Visiting GA pilot from the UK

[jwt101]

I am a UK private pilot and will be heading over to Sydney in April. I have braved the CASA process and been issued with my 'Certificate of Validation' which will allow me to exercise the rights of my UK PPL(A) in Australia. The admin process was long, which has left me with little time to plan and organise, but the fact that it has been successful is an achievement in itself.

 

Ideally I would like to find somewhere that will let me hire an aircraft for 2-3 days and head off to see the sites via the local airfields. My first thing to understand is the concept of 'Recreational Aviation' and how the types that these pilot's fly fit with respect to the conventional PPL lisence (see seperate forum post).

 

I would welcome the advice for anyone who knows the wider Sydney area on where I canget instruction, hire from and fly to, where I could stop overnight and what I could see.

 

All advice accepted gratefully and anyone who wants to joint up for some or all of the trip would be welcomed.

 

Thanks! JT.

 

 

[JohnMcK]

Welcome to Australia JT,

 

With your CASA certificate you can hire GA aircraft in Australia, (most probably after a check flight). However if you wish to fly a Recreational registered aircraft (numbered rego not leters) you need an RAA pilot certificate. You will need to do a conversion course to low inertia aircraft, and you need to join the Association, to exercise the privileges to fly under the CASA regulations. Some aircraft like Jabiru are registered under both systems.

 

Should you wish to fly an RAA registered aircraft you would be best advised to contact the Operations Manager of RAA, Mick Poole, directly. He is the final authority for any operational matters regarding Recreational Aviation.

 

Mick Poole, email - [email protected] ph RAA office 02 6280 4700

 

Cheers,

 

John mcK

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Some aircraft like Jabiru are registered under both systems....

Correction: Can be registered under either system. They cannot be registered in "both" at the same time.

 

Effectively what this means is that you may find some aircraft that could be considered to be "recreational", registered by CASA and therefore available to a PPL holder who is not also licensed under the "Recreational Aviation Australia" system.

 

 

[facthunter]

101, welcome to Oz. I'm curious, can you tell us something of your aeroplane? Nev

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

I My first thing to understand is the concept of 'Recreational Aviation' and how the types that these pilot's fly fit with respect to the conventional PPL lisence (see seperate forum post).

"Recreational Aviation" in Aus is analogous to "microlights" in the UK - Ie they don't require the pilot to have a PPL. The MTOW limit here is a bit different though (up to 600kg) so the category includes many aircraft types which would require a PPL to fly in the UK. Recreational aircraft don't go on the national register in Aus hence they identified by having numbers rather than VH- rego. Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) is the Ozzi equivalent to the BMAA but with some aspects of the PFA (or whatever they are now called) thrown in.

 

As previously stated, a PPL (of any nationality) doesn't allow you to fly a recreational aircraft here - you have to be a member of, and have a pilot certificate from, RAAus. This shouldn't be too difficult and the organisation offers temporary membership for overseas visitors.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Neil_S]

Hi JT,

 

Hope you enjoy your trip to Aus. I believe the UK's NPPL is somewhat similar to the RA-Aus Pilot certificate, but NPPL allows you to fly planes of greater weights than RA-Aus (currently 600kg as previously mentioned) and probably more than just the 1 passenger that RA-Aus allows.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

Hope you enjoy your trip to Aus. I believe the UK's NPPL is somewhat similar to the RA-Aus Pilot certificate, but NPPL allows you to fly planes of greater weights than RA-Aus (currently 600kg as previously mentioned) and probably more than just the 1 passenger that RA-Aus allows.

It depends which NPPL - there are actually 3 different types !

 

The NPPL(SSEA) is sort of a PPL-lite which does indeed allow you to fly up to 4-seater GA aircraft VFR.

 

An NPPL(M) only allows you to fly 2-seat recreational aircraft (which meet the rather more restrictive UK definition).

 

The other one is for self-launched motor gliders.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Neil_S]

Hi Crezzi,

 

Being from the UK I am somehow not surprised they make it complicated....so I guess NPPL(M) is closest to the RA-Aus certificate then. I seem to remember reading somewhere about Simple Single Engine Aircraft (SSEA), and I guess the M would stand for Microlight.....which for the UK means :-

 

Microlight Definition:

 

A microlight aeroplane is one designed to carry not more than two persons which has a Maximum Total Weight Authorised (MTWA) not exceeding:

 

• 300 kg for a single seat landplane.
   
   
  
• 390 kg for a single seat landplane for which a UK Permit to Fly or Certificate of Airworthiness was in force prior to 1 January 2003
   
   
  
• 450 kg for a two seat landplane
   
   
  
• 330 kg for a single seat amphibian or floatplane
   
   
  
• 495 kg for a two seat amphibian or floatplane
   
   
  
• 315kg for a single seat landplane equipped with an airframe mounted total recovery parachute system
   
   
  
• 472.5kg for a two-seat landplane equipped with an airframe mounted total recovery parachute system
   
   
  

 

A microlight must also have a stalling speed at the maximum weight authorised not exceeding 35 knots calibrated speed.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[jwt101]

Many thanks to all, the replies have been extremely helpful. I can see pretty clearly what the requirements are for an Australian GA pilot and have emailed Mick to find out if the same would apply to an oversees pilot on a CoV. I have no idea if it is a question that has been asked before.

 

If the doors of recreational flying are not open to me then I still plan to fly by hiring a GA type such as a 152 or a Worrior and, if it turns out to be practical, I may still be visiting some of the airfields populated by RAA pilots on my travels.

 

As I have said everywhere I have posted, if there is anyone out there who fancies joining up for all or part of the trips I'll be doing you will be more than welcome, in fact I would be grateful of the company, the experience and the local knowledge.

 

As for the aircraft I currently fly in the UK, it is a Bulldog which is a type used by the Royal Air Force until only relatively recently to train all millitary pilots through the first stage of their flying. Ours has been repatriated from Ghana. It is a stable touring aircraft and just about competent for aerobatics (as I am finding out) if a little heavy for all but beginners competitions. Basically it has fantastic visibility, handles like a classic and is just different enough to stand out from the plethora of Cessnas and Pipers filling the sky.

 

Safe flying.

 

-JT

 

 

[Guernsey]

Herewith Bulldog Photo. Alan.:clap2:

 

 

 

[jwt101]

And a fine photo it is! Still in its East Midlands University Air Squadron ('EMU'AS) colours. I missed out on the Bulldog by only a year or so when I was flying in the UAS as the RAF was still going through the process of phasing them out. That was around 2001ish. But the newer 'Plastic' Grob was also fantastic fun to fly.

 

 

[facthunter]

looks like a pretty competant trainer. I iamgine it would not be cheap to buy new. Plenty of rudder...Nev

 

 

[jwt101]

I am afraid that there is not a wallet big enough to buy one new, for they don't make them any more. Like much British manufacturing, it is an item of historic curiosity...