Australian PPL School
 

Hi,

Currently in the UK but heading to Australia in June after 3 months Backpacking Asia with the intention of gaining PPL and hour building for ATPL studies on return to the UK.

I've basically been emailing tones of schools in all of the major cities asking for a price breakdown of each stage of training. Been searching the net and old posts and have found some schools that have been recommended.

Air Australia
MFS
Minovation
Bunbury Aero Club

From my searches the Airports that keep cropping up are Jandakot, Moorabbin & Bankstown.

The plan is to work save the funds then head off to complete the PPL at the School of my choice.

From previous posts people have advised to avoid schools with a high number of foreign students as they will receive the most attention & my flight training will suffer.

I am asking each school for a Spreadsheet with the complete breakdown cost of each stage of the training as this will allow me to input the hours the school recommend to complete the PPL based on the fact that I have flown 30 hours in the UK.

Can anyone add to the list of Schools that you highly rate. Would be great to be able to chat to somebody that is training out in Australia now.

Many thanks,

Greg

I've been a member at the Royal Aero Club of WA for 20 years and can attest to their professionalism....they have a fleet of around 40 aircraft.....HOWEVER, due to the extreme appreciation of the AUD, dual in a 152 will cost well over £200 per hour PLUS landing fees....and this is one of the cheaper places!....if I were you I would complete your training here in the UK.....or go to the US

AQ

Many thanks for the response, As I will be earning in Australia I do not have to worry about the exchange rates etc.

Based on my salary in the UK I would be able to save enough money to complete my PPL within a year then a couple of months of flying training.

In Australia my calculations come to a similar time frame. Would be able to work and save and complete PPL in a Year.

The second year in Australia I would continue working and start hour building for the UK ATPL. A year working and saving in Australia would enable me to build 100 Hours PIC time whereas I would be looking at 2+ Years in the UK.

That is why I am drawn to Australia not to mention the weather amazing cities and people. Had two cousins who have spent a year on a working holiday and loved it.

Greg

Sounds like a great trip...if the eye-watering cost is not a problem then flying in Australia will certainly be very productive... I can best speak about Perth...The RACWA have a large fleet (many 152s, 172s, M20Js and twins) and many instructors...and the weather is usually great.... However, if you plan on getting an EASA ATPL you should maybe contact the WA Aviation College who are CAA approved for the modular ATPL...they can do the 14 exams and have JAA/EASA instructors...they used to be associated with RACWA...but I'm not sure now...

But if I guess an Aussie PPL is all you need to build hours...and it is relatively straight forward to convert to an EASA PPL when you get back

Good luck!
AQ

I would think your first priority should be where best to get work and accomadation. Finding a flying school should be straight forward especially up to PPL as all major centres have them. Can you get a work permit? if so what type of work are you chasing etc? Perth is good for work if you are skilled but Adelaide maybe better if you want casual work like fruit picking. Sydney rents are high but have more work such as bar work etc. Don't discount learning to fly in country areas as usually cheaper due lower costs and little control zones. Most towns over 20000 pop would have a flying school somewhere near. Adelaide and Perth have the best flying weather therefore less days sitting around or no go days. Don't believe the tourism blurb. Queensland is only great weather from about May to September. The north is crap in the wet season and so forth. give us more info about yourself and I will try and suggest a few places.

Morning All,

I lived , worked and learned to fly with Basair at Sydney Bankstown airport. if you have any questions please feel free to pm me.

Bankstown was at the time one of the busiest airports in the Southern hemisphere and so high traffic movements were of the norm here, which really helped with regard to RT and situational awareness.

An excellent training organisation and close to Sydney itself, I can highly recommend Basair.

Rgds,
Fionn

mostlytossas, I will have a years Working Visa which will allow me to work for a maximum of 6 months with any one company. I will probably have to extend my visa so I will have to do a 3 month stint of fruit picking or similar.

I'd be looking at Bar/waiting Jobs, Clerical Admin etc. I have previous experience in Customer Service, Stock take/ordering for a big name supermarket, aswell as Bar/waiting/Kitchen duties from when I worked at my local flying club.


Greg

I can personally recommend Schofields (Schofields Flying Club Home Page) at Bankstown.

