Author: GoFly

Congratulations (or commiserations) on having a child who wants to become a pilot. Most likely your child will say they want to become an airline pilot but it’s also possible they’d like to become a helicopter or military pilot. 

Let’s assume that you have decided that, as a loving parent, you want to support their dreams as best you can, while also being a bit nervous that your child is going to learn to fly. I get calls each week from parents who don’t know where to start when it comes to giving their child the best chance of obtaining employment as a pilot in the aviation industry.

To help those parents, I have outlined in this blog, seven critical points every parent should know, to help their child get started on their journey.

Does your child’s health meet the minimum required to be a commercial pilot?

There is no real point in getting a child’s hopes up for becoming an airline pilot if they do not meet the medical requirements for a class 01 commercial medical. If your child is healthy, not overweight and does not have any medical issues they would most likely pass a medical. Some of the health issues that may stop your child from becoming a commercial pilot, are: colour blindness, eyesight cannot be corrected properly with glasses, obesity and weight issues, diabetes, heart or respiratory issues. Also any history of mental illness or personality disorders may also preclude your child. 

If you are still concerned, I would suggest booking an appointment with your local doctor to see if there is any health issue that may preclude them from being a pilot. If you’re really concerned you can also book an appointment with an approved a designated aviation medical examiner (also known as a DAME). You can go onto the CASA website  You don’t have to book in a full medical for your child but you can book an appointment to discuss your concerns with your DAME. If there are any issues they can even provide possible solutions to improve the health issue before the child starts their flight training. 

Does your child have a realistic idea of what it is like to be a professional pilot?

There is a reason why schools run work experience programs: to give your child a good idea of what it would be like to work in a particular industry. Many younger children like the idea of flying but really have no idea if what is like to be a career pilot. A lot of young students have an unrealistic idea of that it is like to be a professional pilot.

In many instances they may have seen advertising showing how glamorous or adventurous it is being a professional pilot. While there is an element of truth to this, there is also a lot of other not so great things about being a pilot. For instance, becoming an airline pilot quite often involves a considerable amount of time away from home. This can be stressful, particularly if you have a partner or family. It is important that your child has a balanced view of their future career.  If they have a realistic idea of what is involved and still want to proceed with learning to fly, then you know that they really have a passion for flying and it’s not just a passing fad. 

Our own GoFly Online website has interviews with Airline Pilots and you can also search YouTube for interviews with military pilots and airline pilots, to get a better understanding of what it is like working in this type of profession. I always tell my own children to choose work they enjoy and which is meaningful to them. I also tell them that no job or career will be perfect and there will be aspects of the work that you will not like, however if you love what you do the upside more than compensates for any downside.

The younger they start, the easier it will be to eventually secure a job

One of the key items a future employer is looking for in a pilot is how committed and passionate that individual is about flying. The best way to prove this to a future employer is by starting to fly at an early age. It shows that the individual is disciplined, committed and passionate about flying. The other advantage is that airlines and the Air Force are looking for a good return on their “pilot” investments. It costs a lot of money for an airline or the Air Force to train a commercial pilot on their own aircraft. They would prefer to spend the money on a young pilot and keep that employee for 30 years than employ an older pilot and only employ them for ten years. A younger pilot means less turnover and reduces the costs of training.

 The other huge advantage to starting young is they are less likely to be in a steady relationship with kids and a mortgage. While you are  young and single, the cost of living is generally cheaper and you can focus all your time and energy on your career. You will also find it easy to relocate to get that first flying job if partners and kids are not involved. Generally the older you get, the more responsibilities and assets you have which make it harder to transition to a new career.

Book a trial introductory flight to make sure they still want to be a pilot

This one is a must. If your child shows a lot of interest in becoming a pilot then book them a trial flight with a reputable flight school near you. A trial flight is basically a casual introductory lesson that allows students to decide if they want to continue flight training. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to have a one-on one chat with a real flight instructor on the pros and cons of learning to fly and getting a job as a pilot. The instructor can also put a plan in place for the student getting their licence – whether that’s by full-time or part-time lessons.

Get them to do some flight lessons while at school

A lot of our flight school students start learning to fly with us around the age of 14. Many of them have achieved their Pilot Certificate at 15 or 16 before they can legally drive a car. The majority of these students are obsessed with flying and many of them actually pay for the flight training themselves by working part-time jobs.

 A lot of parents have the fear that if their child focuses too much on learning to fly, their school grades may be affected,  however I have discovered the opposite is true: most of them work harder at school so they can have the best grades they can when applying for a future airline or the Air Force. When your child has a clear idea of their future career, they find it easier to justify the study involved to get there. The other benefit of flight training is it teaches your child to be disciplined and focused.

Paying for it: self-funded, VET fee, military training or cadetship?

This is always one of the first questions I get from parents whose child wants to learn to fly. I suggest you read my other blog called ‘How to become an employed airline pilot, while working and without having rich parents.

