A few questions from an airline pilot thinking about joining the RA ranks

[motzartmerv]

I had a guy on the phone making some enquiries yesterday, and practically insulted me when I told himthe Piper sports is $200/ hour dual.

johnm. I thought I did state my dual price.;) but more importantly, no one has quoted prices at gympie, so I my eyebrow was raised it wasn't at their price. Please don't make assumptions.

Unfortunately in our area (yet to meet any of these rich mexicans) we have to compete with schools that don't charge for an instructor. Or use aircraft that are very old and owned by the school and were paid

 

off years ago. (and should have been retired around the same time ;))

 

Gafa, if your willing to travel to Goondowindi I already have a satellite facility (almost) where you could teach.

 

 

[GAFA]

There are two schools at Gympie who do have dual rates just under $200. The prices I posted on page 1 were from schools at Redcliffe, Caboolture and Caloundra as these airports also have GA flying schools and the RA schools have to complete with them. And if you look at the price of learning to fly and private hire using the Tecnam at Redcliffe Aeroclub, against any of the RA schools there isn't much in.

 

motzartmerv, I do have a leased car and need to do k's per year so traveling isn't a problem.

 

 

[fatmal]

Any comments from pilots who have flown the Sportstar or Texan on what they think it them? I see the Texan has a brake lever rather than toe brakes, does it take long to get used to it after flying aircraft fitted with toe brakes?

GAFA,

 

I did ab-initio in a Texan, and my Navs in a SportStar, so have some time in both. They are very similar in their flight characteristics, i.e. great handling, a very mild stall (just nods the nose a bit), and both are very easy to fly. Cruise speeds are very similar, and both have great visibility.

 

I went from the handbrake (texan) to the toebrake (sportstar) so found going that way quite easy - the only issue with the handbrake in the Texan is if you haven't tightened the throttle friction nut - you let go of the throttle to get to the brakes, and the revs go up!

 

Both get really hot in summer though!

 

Mal.

 

 

[johnm]

m.merv - point taken and as said - no offence intended

 

If I had of read your post - I would have read your hourly rate and not posted

 

Keep publicising hourly rates - thats what I reckon

 

In relation to $ 200 hour dual I guess planes cost a lot and the amount of use dictates the charge out rate

 

In relation to $ 200 - that's half an hour in a dentist's chair ................ flying seems more fun, some how

 

 

[chocksaway]

Hi all,I'm a current airline pilot thinking about joining the RA ranks and have the following questions.

 

1. Has anyone done any training or flown at Freeflying / Adventure Flights at Redcliffe, Redcliffe Flight Training or Freeflying Caloundra? If so any comments good or bad about the schools and the aircraft types used?

 

2. Reading the RA-AUS ops manual because I have prior flying hours I only need 5 hours in RA aircraft or GA aircraft that could be RA registered. So if I was to do 5 hours in a Tecnam on the VH register (both Redcliffe Aeroclub and Redcliffe Flight training have Tecnam's VH registered) what additional training would I need to qualify for the RA pilot certificate?

 

3. Would all my ATPL privileges ie pax carrying, cross country etc automatically carry over to the RA pilot certificate?

 

4. I hold an expired Grade 2 instructor rating, with around 800 hours as an instructor mostly in C152's and PA38's. I've also held CASA check and training approval on turboprops and currently a training captain on jets. What training would be required to gain an RA Instructor rating?

 

5. Any recommendations for other schools on the north side of Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast?

 

Thanks in advance

 

GAFA

Hi there.......as previously mentioned.....go see the guys at Gofly.......they are at Redcliffe as well as Caloundra. Great aircraft and a really good bunch of straight shooting guys who treat you like a human not a dollar sign.

 

 

[rdarby]

I fly the SportStar at Redcliffe. It's a very nice new plane. Glass cockpit and constand speed prop.

 

It is easy to fly and is of a very high build quailty, I think above most other RAA aircraft. It costs though.

 

Redcliffe is a nice spot.

 

RAA is a lot cheaper to hire than GA, unless you are flying a lighter RAA type aircraft.

 

 

[GAFA]

Hi rdarby,

 

Is that with Freeflying Redcliffe? I've tried to contact them, but no luck. Their website is under construction and each time I've been out to the airport the hangar is closed. I've sent them messages asking for the rates (dual and private hire) but they still haven't got back to me.

 

Re gofly also looking at them, but I see the Texan (what I wouldn't mind flying) they use at YCAB is up for sale.

