Newbie & Flying Training Advice (Merged)

[TeachMePlease]

Cadet Pilot Programme

Hey guys,

I'm interested in applying for Cadet Pilot programmes in my region. I don't exactly have a compelling academic record (definitely decent though) and my diploma is unrelated to aviation. Would a recommendation/reference from a pilot with over 15K flight Hours help my case? If it does, would it help if Im applying for a different airline than his?

I appreciate you taking your time to read and reply to this thread, thank you.

Yours sincerely,

TeachMePlease

[cxausflyer]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently a Year 11 student studying in the Sydney region, and taking high level mathematics and physics at school. I was wondering if there is any up to date information on the best flight schools around Sydney, as I do not currently have any flying experience whatsoever. A majority of the recommendations were provided many years ago, and I'm not sure if the instructors are still working or have maintained the same quality of service. I do not mind travelling to rural areas of NSW, as long as the drive isn't unreasonably long (5 Hours +).

I plan to complete a University degree after graduating from high school, whilst beginning to take up self-funded flying to obtain my PPL and CPL. My end goal is to become a Commercial Airline Pilot. However, unlike many people here I do not plan on remaining in Australia and pursuing a career with Virgin Australia / Qantas / Jetstar, unless I successfully gain entry into the airline through Virgin Australia's Cadetship (Highly Competitive) or the new Qantas Flight School that's opening their doors the year I graduate High School.

I'm not sure if the Qantas Flight School guarantees employment after high level performance as they plan to train 500+ pilots a year once operating at full capacity, and I'm not particularly keen on having an unnecessary $150,000 debt if it does not guarantee me employment in the end and can be done for much cheaper. I plan to head over to Asia, preferably Hong Kong (I'm from Hong Kong) and fly for an airline based there instead such as Cathay Pacific.

The living costs associated with being based in Hong Kong do not matter to me too much, as I saw that it was a major deciding factor in some pilots rejections for SO Direct Entry, as I have family I can live with in Hong Kong. I'm also aware of the horror stories regarding CX employment, but I'm hoping that will change in the few years it will take for me to even be considered being their pilot.

I am aware that pilots will have to fly up in Northern Australia for a few years to build up hours flying Cessna 404's and other aircraft, but I was wondering if I would need to take alternate action if I plan to work overseas, or would I still need to work through the stepping stone of rural australia -> Virgin ATR? Thank you so much for reading this far if you have.

Thanks!


Kind Regards,

Alex

TLDR: What are the best flying schools in Sydney in 2018/2019 that are still operational? If I plan on pursuing my aviation career overseas, what different steps do I have to take after obtaining my CPL?

[MagnumPI]

Originally Posted by cxausflyer

TLDR: What are the best flying schools in Sydney in 2018/2019 that are still operational?

G'day Alex,

There are a number of quality schools in/near Sydney, and a few to avoid. If you are on the northern side of the Parramatta River I can highly recommend the Central Coast Aero Club at Warnervale.

One way of working this out is to make a shortlist of schools and actually turn up in the flesh and speak to the CFI or Manager. Remember, you are going to be spending a big chunk of money on your training no matter where you do it, so don't make a decision just based on what their website looks like or what people on the internet say. Turn up and maybe have a list of questions, a few key ones IMO are:

- Do you require payment in advance?
- Will I generally fly with the one instructor?
- Do you have ground theory courses or is it self-study at home only?
- What aircraft do you use and why? What are the rates? (Cheaper is not necessarily better, neither does paying the most mean the aircraft is always the best)
- What are the landing fees (if not included in the hourly rates)?
- What other ratings/endorsements can I do with you after RPL/PPL/CPL?
- Will I be included cohort/intake with other students or doing it 'by myself'?
- What are your operating hours? (it has got to fit with when you want to fly and around your work)
- Have there been any recent accidents/incidents?