As previously stated, many of our younger flying students pay for their own training with part time jobs. If they can save $100 per week they can do a lesson every two to three weeks.  I would always recommend students paying for their own training if possible, or at least some of their training, with their parents’ help. The other options are personal loans, VET fee or an Airline Cadetship. VET fee is a Government loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay their tuition fees for higher-level vocational education and training (VET) courses (at the diploma-level and above) undertaken at approved providers. The student will start paying off the loan once they start earning over a certain amount. The important thing to remember with VET fee is that it is still a debt and the average Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) VET fee amount has another $20,000 administration fee  on top of the cost of the flight training.

It is not uncommon for the student to be left with a VET fee debt of around $100,000 when they finish flight training. I employ instructors who will be paying off student loans for the next 10-12 years. While I am not totally against VET fee, I still think the best option is to just take longer to get your licence and pay for the training yourself. While this may take an extra three years to complete your training, you will have no debt at the end of your training.

The major airlines do offer ‘Cadetships’ from time to time, however most of these Cadetships still use the VET fee program and students will incur debt. I personally think this type of VET fee is justifiable because at least you are offered a job with a major airline at the end of your training. The airlines offering cadetships prefer you to have some initial flight training experience before you apply, so this is another great reason why doing some flight lessons while the student is still at school, is a great idea.

They can actually start learning about flying long before they begin their flight training

If your child is too young to learn to fly or cannot afford to start flight training yet, there are still things you can do NOW to prepare them. I would suggest they explore the rest of our new GoFly Online website. There are over 50 free videos about learning to fly and interviews about what is involved in becoming an airline pilot. These videos will greatly help your child decide if they want to become a commercial pilot and start learning to fly. There is also a Basic subscription option, which includes all the pre-flight briefings and in-flight lessons for the Recreational Pilot Certificate. These lessons will greatly assist with all the procedures that are required for a student to be a safe and competent pilot well before they begin their training. The videos will help them maintain their motivation – and the earlier you start fueling their passion the easier it will be later for them to stay motivated through their flight training.

The future for air travel is very bright with new technology such as VTOL (vertical take off and landing) and new electric aircraft technology. This is a very exciting time to be learning how to fly, and as a former 15 year old boy who scraped together his own money for flying – and as a parent of four children – I know how important it is to encourage your child to follow their dreams from as young an age as possible. 

Damien Wills

CEO, GOFly Group

To read more of Damien’s aviation blogs, click here.

How to compare apples with apples

It is no surprise that the second most visited page on the GoFly website is the ‘fleet and pricing’ page.

Price is important for most customers however the issue with pricing is that most flight schools do not disclose their full costs. For instance many flight schools show the hourly rate and briefing rate but not advise that there is landing charges. Most customers only look at the hourly flying rate but when you add on all the other items such as briefings and landing charges, this can increase each lesson costs by around 30 percent.

The other very important thing to ask is if they are quoting course costs based on the legal minimum hours to get your licence. For instance, we have competitors who often quote their Recreational Pilot Certificate course at around $5,600. This quote is based on the student getting their licence in the minimum 20 hours required. The issue with this is that it sets up a false expectation because very few individuals get their licence in the minimum legal amount of time – and if they do I would be questioning the quality of their training. If the school is honest and playing fair they should be listing an average price for their course based on an average student or giving an expected price range.  For instance, a good way of advertising this would be to say ‘Our Recreational Pilot Certificate takes 20 to 25 hours of flight training and costs between $5,980 to $7475, depending on individual competency’.

Ask the flight school  ‘What is the  cost per hour for your flying lessons including briefings?’ Then ask ‘How long is the average time a student takes to complete their training?’. You can then simply do the maths yourself and work out a rough realistic price. If the flight school can’t give you an answer or deflects the questions, I suggest you look for another flying school.

Another warning sign is if the school asks you to pay for the whole course upfront. You should be able to pay as you go.

Quality is more important than price

A cheaply-priced flight school does not always mean it is the best choice for you. It is the quality of training that is important. Obviously price is important, but if a cheaper school offers lower quality training you may have saved some money but is it worth the risk of not being the best pilot you can be? The biggest issue when you’re still researching a flight school is how to determine quality. Obviously every owner of every flight school thinks they offer the best quality of instruction, so taking the owner’s word for it is not the most reliable way of determining this.

The best way to determine quality is to do some simple research. Firstly, I believe that quality flows through everything a business does. For starters, what is the flight school’s website like? Has it had a lot of thought and energy and effort put into making it easy to navigate for the user? Or is the website just a big sales ad telling you how good the school is and how cheap their prices are? Is there valuable information on the website to streamline your decision making? Does the website show the facilities and aircraft and do they look well cared for? Does the website have a large focus on the customer and staff? Read the testimonials but remember that they will only put positive ones on the website.

