duncan_bayne

I have indeed - just sent djpacro a thank-you for showing me around Moorabbin & introducing me to some of the folk there. In the end I went with MFT - did a flight with Dave Prossorin a C-152 & greatly enjoyed it. I'll be getting back into training again in earnest in April (once I've had my first two invoices paid and have some money). In the meantime, it's back into the books to get my theory back up to GFPT level ...

Thanks - I'm very keen to take you up on that (PM sent). Yeah ... quite a few options actually. That's why I was hoping to tap into the combined wisdom of the forum members here :-) It _is_ tempting ... a while back I bought my wife (CPL/H ) an aerobatic flight in a Pitts based there. Her pilot was a charming man with infectious enthusiasm (whose name I sadly forget), & IIRC he's one of the instructors. I noticed a Decathlon (I think?) taxiing out while my wife was being briefed. Still, from where I live (Upwey) we're talking four hours of commuting. I tried taking a look at the info on their site, but was just greeted by a series of content-free pages like this one. I suspect they're busy working on the site. The thing I've realised is that instructor skill is so important ... I had no idea there'd be such a difference between instructors until I flew with that CFI. He was pulling me up about aspects of my flying that the other instructors hadn't so much as mentioned. I'll take hard but fair over oblivious any day of the week. Hell, I'd be happy with just plain hard - no instructor's going to be as hard as the ground Not very; I was getting closer to going solo. At the time I was progressing slowly because I was working two jobs, and unable to fly as regularly as I'd have liked. My plan this time around (having more time and more money) is to fly several hours every weekend, weather permitting. The theory at least should be straightforward. My wife's worked as a theory instructor in the past & is happy to help me study & prepare. She's keen for me to do the CPL exams regardless of which approach I take, & from what I've seen, that looks like a good idea (very thorough, greater depth of knowledge required, several deep exams rather than one broad one).

All aircraft are aerobatic. Once Seriously, I'm envisioning hiring something like a Cherokee Six to go daytripping with family, and on other days something other than a Cherokee Six ... say an Airtourer ... for aerobatics.

Hi All, So I'm looking to get back into flight training again - I haven't flown since early 2008, my last flight being (remedial) circuits in an EVSS (after bending one). I'm looking for a flight school in Melbourne that does ab-initio training, preferably with experienced instructors. Having flown with Grade 3 instructors and a CFI, I'm very keen to find the most experienced instructor I can afford; even I could tell the difference between the two in terms of high-quality constructive criticism. I felt like I was learning a lot more. Getting picky, I'd ideally like to train in a taildragger. I've spoken with a few experienced pilots who have opined that training on a taildragger is harder, but more rewarding. I'd also like to train somewhere that offers something like RBFT's Emergency Manoeuvre Training. Ultimately - long term - my goal is to be able to fly aerobatic & touring aircraft (e.g. Cherokee Six). But I wonder ... would I be better off starting with an RA licence, then progressing to a PPL with the relevant endorsements? Or should I continue my PPL? Is it even possible to do an EMT course under the auspices of RA-Aus? I gather recreational aircraft are prohibited from aerobatics. Any thoughts, suggestions, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated ... Yours, Duncan Bayne

Hi All, I'm jumping the gun a bit here (not yet GFPT, let alone PPL, & won't have the money to do anything about it until next year) ... but I've already been exercising my imagination & trying to figure out what type of aircraft will do everything my wife & I want: two up cross-country flying (even if a little cramped and slow) basic aeros (eventually for both myself and my wife, who currently holds a CPL-H to which she's hoping to add a PPL + aero endorsement) low purchase cost (<$50K ideally) and running costs easy to fly for someone on a newly-minted PPL built by somebody else (for I have precious little spare time, and struggle to make a wooden box that holds together) I've gone hunting on the internet (as any good student pilot knows, everything you read on the internet is true ;)) and put together a spreadsheet with very rough figures, and have come out with the conclusion that the only aircraft that meets the above requirements is a 150 Aerobat. Even then, the cruising range of a 150 with my wife & I abord (totalling ~ 180kg) would be profoundly limited - my SWAG (Super Wild Ass Guess) figures lead me to expect around 140nm including reserves, & that's based solely on MAUW calculations, i.e. disregarding balance entirely. So ... I was wondering if anyone here has any suggestions? Is there something out there that will do all of the above? Or am I going to have to build time and experience while I save my pennies for an RV-series? TIA, Duncan

We were having a debate over recreational and private licences; said CPL-H has a dim view of airmanship standards in general, having had some uncomfortably close encounters with unobservant fixed-wing pilots and having observed a generally poor understanding of helicopter operations amongst fixed-wing pilots at GAAP aerodromes. This includes things like student pilots not being aware & not being made aware of the existence of helicopter circuits. It's the opinion of said CPL-H that the standards required of PPL holders should be raised to be identical to CPL standards where there is equivalence, e.g. the requirement to maintain altitude in a circuit should be the same regardless of licence type. I'm still undecided on the issue myself; with a grand total of 12 hours flying time I'm more than happy to come within 100' of the altitude I'm aiming at :)

Sweet, thanks. Didn't think there would be; was just having a debate a CPL-H holder over RA-Aus standards.

Hi All, I've been hunting all over the web trying to find the circuit height guidelines for an RA licence, but I can't. I know that one must be able to hold circuit height to +/- 100' for a PPL, and +/- 20' for a CPL, but I can't find the equivalent for RA. I've read the Ops manual end-to-end but it just states that one must fly circuits in accordance with published requirements; there's nothing there about the standard that students must demonstrate during a flight test. TIA for any pointers. I get the feeling I must have failed to find some of the relevant documentation online. Yours, Duncan Bayne