 

 

[rdarby]

Yes that is Freeflying Redcliffe.

 

They are $215 duel, $162 private hire, all wet.

 

They have two SportStars, 2 years old. One is up in Cairns now though.

 

The person who runs it is the person who owns Skyshop (www.skyshop.com.au). I will PM you his phone number.

 

The hangar would only be open on weekends I think.

 

 

[turboplanner]

So from March 12 intil now you've been unable to even pick a school.

 

I'd give it up mate.

 

 

[rdarby]

Lets encourage new members, not annoy them TP. Man can do his own search and make his move when he is ready.

 

 

[GAFA]

Turboplanner, if you have nothing to add why reply, so bugger off, I'm sure I have far more experience flying aircraft then you.

 

Since march I have flown the C162, but it's VH.

 

I'm also a full time airline pilot and prior who spends a lot of time away fom home, so I haven't had time get out and see all the schools in the area.

 

Thanks everyone else for providing useful information.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

GAFA

 

I can also endorse Go Fly at Caboolture. Very professional people, very friendly too. That's where I did my training.

 

I've also had some limited contact with some of the people at Gympie and found them to be very friendly as well.

 

Redcliffe, on the other hand is a tricky airfield to learn from as it almost always has gusty crosswinds.

 

I won't mention names (for fear of litigation), but there's a training facility there that I wouldn't go near if it was the last school on earth. The owner/CFI has quite a (bad) rep in the RA field and a few choice questions off the record will point you to who it is.

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Kev Walters used to have one on line at his place in Lowood, QLD... Kev's ph 07 5465 8888 or 0428 718 072

Kev sold his to arivate syndicate at YCAB

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

I must say I'm impressed with the amount of manuals ie POH's available on the net, either via manufactures web sites or flying schools in the USA. I now have an iPad full of LSA manuals.Over the last week I've sent out some emails to schools asking similar questions to the above. From the replies I've received some schools really need to work a lot harder if they want to get more people through the door at their schools. When I was a junior instructor at BK, I would go out of may way to answer and help anyone who walked through the door and was considering learning to fly. Some of the replies were one liners saying all the information as on their web site or see the RA-Aus web site, to me that doesn't show a flying school that looks after it's students.

 

However I did get some good replies, with the best coming from a school in Gympie. The reply is that good I will drive the 2 hours and check it out.

 

Once again thanks for all the replies. If anyone has a any tips/ advice on flying the Sportstar or the Texan please pass them on.

 

Cheers

 

GAFA

GAFA- we would be glad to help you at GoFly- we have converted many GA and ATPL pilots. PM me if you would like to know more so we don't contravene site rules .

Regards.

 

Neil

 

 

[turboplanner]

Turboplanner, if you have nothing to add why reply, so bugger off, I'm sure I have far more experience flying aircraft then you.Since march I have flown the C162, but it's VH.

 

I'm also a full time airline pilot and prior who spends a lot of time away fom home, so I haven't had time get out and see all the schools in the area.

 

Thanks everyone else for providing useful information.

Thanks GAFA, will be watching your progress with great enthusiasm, aware of the C162

 

 

[Guest becky1]

Hi GAFA,

 

Glad to see you are still interested in flying RAA and we are still looking forward to you coming up to Suncoast Cooloola flying to have a fly of ours

 

As mentioned re rates earlier in this thread we are very happy to let people know what ours are.They are for either our 2005 or 2009 Sportstar Max, $185 dual and $140 private hire.

 

Hope to see you up this way soon,were here seven days.

 

Jennifer

 

 

[GAFA]

Hi Jennifer,

 

I did come up to Gympie (done on short notice), to have a look around but didn't get a chance to catch up with you. Did get to see the Ercoupe as it was parked on the grass. I'll try and get up that way soon. Thanks GAFA.

 

 

[Aldo]

GAFA

 

It's like anything else mate you look around until you find someone you like, build up some sort of relationship and go from there, Motz is a good guy and Goondi is not that far from Brissy, nice wide open spaces no ATC off the ground and straight into training. If you have been flying WB's for most of your flying you will enjoy getting back to why you started flying in the first place. If you like I know a couple of WB guys that live around Caloundra that may be interrested in having a chat with you, just send me a PM and we'll go from there.

 

Allan

 

 

[turboplanner]

Thanks GAFA, will be watching your progress with great enthusiasm, aware of the C162

Well GAFA should be well and truly settled in with a training school by now, would be interesting to hear his experiences.