Go to their Facebook and Instagram pages and look for reviews. Type the flight school name in the Google search window and look at all the reviews on Google. This is a good way to see both positive and negative reviews, to help you make your decision. Join some Pilot forums on Facebook or elsewhere and ask other student and graduates which schools they recommend in your area.

Sausage factory or personalised service?

There is no doubt that all flying schools are different. The most important question initially for yourself is whether you are wanting to fly for fun or for a career? Many of the bigger flight schools can afford better simulators, more expensive and newer aircraft and better facilities. I believe there is a cut-off point though, where some of the larger schools stop offering personalised service in favour of profit-making volume. Ask yourself, do I want to learn at a large corporate school that pushes through hundreds of commercial pilots a year, or a smaller school that is more flexible? If you want to fly just for fun then maybe a larger corporate school is not for you. Remember bigger is not always better. Within the industry, the larger schools that offer VET fee and train hundreds of overseas students are commonly known as sausage factories. They are designed to do a job and that job is to churn out as many Commercial pilots as possible to satisfy their overseas contracts or VET-fee obligations.

There is nothing wrong with this but do not expect individual attention or for them to remember your name. Likewise, some schools may be too small for you. They may only have one aircraft and one instructor. If you want variety of aircraft or instructors and more flexibility, this small school may not be the best. Work out what type of school you want to fly with and this will help reduce your search criteria when choosing a school.

Sometimes two schools are better than one

One of the biggest myths that flight schools try to promulgate is that you must complete all of your flight training up with them. What if you find a great recreational school that you love flying at but you’re not sure of their CPL program? Or what if you have just finished your flight training at your school and now want to do a tailwheel conversion or Aerobatics endorsement and the school you learnt at does not offer it?

The good news is that your flight hours and experience are transferable to any school.

It also doesn’t matter whether you start off flying a Recreational Aircraft or a General Aviation aircraft as they all count towards your CPL licence if you wish to continue. For instance, I started my training with the Australian Air League in Sydney in a small Cessna 152 many years ago. The school was run by volunteer instructors and the quality of training was fantastic but they only trained up to PPL level. I learnt to fly there up to PPL then finished my CPL training at a school in QLD. By doing it this way I saved myself around $15,000 in flight training and got to experience two great flight schools.

So if you are very happy with a school that can conduct your initial training but can’t fulfill your advance training (such as multi-engine rating) don’t let it preclude you from starting your training with that school.

You should visit their facilities and meet one of their instructors

This one is a must. There are two ways to do this. Firstly, you can ask the flight school if you can visit the school and talk to an instructor and see the aircraft. Do not feel bad about asking for this. Any quality flight school would be more than happy to spend 20 minutes talking to you and showing you around their facilities. Make sure you book in a time and stick to that time. If the school will not talk to you unless you book a flight with them, then choose another school. Secondly, you can take a Trial Introductory Flight. All schools offers them and they allow you to see if you actually like flying and to observe the quality of instruction and instructors before you commit. It is a real flight lesson and will count towards your first certificate.

If the flight school only offers meetings with a receptionist and not a flight instructor, then once again, I suggest you choose another school that will. When you meet the instructor you can then get a feel for how much they care for you as a future student and how professional and friendly they are. You can also observe the condition of the facilities and the condition of the aircraft. If the facilities are worn, old and run down this could be a sign that the owner does not care or the business is not doing too well. The same goes for the aircraft. While most flight schools won’t have brand new aircraft, do take a look at what condition are they in. Are they fairly clean? Does it appear the staff and business care about the condition of the aircraft.  The impression you get from your first visit will help you decide on whether to start training with that school. You might also like to ask to see the syllabus or whether it is online for you to view. And if you intend finishing your next level of training at another school, you might like to ask where they will keep your flight records, so that you know this school will be able to send them to the next school in a timely manner. You might like to see the room where their briefings are done and ask questions about which textbooks they use at their school.

And finally, ask them what I call the Kamikaze question, as you leave: ‘Why should I choose your flight school over all the other nearby flight schools?’ Their response may surprise or shock you, or it may be exactly what you want to hear and it will definitely help you decide.

All the best with your future flight training!

Damien Wills

CEO GoFly Group

You may also like to read this blog: Is is better to learn to fly at a controlled or non-controlled airport?

You may also like to read this blog: How to afford flight training and become an employed airline pilot while working and without having rich parents

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

Your future is in your hands

I hear a lot of individuals telling me that becoming an employed Airline Pilot is hard and that training is hard and getting a job is hard. I’m amazed that these individuals are able to actually get out of bed in the morning.

Yes, life can be hard, but what’s the alternative? If you believe everything is hard then you are more likely to give up before you begin.

Why do you want to be an Airline Pilot?

This is the first question you need to ask yourself before you begin your journey. A not so good reason for wanting to become a pilot might be because the pay is good and it will be cool.