The above list is in no way exhaustive but at the end of the day you want to make sure when you are there in the flesh speaking to the CFI etc that it is going to be a well-run place that you want to go to in order to complete your training. You want the instructor to be invested in you succeeding in your training, not just some pleb who is there reluctantly until they can step up to the airlines (this isn't a general swipe at junior instructors, but I've met some disinterested shockers who clearly don't want to be instructing).

[Shaunie]

Hi Guys

Looking at commencing a AVI50215 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane) & AVI50415 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating) on the Gold Coast and am hoping to get some feedback on the schools down there. Has anyone trained with the below mentioned options recently?

Australian Wings Academy
Air Gold Coast
Airways Aviation
Any others worth a mention?

Any thoughts, feedback or reviews would be much appreciated!

[Munz]

ADFA

Originally Posted by Shaunie

Hi Guys

Looking at commencing a AVI50215 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane) & AVI50415 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating) on the Gold Coast and am hoping to get some feedback on the schools down there. Has anyone trained with the below mentioned options recently?

Australian Wings Academy
Air Gold Coast
Airways Aviation
Any others worth a mention?

Any thoughts, feedback or reviews would be much appreciated!

May I suggest maybe looking towards the north around Sunshine Coast? Aero Dynamic Flight Academy on the Sunshine Coast have an excellent reputation, plus you won't be paying anywhere near the amount of wait time that you would otherwise be paying on the Gold Coast.

[bloodandiron]

I think Munz might be slightly biased with his recommendation but definitely don't restrict yourself to just Gold Coast flight schools. Trust me, it's better to choose a school that's smaller and has really good reviews. Don't settle for average and certainly don't ever go near a school that has even just a couple people giving bad experiences about their training there. Don't be afraid to move. If you're going to sink upwards of $50k on a course make sure it's going to a school that deserves it. Don't think of VET money as government money. It's your money, that you are going to repay. Treat each sum paid to the flight school on your course census dates as you giving them a transfer from your bank account.

In saying that, I always hear a lot of bad things about Australian Wings Academy.

Air Gold Coast gets a lot of good reviews and they seemed very friendly and upfront when I contacted them for more info on their diploma.

I spoke with a very enthusiastic and friendly instructor from Airways about a year ago and their facilities looked excellent. I'm fairly sure their diploma courses are not FEE HELP approved though. I'd be wary of Airways though since they present themselves as a bit of a sausage factory.

[nelson_v]

Flying school in Adelaide (Australia) / New Zealand

Hi Everyone,

My name is Nelson. Aged 28. I am considering to have pilot training from 0 until CPL. I am living in Macao (near Hong Kong), and I am considering to join flying school either in Adelaide (Australia) / New Zealand.

I was interested in AFTC from Adelaide in the first place. However, I found that many ppl said these school with Cadet programmes with Airlines may delay self-fund student's study progress, since the cadet students may have higher prior on using school's resources, are those true?

Please give me some opinion, your advice can be very valuable to me!

Cheers,
Nelson

[pilotchute]

Hello Nelson,

I did CPL at a school with airline cadets. It is true we were ofter made to wait because airline cadets had priority. When the self funded students complianed we were given many excuses.

I would recommend a school that doesn't have airline cadets.

[Kranz]

Since you are self funded - why even go to a school geared towards airline cadet programs?

[nelson_v]

Originally Posted by pilotchute

Hello Nelson,

I did CPL at a school with airline cadets. It is true we were ofter made to wait because airline cadets had priority. When the self funded students complianed we were given many excuses.

I would recommend a school that doesn't have airline cadets.

Seriously thank you for your advice! I make up my mind to join flying school with no-cadet programme.

[nelson_v]

Originally Posted by Kranz

Since you are self-funded - why even go to a school geared towards airline cadet programs?

I thought it is going to cause me easier to look for my first pilot job in the future. However, it seems many that many ppl on the internet talk me that's wrong. Instead, everyone just worried about I will spend unnecessary time and money on those school.

Thanks Kranz!

