Part finished UK PPL now moving to Oz
 

Hi all,

I've been lucky enough to get a provisional offer of a relocation from the UK to Oz. New job, new company, sponsored visa provided so happy days all round (assuming there are no last minute slips).

I'm currently part way through my PPL. I have 4 exams finished (Air Law, Human Performance, Ops, Met), a little over 30 hours including 2 solo and I'm moving into Nav with the first couple of longer flights down and I'm about to do my first solo jaunts outside the circuit to practice rejoins, etc. Loving it and frustrated by it in equal measure...

The new job will subsidize the move but not pay for it which means I am going to have to mothball the training when I get to the end of my current block as moving the family (and dog!) will cost a fortune. Once I get bedded in down there I can pick up again, so does anyone have any idea what are the differences (in simple terms) between the Oz PPL curricula and the UK? I assume I'll have to redo my exams but my hours will count? And the practicalities I have learned will all be the same I hope - radio, flight planning, circuit procedures are all more or less carry over?

I'm probably going to be in Sydney (possibly Melbourne though) so recommendations on flight schools and clubs also welcome.

Thanks!

Congratulations on the new job offer Andrew.

Australia is a beautiful country and full of lovely people.

Like you I went there for work mid way through my training, and I resumed my flying with a school called Basair out in Bankstown airport (Sydney). supposedly the 2nd busiest airport in the southern hemisphere.

There are many flight schools out in Bankstown so it is worth a trip out there and have a look for yourself.

The main differences training you will need is a great big pair of sunglasses as they have a very bright and hot object shining in the sky.

If I can help with any specific questions please do ask away.

HTH,
Fionn

Seriously, there's some useful stuff here: https://www.casa.gov.au/operations/s...ge/flight-crew

Wecome to Aus!
 

Andrew - give us a shout when you know where you are going to be based.

I'm from the UK and now living in Melbourne - I had a PPL before moving over which I converted to an Aussie licence - and I know just the person who can help you once you arrive (assuming you land in Melbourne and not Sydney!).

Exciting times - I'd not worry about the flying conversion and just look forward to getting away from the UK winter!!

Nice one BEagle; and we won't even mention the Philosophy Depaaartment of the University of Woolloomoloo. Do you mind if I call you Bruce??

All good advice above but Bankstown ain't what it used to be. Basair (Darrin Ward) was good, although I suspect it is now very focused on the commercial airline students. The airfield itself is, I believe, a shadow of its former, three parallel runway self, due to the usual commercial and residential pressures and developments. Sadly none of my remaining contacts fly from there, so I cannot give much current useful advice or contacts. I am not sure about converting half way through your licence, but you will certainly have to do their Air Law exam. Be prepared though, they have some very strange (to me, anyway) regulations, and some varying beliefs. Some of the stories I heard about use of carb (carby to them) heat were very strange.

If you're in Sydney, Bankstown would be a good place to start looking but don't ignore Camden. It's a bit further from the city but a bit less regulated and busy, easier access and circuit procedures. Friends have recommended Curtis Aviation and Gostner.

Good luck with the move and with the flying.

I'll second the recommendation that you check out Camden as well as Bankstown before making a decision on where to fly.

I think your hours should count. Your exam credits won't but the knowledge you've already gained would surely be useful.

Obviously there are differences in the way Britain and Australia tackle the whole business of aviation. The flying environments are completely different - something I didn't quite realise until I'd read lots of weird (to me) threads on this website.

Hope you enjoy the wide open skies of the great southern land.

Thanks for the advice and good wishes - will know more over the next two - three weeks and it's all very exciting, expensive and terrifying (the move, although the same could be said for flying I suppose).

I've been following the links above and doing some googling and it is a very different setup (Recreational Pilots License is something I hadn't heard of before, for example) but once I have a better idea of dates of moves and if its Sydney or Melbourne I'll follow up.

Thanks again and please feel free to share any other pearls of wisdom!

UK to Aus
 

Andrew - your not about Scotland by any chance, are you?
I'm heading back in a couple of weeks and would be happy to catch up for a beer and give you whatever insight I can into flying (and life in general!) down here.
Actually got a few hours to kill in LHR on the 17th if you are about there by any chance.
Otherwise, yea - just let us know where your going to be and we can hit you up with suggestions. If you are in Victoria, I'd be delighted to take you up for a spin round the area too.
Flying, as someone else said, is quite different down here - but it's a long way from Kansas, so why would it not be! A good instructor will recognise the training you have done and, as long as it's safe, allow you to keep whatever habits you have developed (even if it is pulling the "carby" every 10 mins!). Navigation is quite different being such a vast place with not much around - as is really having to consider forecast arrival/departure temperatures and build them into your performance planning (of course I did that in the UK too...) - quite often it just gets too hot...
Anyway - have fun!!


Cheers.
Ricky

Folks thanks again for the helpful advice.

GlasgowF - I am in London but unfortunately wouldn't be able to make it out to LHR on the 17th. A huge thanks for the offer though, I'd be really up for a spin around Vic, as below I'm not going to be based there but would imagine we will be visiting and some aerial sightseeing would be superb!

I've had a really long chat with the company and it's all looking very positive with the move penciled in for late Jan so the kids can get into schools in line with the academic year. Def going to be based in Sydney so looks like Bankstown and Camden will be getting a visit once the dust has settled. From my quick Googling it looks like it's cheaper to learn down there as well?

There are, or used to be, schools at Wollongong (S of Sydney) and Warnervale (N of Sydney). Depending on where you will be one of those might be more convenient than YSBK or YSCN.

To whet your appetite: Flights to the Australian Outback

and on there, a school in Sydney's SW that took studes on an outback trip: Good times on Curtis flyaway - Flying The Outback

As I remember (about 18 year ago), flying in Aus is different, but not difficult and opens a whole new spectrum of aviation (and of course, closes some - like flying into different countries, but some area of Aus are more foreign to the cities than countries in Europe are foreign to the UK :))

Have fun...

Checked out that link, GAAV8R.

I'm somewhat amused that a photo of Moruya airport appears on a website about flying to the outback. It's just a few metres from the Tasman Sea!

Andrew McD, I'm originally from Sydney so feel free to private message me if you wish.

I had a quick chat with one of the instructors at Bankstown who pretty much indicated that an incomplete EASA training cannot be counted towards CASA training. You would need to start from the beginning.

However if you complete the EASA PPL in the UK before you come to OZ then you can easily convert it to a CASA PPL. Just a couple of exams, couple of hours in the air and a medical.

Sydney Aviators (part of Basair) and Sydney Flying Club seem like good schools with plenty of aircraft and availability.