A better reason might be because you have always been obsessed with aircraft, you just love flying and you can’t imagine doing anything else other than sitting in a high tech plane and being responsible for the lives of many individuals, helping them reach their loved ones safely.

If your reason ‘why’ is a good reason and you are passionate about flying and becoming a pilot, then I can honestly say the road to becoming an Airline Pilot will not be that hard. I believe that the future is very exciting if your goal is to become an airline pilot.

The news about the future pilot shortage is correct

Boeing and Airbus updated their forecast this year to conclude that around 600,000 new pilots will be required to be trained over the next 20 years to replace retiring airline staff and growing airline fleets. The Asia Pacific region will need around 250,000 new pilots in this time period.

I am a business owner and Entrepreneur and spend a considerable amount of time researching future growth markets. I believe the Asia Pacific forecast is spot on. In fact, one could compare the Asia Pacific region to America  post-World War II, when the Airline industry grew like crazy after the disposable income of the middle classes increased and the costs of airline travel decreased. The same rapid change is happening right now in Asia, however the population is about ten times that which the USA had in the fifties (that is right: ten times!!).

If you want to stay on the East Coast of Australia and don’t want to move to find work then you may find it harder to gain employment. All the airline pilots I know who secured a job shortly after their flight training, went overseas for work.

So will there be jobs, but you may have to travel to find that first airline job.

Yes, but…

I dislike ‘Yes, but’ people. Basically they are saying ‘Yes, I agree with you… but I have come up with a reason not to agree with you’.

So you have always dreamt of becoming an Airline Pilot and you have probably done a bit of internet searching and soon realised that the cost of training could be anywhere from $55,000 to $120,000.

Wow! Unless you have just received an inheritance, or your parents are rich, this is where your research into becoming an Airline Pilot probably ends. This is where the negative thinking can become so powerful.

Yes, but I don’t have the money

Yes, but I don’t have rich parents

Yes, but I might not get a job

Yes, but I might be no good

Yes, but I don’t want to move overseas

The list goes on and on and on…

I want you to get into the habit of changing ‘Yes but’ to… ‘Yes, I can!’

Yes I can!

Yes, I can find the money somehow.

Yes, I can become an Airline pilot if I work hard enough.

Yes, I can achieve my dreams if I just keep persisting.

Yes, I don’t mind living in Asia for five years if it means I can be an Airline Pilot earlier.

Ok you get the point..

You can always get what you want  – the only variable is the time it takes.

You’re most likely to have never seen more than $10,000 in your bank account so the thought of being able to afford $80,000 to complete your flight training seems like a pipe dream. I am about to show you that not only is it possible for anyone to be able to afford flight training but it is also possible for anyone who has the right attitude to secure a job as an Airline Pilot.

I am going to show you how you can obtain your Commercial Pilots licence with all the necessary endorsements within four years without the help of your parents, the government or the bank.

Think of your flight training as a University Degree

Most university degrees are around three to four years in duration. If the majority of the population accept that it’s going to take an individual four years to earn a degree then why would it be any different to learn to be an airline pilot? If you leave school at 18 you will still only be 22 years of age when you complete your flight training – the same as most other graduates.

Get a full-time job that pays at least $50,000 income and live in shared accommodation or move back home with your parents/relatives

It would be nice if you could just jump directly into full-time flight training straight away then land your dream job with an airline within one year. I would also like to own my own beachfront property with ocean views but I know it is not going to happen within 12 months (I have a ten year plan for that one.)

Why get a full-time job that earns $50,000?

The reason is simple, so you can still pay rent and food and bills and enjoy life a bit while you are training part time. By sharing accommodation and living at home you can reduce your weekly expenses. By earning $50,000 per year you should be able to put around $20,000 per year towards your flight training costs. Over four years that is around $80,000.

That’s right, even with a medium income job, within four years you can pay for your own flight training and have no debt at the end of it (unlike most uni students). What sort of job should you get? I would recommend some job where you can learn some skill that will assist you in aviation. Sales is a good choice because you will learn to sell yourself.

Another great idea is to get an admin or ground staff job with an airline or flying school or charter company. You might apply to be a flight attendant, ground baggage handler, refueller or front office admin. If you’re in the industry you can learn valuable inside information plus develop a network of key contacts for later when you are looking for a job. I know plenty of Airline Pilots who started off as ground crew for airlines.

Once you get a job that pays around $50,000, the plan is very simple:

Year 1

1. Upgrade your computer if you need to and turn it into a simple Flight Simulator (use X Plane). By having your own makeshift flight sim, you will be able to practice manoeuvres, and eventually instrument flight, at home in your own time at no cost.
2. Study for your Recreational theory exams and Private Pilot Licence exams in your own time and sit the exams.
3. You may also find our online flight lessons helpful.  For less than half the cost of a one hour real lesson, you can watch the lessons in standard or in 360-degree video as man times as you need. The lessons cover everything you need to know for your RPC plus there are lots of bonus videos dealing with emergency procedures and flight tests etc Our students claim that the lessons have sped up their learning and saved them money on real flying lessons.