Have you looked in the D&G GA forum a bit further down the site? I can move this thread in there if you want.

SD

Every city has some good schools. Focus on where you want to live then ask. It is like asking what are some good schools in the USA? You need to narrow it down. If you can afford it I would suggest a rapid programme in the US followed by working/living in Australia.

Greg, To be honest I think you would be better off learning to fly at home not here. My reasons are thus:
You appear to be only 18years old. Therefore unless you have rich parents that will throw money at you or you inherited a fortune which I think unlikely as you say you will need to work,I can't see how you could fund the trip and the flying lessons.
As a teenager you are not going to be skilled or have much experiance in the workforce and therfore will not get a good paying job is my bet. You will likely get casual, low paying work such as Mc Donalds etc. This won't fund your living expenses let alone lessons.
This is probably why no school here has answered you or gone into any detail as they have decided you are a "tyre kicker" and wasting their time.
You would be better living at home, save your money while learning a career then take lessons. If you want to enjoy flying then keep it private. If you really want to take it up as a career then first get some money behind you and have a plan B if it all comes to nothing. I have lost count in the number of kids that have borrowed (or their parents have) tens of thousands of $'s to chase a dream and ended up broke,unemployed with nothing to fall back on. Harsh it may sound but so is the aviation industry,and it has no shortage of flying schools more than happy to let you go broke trying to join it. Good luck in whatever you choose.

Bunbury recommendation
 

Hi there. Plenty of comments on the financial aspects and I wish you luck in making a decision on that score.

I'm an experienced PPL who moved to WA a few years ago and since have had a bit of experience with local operators. I've been very impressed with Bunbury Aero Club as a good mix of professionalism and traditional aero club spirit. They also have a mix of new and traditional aircraft, including a couple of newish Tecnams, which are nice to fly and keep the cost down by a worthwhile amount. I'm not affiliated with the Club in any way (not even a member) but they impressed me as pleasant people, doing a good job. By the way, Bunbury also do Recreational Aviation Australia training but, if you're committed to a PPL path, my guess is that it doesn't save you anything by the time you do the required upgrades, especially since you have a Tecnam option in either stream.

I live in Perth and there's nothing wrong with the local operators but the costs are significantly higher. If you go with RACWA, you can save a bit by flying out of Murrayfield, near Mandurah, rather than Jandakot. You get more bang for your buck, and still have the option of good access to YPJT when required. The RACWA basic training fleet of C152s is aging, but pretty well maintained.

The reason I am asking for good Schools in Australia is based on the fact that I can work for one employer for up to 6 months. In this time I can work and save then go off to a school anywhere in Australia to do the PPL in a month or two. On completing the PPL I would find another job, continue earning and hour building.

I don't have rich parents or neither have I inherited any money. For any of you that think I have rushed into this I have been calculating costs for both the UK & Aus. Aus is a winner all the time, I can get what I want done in a much shorter time.

As with regards to a back up career I have been told I am welcome back to my current employer, I could also get on team leader/management course as this is available every year. I have other job options on return to the UK.

I find the working in McDonald's comment for pennies a bit ridiculous. Having searched Australian job sites and company websites there are vacancies with criteria that I meet. Bar work available to me, receptionist posts & fruit picking all paying a decent wage.

I have had many responses from schools all very detailed and have had many questions answered. Don't see why I am a "tyre kicker" because of my age??

I received an email from Bunbury Aero Club and was very impressed with the response. Reading the brochure and searching old posts they seem like a very good school, the same with Minovation can only find good things said about them.

Many thanks for the responses keep them coming.

Greg

Leaving aside the financial aspects Australian aviation has the reputation for high training standards and the weather is much better in the UK.

Back in 1987 I did a multi-engine rating in Australia and the whole attitude was very professional. I would far rather learn to fly in Australia than the USA because of this attitude.

The high point of my flying in Australia was a trip from Sydney to Townsville in a TB20.

Just back from perth, and I dropped in to air Australia at jandakot to enquire about some multi training whilst on holiday there, I liked them. Unfortunately I couldn't get the expenditure passed on the domestic budget, and it must be said it was notably more expensive than uk. One thing I did note was the ferocious charges for landing fees, looked like they were chargeable even on home based aircraft. Been stung on this before (fly in spain, jerez) and it soon adds up especially at the circuit stage of learning. Do make sure you ask about this wherever you go and include these in your budget. Looked like a good place to fly though.

