Hello From Canada !

[Tim Berwolf]

I'm new here, plan on going to AU and taking an airplane with me. How's the general aviation community doing there?

 

Been flying 34 yrs. Need some sun.............without the 40 below!

 

Most of my flying has been in the north and off airport stuff, wheels, skis, floats.

 

I'm also an AME.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Welcome Tim

 

 

[Guest DWB]

G'day Tim & welcome to TAA. Can't speak too much in regards to GA in Australia as I'm a Recreational Aviator (RAAus), however, I'm sure they are going well just like the Recreational side is. In fact I have just a couple of hours ago been admiring a Club member's acquisition from earlier this week, an RV6, looks good. He's noticing a difference stepping out of his C150. I'm sure you would appreciate the warmth here for flying as opposed to there, -40 is cool!. Mind you at the moment in Australia you can be flooded out, burnt out, cold (by our standards), or extremely hot, depending where you are at this point of time.

 

I will be entertaining a Canadian pilot & his partner here on 10/11th March. He wants to try my plane on whilst here. We actually struck up a friendship through discussing Atec planes on an aviation forum (not this one) 12 months ago & stay in regular contact. So you never know what may come out of being on this site. I'm sure there will be plenty here to make your visit more friendly if you are going to be in their areas, so tell us where you intend to be etc & what you want to do & the help will flow.

 

 

[Guest aviatrix27]

G'day Tim, good to hear from you.

 

We're a friendly bunch here. Lots of RAA pilots, some GA (like me) and some spotters, photographers and just plane nuts :)

 

CASA (our equivalent to FAA etc) is making life pretty tough for a lot of GA pilots, at the moment they are being silly about my aviation medical. That's my problem!

 

If you're bringing your plane, it seems you intend to stay a long time, perhaps even permanently. You need to have a look at CASA's website about recognising your AME status and licence, you should find all the info you need at www.casa.gov.au

 

How soon do you intend on arriving, and which part of our great brown land will you stay at?

 

 

[Tim Berwolf]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I have to agree that this is a friendly bunch.

 

I'm hoping to come over this summer, I guess that would be winter there. I'd like to stay for July and Aug. Then I'd have to be home til the following June . After that I'd like to take an extended visit. I have a friend near Armidale so I'd probably start there.

 

My goal is to do a flying tour of the country. I'm drawn to Alice Springs, I don't know why.

 

Sorry to hear about your medical, I went through that when I was 26. Had an eye problem. After a corneal transplant, a year's wait and a bunch of paperwork they gave me my commercial back. So it does happen ! Hang in there.

 

In what way are they making it tough for GA there?

 

I'll check out the casa site.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Guest aviatrix27]

Hey Tim,

 

The main problems are silly restrictions. I am fully fit, however they think I'm going to fall off my perch without warning because of a history of breast cancer. Visiting for a short-ish time needs a lot of prior planning. While you're on CASA's site, look for ASIC (Aust Security Identification Card) information and see what you need to do to get one, they take forever! Also, getting your licence recognised will take several months, just as well you're starting now. CASA also charges $75 to process a medical, most of the work is done by the doctor we see, who has already charged us in the order of $130. I don't mind the doctor's fee, at least he or she does the work. I had my licence recognised by the FAA so I could fly in the US 2 years ago, the FAA charged me $0 but CASA charged $50 to send a letter telling the FAA that I had given them correct information. Heaven only knows how much they will charge you to recognise your licence.

 

Let us know if there is anything we can do to help. I did have a friend from the US who managed to get everything he needed done in a couple of weeks, there were 3 or 4 people involved in getting that fast tracked for him. I did not have to do any sort of check-ride flight to get my US licence, but my friend had to go to a flying school in Sydney to get his recognised - I know the CFI he went to, so I was able to ask her to help him fast track his application.

 

 

[Guest DWB]

There's a good CFI up at Armidale @ New England Flight Training Stewart Hignett is his name. Could be a good point of call, although no doubt your friend at Armidale might be well aware of this, if he too fly's

 

 

[Shelley]

Hi Tim

 

Welcome. If you need a few suggestions about where to go once you get to Australia, have a look through my website: www flyingtheoutback.com.au and see what takes your interest around the outback. There are lots of station stays etc if you want to get off the beaten track.

 

It's not on the website, but if youre going to Alice Springs you might like to check out Old Ambalindum Homestead, a nearby station with an airstrip.

 

All the best

 

Shelley Ross

 

 

[bas]

What's this RA/GA thing? We're all GA. General Aviation. Defined as anything non-military and non-scheduled. Balloons, gliders, C172s, Sheik Al-Ur-Oilmoney's A380, even the LSA's we fly! ;)

 

 

[metalman]

G'day Tim, hope it works out for you here, Alice is a big diffrence from Canada(from photos I've seen anyway) ,get a lot of local input and carry plenty of water(drinking) people still get into trouble in the bush here ,probably the same in Canada,but different issues . I drop into the Supercub.org forum at times, i'm wondering if you have a presence there as well

 

cheer Met

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

G'day Tim and welcome to TAA :)