Year 2

1. Find a reputable flight school which offers part-time Commercial Pilot Licence training and preferably has Recreational Aircraft that you can start your training in (to save hourly costs).
2. Complete your training one day per week and fly between one to two hours each time. Pay for each lesson as you go.
3. Complete your Recreational Pilot Certificate  (approx $5400 through GoFly) and Navigation endorsement (approx $4000 through GoFly) in a Recreational Aircraft to save on training costs.

Year 3

1. Complete your RPL conversion and controlled Airspace endorsement on a four- seat aircraft like a Cessna 172
2. Start studying at night for your CPL exams
3. Start accumulating Solo command time in both a Recreational Aircraft and a four- seater aircraft.

Year 4

1. Sit your CPL theory exams (and resit if required)
2. Start studying for ATPL subjects
3. Complete your CPL Flight Training with twin-engine instrument included
4. Complete your Instructor rating Recreational and General Aviation
5. Apply for airline jobs in Australia and Asia at the end of the year
6. Keep $10,000 and offer to pay for Jet type endorsement if required by an Airline

If you put the work in, are smart with what school you choose and what aircraft type you learn to fly on, you can achieve all of this for around $80,000.

In addition

I would also recommend doing a part-time course in how to speak Chinese. Most jobs will be coming out of China over the next ten years. While it is not a requirement to speak Chinese in order to obtain a job in Asia, it will put you ahead of your competition and show your future employee that you have gone the extra mile.

A lot of my students say to me, ‘That’s great but I’m happy where I am, I don’t want to go overseas’. This is a real shame, as living in a different country will open their eyes to new cultures and experiences. Obviously their reason ‘why’ is not great enough. They may well get a job if they stay in Australia but options and opportunities are far greater if you’re willing to travel and relocate for a while.

Other options

The good news is that even if you do not want to go overseas, or if you miss out on a job initially, you can still look for a job a flight Instructor on the east coast of Australia. Most Airlines in Australia now prefer you to have an Instructor rating so that they can use you for check and training when you have been with the company for a while. By obtaining your Instructor rating during your course it allows you to obtain a job in general aviation while you are applying for airline jobs. It basically gives you more options and allows you to earn an income and fly. You might even love it and decide to stay being a professional Instructor.

Leave $10,000 aside for your ‘type rating’ training

As part of this plan I allow $10,000 at the end of  your training to allow you to pay for your own ‘type rating’. What is a type rating? It is specific training to allow you to fly a particular ‘type’ of complex aircraft such a Boeing 737. This can be done in a simulator for about $10,000.

When applying for an airline, some airlines require you to pay for your own type rating. If you succeed in getting through your initial interviews you will be in a better position as you already have your own funds to pay for your own type rating.

No more excuses

I hope by now you have come to the realisation that becoming an airline pilot is not only achievable for anyone, but is also a realistic career path if you have a big enough ‘why’.

I decided to open and run a Flight School instead of joining an airline, but I have worked with many charter pilots and instructors over the years who have gone on to secure jobs by following my simple plan above.

A lot of other flight schools will try to tell you that the above plan is not possible financially. The reason is simple:  their revenue model has been designed for them and not YOU! Do your research, go onto the CASA website and research hourly requirements. I know flight training costs can be almost halved if you do your research and chose the right school. I know it’s possible because I did the above plan myself (but left Charter flying and  decided to buy and run a flight school).

All it takes is belief in yourself, persistence and time.

*2018 blog update: If you are interested in obtaining your CPL, and you have questions, you can attend our ‘How Do I Become a Commercial Pilot’ presentation on Saturday 8 December 2018, and have all your questions answered by airline pilots and current CPL students.

If you are interested in obtaining your CPL through GoFly Aviation, we are currently offering a great value deal for approx $55,000. You can start any time. Request a copy of our pricing and syllabus by emailing us at [email protected] or feel free to call me on 0426 282 226 if you have any questions.

GoFly does not offer VET fee. For information about personal loans, visit GoFly Finance.

For our current deals on Recreational Pilot Certificates, keep an eye on our Special Offer page.

Click here for information about the Bachelor of Aviation at USQ.

Click here to view our Boeing 737 simulator.

Happy and safe flying,

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

Everyone wants to fly a big jet

For as long as I can remember I have always dreamt of learning to fly and becoming a pilot. When I was learning to fly, almost everyone who was learning with me dreamt of becoming an airline pilot. Part of the attraction was being able to fly a high-tech Jet Aircraft and also have the benefit of being paid a decent wage while doing something you love.

I totally understand why someone who spends a considerable amount of money and time on training to become a commercial pilot would want to have their investment pay off by joining an airline.

Instructing is usually viewed as a stepping stone to bigger and better things!

