No Flying shcool for Armidale
 

I see that yet another flying school has closed its doors. Go-fly aviation's Armidale base has shut the door. Armidale now has NO flight training school as New England Flight Training closed down mid-2013.

The Armidale Council has just announced a $20 million upgrade, and the airport now has both Q-link and Rex both flying direct to Syd.

The New England badly needs a GA Flying school!

Your thoughts

Sounds like a great business plan, and obviously a money maker.

fb1, you fund it and we will come and fly there.......

commercial reality really and very sad.

Whatever happened to the big development at Glen Innes? There was going to be some sort airline flying academy there..

...and Gunnedah and Maryborough and....

Go learn to fly in New Zealand, cheaper and a lot less stressful.

Check out the Uiversity of New South Wales at Bankstown.

Fleet is still open.

Are the Newbys in Inverell still going? They used to have the school in Armidale, prior to going to Inverell.

Fleet helicopters are still there.

Should read
Armidale now has NO aeroplane flight training

It's a shame to hear New England Flight Training closed down. The guy who owned it did my CPL flight test and seemed like he would have been a great instructor (he even passed me.. :E )

'Fraid so, rmcdonal. I finished my UPPL & did a CSU/retract endorsement with Jan Newby/NEATAC in '84 after moving to the New England area.

.................. :=

Patchy,

Stew H had a red-hot go at making money from flight training, he had some skills that made him fairly unique (LL Endorsements etc) and a great manner.

I don't know if economic viability was a major issue in his decision to close the doors, but we operate a small flying school in a small town too. It has never been much more than a "love" job - all the instructors genuinely enjoy it - but in the last 12 months 50% of our students have moved out of the district to find work.

It is handy for keeping charter pilots out of the pub, but there are other ways for country people to spend their spare cash in 2014. :(

Horatio, old boy..... Please do not misunderstand me. I mean no malice against those who have or do run aviation businesses, but have seen So so sooooo many come and go over the years that I just shake my head nowadays and wonder why people still try to make a buck out of it.

I applaud you for trying to do so! And I also know that you, horatio, do the right thing re wages and conditions and maintenance. Many others do not.

Unfortunately for many, the prospect of being on minimum wage with 24/7 conditions does not appeal so much anymore. The lure of getting into the big shiny jet with conditions dropping faster than a hookers underwear is also losing its appeal to the younger generations. Especially when it means that you may not be able to use your mobile phone for a few hours whilst you actually have to do some work.

MOST of the small business's close for one of two reasons..... Money or CASA. And generally if it is CAsA, it is because they can't afford to stand up to them. So my point about it being a great business idea has nothing to do with the fact that there probably SHOULD be a fixed wing flight school in the area, rather the economic reality of general aviation.

What happened to "Aircrew Check and Training?" I bought an aircraft off them many moons ago.

Just for the record I was told Stew H shut up shop due to serious health probs. Sad to hear for someone so dedicated. I did a PMI course with him a couple of years ago..........

VH - XXX, Gordon Smith of Aircrew Check & Training passed away about 5 years ago (I think). Even on his hospital bed, was planning to write to CASA to tell them where they were going wrong....


Sadly missed.

This guy Neil Hansen keeps turning up with big project flight academies etc etc [as well as an expert of MH370] but nothing happens!