[nelson_v]

Recommendation for aviation schools in Europe~

Hi guys,

My name is Nelson. Aged 28. Maintain both Portuguese and Chinese passport. Currently, I am living in Macao (Near Hong Kong)
I am considering to:
1. Start pilot training from 0 and gain to frozen ATPL licence and around 250+ to 300 flight hours in 2 years time.
2. Obtain airline job in my home country: Macao

Some ppl on the internet telling me to attend flying school in Europe is the best choice for me since I am a Portuguese passport holder,
while another pilot friend advice me to go flying school in Adelaide.

Please give me some opinion about both place/ some good aviation school, your advice can be very valuable to me!

Thanks a lot,
Nelson

[Shaunie]

Originally Posted by Munz

May I suggest maybe looking towards the north around Sunshine Coast? Aero Dynamic Flight Academy on the Sunshine Coast have an excellent reputation, plus you won't be paying anywhere near the amount of wait time that you would otherwise be paying on the Gold Coast.

Thanks Munz, Sunny Coast isn't really an option for me

[Shaunie]

Originally Posted by bloodandiron

I think Munz might be slightly biased with his recommendation but definitely don't restrict yourself to just Gold Coast flight schools. Trust me, it's better to choose a school that's smaller and has really good reviews. Don't settle for average and certainly don't ever go near a school that has even just a couple people giving bad experiences about their training there.

Don't be afraid to move. If you're going to sink upwards of $50k on a course make sure it's going to a school that deserves it. Don't think of VET money as government money. It's your money, that you are going to repay. Treat each sum paid to the flight school on your course census dates as you giving them a transfer from your bank account.

In saying that, I always hear a lot of bad things about Australian Wings Academy.

Air Gold Coast gets a lot of good reviews and they seemed very friendly and upfront when I contacted them for more info on their diploma.

I spoke with a very enthusiastic and friendly instructor from Airways about a year ago and their facilities looked excellent. I'm fairly sure their diploma courses are not FEE HELP approved though. I'd be wary of Airways though since they present themselves as a bit of a sausage factory.

Thanks will keep that in mind! It's seems to be very difficult to get a consensus on the best of the best

[raymondli]

UNSW interview

Hello,

I am currently a year 12 student completing high school and would like to do the Bachelor of Aviation degree at UNSW. During the interview I was told that it consists of both medical and verbal procedures but I am still unsure. Could I get an overview about the interview?
Also, during the process of picking courses do I attend the interview before ATAR results or after since I'll like to take go overseas after.
I am very stressed right now

[Judd]

I am very stressed right now

If you are "very stressed" already, and you haven't even left the comfort of your High School classroom, then you need to think about another career like being a gardener rather than a flying career

[mattyj]

Don’t be so harsh Judd..the kid is a product of a modern western education ..
dont worry buddy, UNSW also has safe spaces for stressed students

[redsnail]

Stress comes from the unknown. I wish I could give you specific answers WRT to the UNSW course. The medical *shouldn't* be stressing you at your age. There should be a document or two on the CASA's site about what's in the medical. Spend some time sifting through that to allay your fears. Essentially, eyesight and hearing should be ok, don't have diabetes or migraines etc.

What do you mean by overseas? Is this for holidays or for work?
Right now, every thing seems to be a massive rush and panic. You'll soon find that you've got a lot more time than you think.

Managing stress will be a key skill you'll need to manage to handle exams and other life pressures. The best way to manage stress is to take the time to prepare and study. Tick off the elements you need to achieve and that will help manage the stress.

[Ixixly]

raymondli, you're probably not going to get many answers here, these sorts of interviews with UNSW specifically are new as far as I'm aware so very few if any people here would have gone through them. Go talk to the Uni directly, you're planning on dropping a lot of money with them and they want that money as well so they should be more than willing to help you out and explain the process a bit better.

And as others have said, if you're stressing a lot about the interview process then...perhaps have a good hard think about the job you're looking to get into!

[raymondli]

Essentially, being a pilot was a dream job for me, im just confused if I dont past the interview what would be another option to get back in or join flight school elsewhere.