The current reality is that most new commercial pilots obtain their Instructor Rating so they can build up valuable flying hours while they are waiting to join an airline. Flying jobs in the major city centres of Australia can be limited when you first become a Commercial Pilot and Instructing will increase  your chances of gaining employment.

I don’t personally think there is anything wrong with this approach providing the instructor puts the necessary effort and care into each student while they are building up hours.

Sure I have never been an Airline Pilot, but I have been a Commercial Charter Pilot and plenty of my close friends are now working for major Airlines so I understand exactly what their work/life balance involves. I have also been a Chief Pilot for over five years and have a very good understanding of what it is like to be a full-time flight instructor.

We need more career flying instructors

When I was learning to fly there were two types of Instructors. The career instructor who loved flying and teaching and the Instructor who was simply building up hours towards joining an airline. Which instructor do you think I prefered to fly with?  If we could encourage more individuals to consider remaining as Instructors instead of joining airlines, I believe that the quality of Instruction would improve dramatically.

I am now going to list five reasons why becoming a long-term career Instructor may be a better choice than being an Airline Pilot

1. It may be more rewarding

I’m not that saying being an Airline Pilot is not rewarding, I am only suggesting that being a Flight Instructor is a very different type of rewarding, as it allows you to help individuals fulfil their dreams of flying. There is something very satisfying about having a student walk in the door with no experience and  eventually sending them off on their first solo flight .

2. Instructing is about motivating and caring

Firstly to be a good flight Instructor you have to be good at developing a positive professional relationship with your student and you have to be very good at motivating them – because let’s be honest, learning to fly can be a challenge at times and it’s easy for any student to lose motivation when things get tough. You really have to care about your student’s dream of learning to fly and care enough to get them through the tough training times (and there will be many ). This motivational and caring aspect of teaching can be both meaningful and very rewarding. If you consider yourself a good motivator and a caring person then instructing may be a perfect fit for you.

3. You are home every night and usually one day on the weekend

For the many Airline Pilots I have known, being home rather than being absent frequently, is desirable. Are you ready to be away from home, family and friends for up to 12 nights per month? For some individuals this works well but for others it may put a huge strain on their family life.

With Instructing you are home every night, and I can assure you, my children and my partner appreciate this as much as I do.

4. The pay is quite good – eventually

One of the main reasons a lot of individuals don’t even think about instructing as a long term career choice is because the pay is lower than being an Airline Pilot. Unless you own a flying school your pay may always be less than an airline pilot particularly when you first start instructing. However, once you have gained considerable instructing experience it is possible to earn anywhere from $60,000 to $85,000 a year as a fulltime professional flight instructor. This is still a good wage for doing something you love doing.  Regional airlines only offer $55,000 to $100,000 per year depending on experience and the larger national airlines only offer $75,000 to $140,000 and you have to be flying for the airline for a long time before you receive the upper pay scale. As you can see, the differences are not that great particularly for regional airlines.

5. The future for flight training is incredibly exciting over the next 15 years

This one is huge. We at the beginning of a huge and innovative shift in flight training. The radical changes will include lower cost high-tech aircraft, advanced low-cost simulation and eventually electric propulsion. This is a very exciting time to be a flight instructor.

If you have always dreamt of becoming an Airline Pilot don’t give up the dream, butif you are curious about alternatives then maybe becoming a career instructor could be an exciting option for you.

I love flying and I love teaching. Helping students achieve their dream of flight is an incredible privilege.

Listen to your own voice

Don’t listen to others if they tell you that you have have to earn lots of money to enjoy life; that simply isn’t true. Working at something which is rewarding and meaningful to you is what is required for you to enjoy YOUR life. If the quiet voice inside your head is slightly excited about the idea of becoming a career flight instructor then listen to that voice; because there is a shortage of instructors and there is a future student somewhere right now who will be grateful that you did!

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

As the Chief Pilot and owner of a busy flying school, one of my main roles is making sure our customer’s expectations are met. This comes down to clear communication on how the student’s flight training course will progress even before they complete their first lesson.

It also means giving honest feedback along the student’s flight training journey.

The good news is that 99% of students get it, and what I mean by that is they clearly understand what the flight school expectations and their own expectations are and what is required for them to pass their flight test to achieve their Pilot Certificates. (I am also not suggesting that all flight schools get it right all of the time – including myself – for instance, some students get along better with certain instructors than others and learn better with a certain personality type. This happens in all service-based businesses.) By all means if you have a legitimate complaint with your service or training then speak up, we want to hear from you. The 1% of students I am referring to are those who make flight training more difficult than it has to be for themselves and for the flight school.

Below I have outlined some of the typical behaviours of the one percent of students who don’t understand how flight training works (even though we have explained it to them numerous times) and who are always the first to complain when things do not go their way.

I just have to show up

That’s right, they think that just showing up and going for their flight lesson will get them across the line. They have forgotten that flight training is a 50/50 partnership with their flight instructors and they still have to put at least 50% of the effort in to get themselves across the line. This includes study and or practicing their flying procedures when they are not flying.

