Advice on how to choose a Flying School

[NovemberKilo]

Hello,

 

After a long, financially induced hiatus (I do live in Sydney...) I have decided to get my PPL.

 

I racked up about 45 hours in 2007 with a metropolitan flying school, attaining an SPL (under the old CAR Part 5 regulations).

 

Since then, the regulations have changed, and my old flying school is not accepting applications.

 

Apparently I need to update medicals, ASIC and undertake a revision flight with my new flight school.

 

I'm kindly seeking advice as to how to select a flight school? Can I simply visit the school and talk to them about what I want to achieve? Any advice in selecting a flight school and how to quickly get back in the cockpit (regarding regulations etc) would be most appreciated.

 

 

[old man emu]

NK,

 

Without getting into an argument about whether you should go the CASA route or the RAAus one, the steps are the same for either.

 

Get your paperwork started. If you are going the CASA route, get the required medical. When identifying yourself to CASA, your ARN is your ID, so quote it in all communications.

 

As for which airport to attend, I would suggest Camden for CASA training and The Oaks for RAAus training. No matter where you live in Sydney, the Camden/Oaks area is easily reached. The advantage of these two airports is that you hardly waste any time getting from the tie downs to the threshold, as you might at Bankstown.

 

I doubt if so early in your training you would require an ASIC clearance at the two outer Metro airports. You might need to chase it before you start your Navs.

 

Which school? Knowing all the schools at these airports, I would say that each is as competent as the others in providing quality training. Perhaps your choice might be influenced by whether you prefer low wing or high wing. I think the only odd one is Curtis Aviation which trains in high wing taildraggers as well as tricycle types.

 

The schools at these two airports have been established for many years and set high standards in their development of airmanship. Take a derive out there this weekend and poke your head into all the schools. At Camden you have Phoenix Aero Club, Gostner Aviation, Delta Aviation and Airborne Aviation. (Gostner provides training under both banners.) At The Oaks you have Dave's Flying School and Sydney Recreational which are both RAAus schools.

 

Hope to hear you back into training pretty soon.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Welcome NK, most important to talk to some past or current students. Also ask the school about their average hours to licence (or certificate). Some will try to milk you for as long as they can. After that quality / condition / type of aircraft and facilities etc... and do you click with the instuctor(s).

 

 

[old man emu]

There you have it - the alpha and omega of advice.

 

Talk to current/past students? Where are you going to find them? If the student is still using the school, then clearly they are satisfied with what they are getting from it. If they are past students who left due to unsatisfactory results, then they will not speak highly of the school.

 

Average hours to attain the qualification? Very much akin to "Can you walk and chew gum at the same time ?" Every person takes to piloting at a different rate. The most efficient way to complete ab initio training is to do it in a block. If you can arrange to take holidays and do at least a solid week of training, you'll be solo by the end of the week with about 15 hours in your book. However, in your case, with 45 hours logged, after a solid week you should be pretty close to undergoing your licence test.

 

Unscrupulous operators? That's true in every endeavour. I've identified all the schools at Camden and The Oaks. As I said, they have all been in operation for many years, and all have good reputations.

 

Type and condition of aircraft? I've identified the general types available. As commercial operations, all the aircraft are airworthy. Being training aircraft which have people in and out on an hourly basis, there are some chips and scratches in the paintwork, and maybe the odd pen or pencil stuck into the side of the instrument cowling. Some are old aircraft, which is a testament to the attention paid to continuing maintenance.

 

Click with instructors? Most of the instructors at these schools are well past the stage of being newly rated instructors seeking to build their hours to chase a First Officer's seat. Most of them are in the "been there, done that" stage of life, and have treasure troves of knowledge and experience.

 

So, this weekend, get yourself out to Camden and The Oaks. Take your better half and make a day of it in the historic Camden/Wollondilly area.

 

OME

 

 

[Geoff13]

Check their safety culture.

 

You will feel it when you talk to them.