work as pilot? What if you lose your medical? What if your airline collapses?

A degree will give you peace of mind knowing that you have tertiary education that is tangible to someone who works outside of aviation.

I’ve always heard that line of thinking in regards to degrees/aviation. But I’ve never really heard of it happening in practice.

You’re more likely to lose your medical when you’re older in life, so taking knowledge from a uni degree you did 20/30 years ago that you never put into practice after your study and having to compete against new young graduates prepared to work for much lower salaries with more up to date knowledge in that field will be difficult.

If the economy ranks and airline goes out of business again you’ll be competing for a limited number of jobs in that economy with those prepared to accept a much lower salary. Plus are you going to start an alternative career for only a few years then come back to flying when the economy picks up? Or take your flying skills elsewhere for a little while?

It seems a waste of time and motivation devoting 3 years of full time study to something you only consider as a back up if things go wrong with your primary career down the track.

I have known pilots to study and then leave the career for various reasons but they did that study part time whilst they were employed as pilots.

It probably has happened at some time but I doubt whether it’s that common that having a backup degree as a solution prior to beginning a flying career is something a prospective pilot needs to be too concerned about it.

[john_tullamarine]

No simple answers to the question. I was a moderately experienced PE when I was very lucky to score an airline slot. That was right at the end of a hiring cycle and in a still-competitive environment. The engineering, as acknowledged by the head man, balanced my comparatively low hours as they were looking at potential further down the track. Was the engineering useful in the pilot role ? A bit of a moot point but, probably, not to any significant extent. It was, however, more than useful in maintaining a parallel career which provided a get-out-of-jail-free card backup.

I was just researching on which uni should I chose.

Most certainly go for the higher ranking Institutions. However, consider whether the typical aviation degree has any real marketing potential further down the track if you haven't been in practice during your flying time. I wouldn't waste my time on any time-related disciplines unless you intend and do maintain a presence in the discipline as a side career. Perhaps accounting, law, and similar qualifications are more useful - especially if you acquire the relevant registration and practice as a parallel career.

I recall one well-known chap in Oz who left us around 7 years ago, now. Flew as an F/O for a few years (Ansett-ANA or maybe it was earlier in ANA) qualified as a GP on the side, and subsequently as an electronics engineer. Had a very comfortable existence from the latter two disciplines. RC, for those who recall him. As an anecdote, I cut out the bill in flying for some design work I did for him and we went for a couple of hours's circuits in his 685 at Essendon. He wasn't used to doing circuits inside the aerodrome boundary - dead easy with the thrust and low weight - so he didn't get to see much of it from the RHS.

Two other colleagues, both contemporaries, studied law in later life and continued with dual flying/legal careers. (JM and GP for those who know them). Hence my observation that one probably could look at law or accounting down the track and qualify while flying, especially as both can be studied with large remote learning components.

Wasting your money on a Degree to be a pilot.

Concur. Although there is a minor benefit in demonstrating the ability to knuckle down to study and exams - assuming a suitable degree and Institution

I wholeheartedly agree that an Aviation degree, be it a Bachelor or an Associate, is completely useless if you plan on flying your entire career.
A degree will give you peace of mind knowing that you have tertiary education that is tangible to someone who works outside of aviation.

I suggest that a dated degree, with no practice experience, is next to no use to the older out of work pilot at all. It is a very competitive market out there and, unfortunately, ageism is alive and well.

so taking knowledge from a uni degree you did 20/30 years ago that you never put into practice after your study and having to compete against new young graduates prepared to work for much lower salaries with more up to date knowledge in that field will be difficult.

If not impossible. The message is maintain and develop the qualification's value while you are flying.

[The Banjo]

The cost of living differential between Adelaide and Sydney whilst doing the course might be a consideration too.