Money will get me across the line

They believe that because they are paying for lessons that they are owed a Pilot Certificate or licence. I explain to every customer when they start, that flying is competency-based. This means that you have to meet certain competent levels to pass certain milestones in your flight training. If you don’t meet these competency requirements we simply cannot send you solo or pass you during a flight test.

I will obtain my Pilot Certificate in the minimum legal time allowed

This one is related to money and many new customers see the minimum legal hours and think that everyone gets their licence within that time. It does not help that a lot of flight schools quote the minimums and do not explain to the customer that only a small percentage of their customers obtain their Pilot Certificate in the minimum time.

I clearly explain to every customer that the minimum is a starting point and that the Pilot Certificate is competency-based. If you are not at the standard required, we will not be handing you a Pilot Certificate after 20 hours.

I don’t take criticism too well

Flight training is two steps forward and one step back. Eventually you will get there but there are days when you will not perform very well. As an instructor, it is our job to identify weaknesses and communicate that to the student so they can improve. Some students do not like to receive any critical feedback and they see it as an attack on their ego.

My friend went solo after ten hours so why haven’t I gone solo yet?

This one is a common one. They compare and compete with a friend or family member who has done some flight training and think if they have not achieved the same result that the school is to blame for their shortcomings or they begin to question their own talent for flying. The truth is that no two students are the same. I have had students go solo in record time and others take twice as long; everyone learns at their own individual pace.

The blame game

Many students cannot own the fact that their performance, or attitude, or nerves are affecting their ability to pass or reach a certain level. These performance issues can be affected by a host of human factors issues such as age, health and stress or just different learning styles.They can also be affected by the varying and complex personality types that humans possess.  Many of these students will blame their instructor or the weather or any other external factor without accepting that the issue is actually themselves. The roadblock is something they need to work on within themselves.

I once failed a young student after he completed his flight test and his Dad was very angry at me for failing his son. He insisted, “But you said he was ready for a flight test”. I calmly explained that yes, he was ready for the flight test but today he was not ready to pass that test. The poor student did his best but did not perform on the day due to nerves. His dad clearly did not get it; his attitude was that you advised that my son was ready and I paid you, so you should pass him.

Flight Training is about self development

Your Flight Instructor is a skilled guide and motivator who creates a safe structure for you in which to learn how to fly and achieve your dream. However it is up to you to humbly take the constructive criticism, incorporate the feedback, do the study, improve and grow.

Your Flight Instructor cannot get YOU across the line, they can show you the way but only YOU can get yourself there.

Fortunately most students get it, they understand that flying is both challenging and rewarding. They understand it is competency-based and not time-based. They understand that money will not buy them a licence.

Your hard-earned money will allow you to hire a plane and an instructor but it’s actually YOU who determines how the flight training will progress and if you will eventually realise your dream of flight.

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

Being a Chief Pilot can be both rewarding and challenging. If we add to that the complexities of operating a small business it can feel like at times you are juggling ten bowling balls while riding a unicycle on a tightrope. Maybe I have exaggerated a tad, but I think you get the picture, it can be very challenging.

Of course I would never give it up because I love what I do. Last June my operations Manager Jeremy suggested we create a reality tv show on what it was like to Learn to fly and operate a flight school. I thought it was a brilliant idea but we were so busy I just could not see how we could have the time to create such a series and make it look professional enough to make it worth our while.(an that others would want to watch)

Maybe it was synchronicity or serendipity, but just one week later I received a call from Stephen Limkin, the owner the production company Light Studios, to see if I was interested in making a reality tv show on flight training. Ten years ago I would have fallen off my chair, but after operating a business for the last seven years these coincidences have been happening on a regular basis.

I said “yes” of course and filming commenced two months later.

Being a Chief Pilot and business owner you have to deal with so many variables, weather, student motivation and maintenance in what is a highly competitive industry. Now the business had to deal with a film crew following them around all the time. Each of our aircraft was transformed into a flying movie studio.

Stephen as creative director is a perfectionist and we had to have four cameras with two microphone recording devices in each aircraft while flying. Did I also mention everything was shot with 4K cameras, that’s about four times better quality than normal high definition?

I thought our customers might be annoyed with camera crews following them around all day but the majority of customers loved it and were excited to be part of something special and unique.

Interestingly, I also got to see how each of the other GoFly Instructors interacted with real students in the air. When I do check flights with my Instructors, it is their CFI flying with them pretending to be a student, so of course they act differently with the CFI and owner.  It was refreshing and exciting to see the unrehearsed instructing for the first time, and fortunately,  I was very happy with what I witnessed.

What I love about the ‘Taking Flight’ series is that it reveals so much about what it is like to learn to fly; to be a flight instructor;and to operate a complex business such as a flying school. It also shows the human element, the fears and hopes and what it is like to stretch yourself mentally and emotionally.