Also make sure your travel insurance covers flight training.....

Cheers will look into including flight training into my travel insurance :ok:

Agreed the landing fee's do see a bit steep however schools have quoted landing fee's as part of the course breakdown cost.

Come across Jandakot Airport chalets which offer a range of accommodation Chalets, single room & backpacker type accommodation which could be a great way to meet fellow students & Pilots. Anyone stayed here?

Please keep all advice etc coming, greatly appreciated!

Greg

You're not really listening to what's being said. You may well be qualified for certain jobs but there will be few employers who are going to train you up for the 6 months you're able to offer them and certainly not receptionist-type jobs. Fruit picking relies on you being here at fruit picking time and that season does not last long. Bar work is always a pretty good fall-back option but, again, you need to answer the question; where are you intending to stay?

Since a fair degree of your writing seems to focus on WA let's have a very quick look at that. Sure, Bunbury offers an excellent solution and the BAC would satisfy your flying requirements. The airfield is outside controlled airspace, has great weather most of the year and no landing fees. However, Bunbury is no sprawling metropolis and the few bars in the city have more than enough locals to fill the positions, without requiring the services of someone who will disappear in 6 months. The opposite, of course, is to take yourself up to Perth where there are more job opportunities but the flying is more restricted by the Class D airspace, the Chinese cadets getting in the way of everybody and the expense of mucking around at Jandakot.

You will also need to take a much more detailed look at the visa you're applying for and the rules thereof versus the current thinking in Oz. Your rather glib statement:

shows a fair amount of naivety. For some time now the Australian Government has not been extending working visas; you'll be required to leave the country and re-apply. They will not usually issue another working visa within a year of you leaving. Why do I tell you this in such a negative manner? Pretty obviously I don't think you've done your homework and need to sort out a few more of the technicalities before setting off for Oz and the start of your aviation career.

So, first off, sort out where you're going to be. It's a bloody big island, so you need to narrow it down a bit. Once you've done that, figure out your timeline for when you're going to work and when you're going to play. DON'T assume you will get an extension to your visa; you won't. Then start questioning those flying schools/clubs within the locale you've decided on. Finally, get as much as the trivia taken care of that you can ahead of arriving in Oz e.g. find out from CASA what they require of you, given your UK flying experience etc. Do not rely on getting here and thinking CASA will do anything fast because they make the CAA look supersonic. Finally, look into the mundane bureaucracy that makes Australia a world leader in red tape; for instance, will you need an ASIC to actually get issued with an Australian PPL? If the answer to that is 'yes' then how are you going to get one of those.

Enjoy your research but focus it more on the technicalities of what you're going to need, rather than the naive belief that you're going to arrive, sit on the beach between shifts at your part-time, well paid, job and fly around in between.

By the way, you do realise that June is going into Winter don't you....so maybe have a look at the various regions' average weather during that time.

And Mostlytossas thought I was down on Australia! :O

As stated before I do not necessarily intend to work the same place as I intend to fly.

I am in the process of applying for ARN, SPL & ASIC so will have that sorted.

Regarding the visa extension. If I do qualify for a 2nd years Visa I would like to finish of the Hour building whether that be after having left the country for a year or a continuation on from the 1st year. I have researched and am aware of the Australian Governments policy. Haven't said it would be two consecutive years.

If becoming a Commercial Pilot was as easy as part time work and sitting on a beach I think there would be a fair few more....Not afraid of hard work.

Greg

.

It seems to me you have done a lot of homework Greg...good onya mate! You sound very determined. If your plan is to get a PPL and build a few hours and you have figured out the financial issues well done... I presume the next step will be to go for the EASA CPL / ATPL back in the UK....but as mentioned in my original response, the hourly cost is better in the UK and much much better in the US so later on, for hour building I would head to the US.

Have to agree with Pontius on that! The whole ASIC/AVID rubbish is beyond belief...But there's plenty of red tape in the UK as well...especially post-EASA

If you can keep going despite the knockers and nay-sayers you will definitely succeed...

Again good luck!
AQ