The extra work involved creating this series has been well worth the effort and one of the biggest benefits of saying yes to assisting Light Studios with its creation, is getting to know Stephen the owner, Jared, the director of Photography  – and fostering these new friendships.

The first episode will be released on YouTube on Wednesday 15 March, with each subsequent episode released fortnightly. You can see the trailer here. There is also a website for Taking Flight where you can subscribe in order to be notified of each new episode; and a Facebook page.

My hope is that the Taking Flight series will inspire others to learn to fly;  or to start their own business; or to simply say YES to trying something different and exciting in their own lives.

Damien Wills, CFI

In 2014 I decided to make the first Australian ‘Recreational Learn to Fly’ DVD series. The reason I created the DVDs was because I discovered students were not remembering everything they learned during their flight lessons and they wanted a way to both remember what they had learnt on that particular lesson as well as a way of preparing for the next lesson.

I advertised the DVDs in print magazines and posted them out when people ordered them.  The DVDs sold very well and received excellent feedback from both students and instructors across Australia. About two years ago I considered upgrading the DVDs to an online version and also thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could also offer the inflight lessons in 360-degree video so it can be viewed on a VR headset?’.

The main issue at the time was internet speed and there were not many VR headsets available and they were very expensive. Added to this, the 360-degree cameras were also very expensive and editing the footage was labor intensive if I did it myself, or very expensive if I got a production company to do it. As the flight school was very busy, I decided to put the upgrade project on hold.

I am a firm believer that if you are on the right track then the right people and circumstances will show up in your life to help make your dreams a reality.

In 2016, Stephen, the owner of a production company (Light Studios) rang me wanting to make an online reality tv show at GoFly, about his own journey from nervous flyer to potential pilot. We started making the show, called Taking Flight. We filmed Stephen’s flights and, coincidentally, his production company also created 360-degree videos.

Over the next 6 months, Jeremy (GoFly’s then General Manager), Stephen and I put our creative hats on and filmed the world’s first 360-degree learn to fly videos to be available on the Vimeo On Demand platform.

Creating the 360-video was not an easy process. Firstly we had to purchase an expensive VR camera that used two 4k cameras and two spherical lenses. We mounted the camera on a special tripod on the student’s seat so the camera was situated exactly where the student’s head would normally be.

Over the next six months I then filmed every Pilot Certificate lesson in detail pretending the camera was a real student. We had many retakes and the biggest bugbear was that the camera kept overheating in the hot Qld sun and so we had to shoot in 20 minute sessions, wait for the camera to cool down then shoot again! The other issue at the time was that the sound had to be recorded on a separate camera then synched to the 360 footage during the editing process.

When shooting footage there is generally six times as much footage as ends up in an episode, so the raw footage used an incredible amount of data storage to get it through the editing stage. After three months of editing, Stephen finished all the lessons in March 2017.

We filmed all the RA Aus pre-flight training lessons in standard-view and offered the inflight lessons in standard view as well as the innovative 360-degree footage.

We used the 360-videos as training aids at our GoFly Aviation school and the feedback was fantastic. The 360-video can be viewed through any mobile device in 360 format with a $25 VR headset (prices have come down in the last few years). The benefit of watching the learn-to-fly lessons in the 360 format is that you are completely immersed in the cockpit and you can see exactly what the student pilot sees in 360-degree HD video.

Fast-forward to 2018 and by then we had shot all RPC ab initio lessons and now had over 22 episodes of Taking Flight on the Vimeo platform. Our students were using it at the flight school and were also able to use it at home online or offline.  But it was hard for other customers to find on Vimeo or via our own website and it just wasn’t selling as a stand alone product. I truly believed that these videos would reduce training time for students, enable them to save money and make them a better and safer pilot.  We needed to create a standalone website just for our videos. 

I approached one of our existing students, Thomas Gregg,  who ran a web design/SEO company in Brisbane. He agreed to come on board and design the GoFly Online site, complete with categories for RPC, Cross Country, Resources, Interviews with Pilots, the free GoFly Fix videos, blogs and much more. We put a plan in place for further videos and sought out a Commercial pilot to produce some GA videos.

My reading led me to believe that having an online side to the actual flight school business would help us survive any downturns in the economy. I also discovered a new suffix for websites,  so we changed from ‘dot com, dot au’ to ‘dot online’. We divided the content up into Free as well as, Basic and Premium content by subscription ($99 or $199). By now we had over 100 videos and 25 blogs.

At GoFly all new students receive a free Premium subscription. The new website looks great and we project it onto the wall or screen it on the work computers for those who haven’t watched the relevant lesson at home or need to watch it again. Some students listen to the audio as a refresher, as they drive to the school. Despite my partner’s best efforts at promoting it, it still wasn’t selling to anyone outside our own school. 

To eliminate price as a barrier to purchasing, we provided a monthly option ($9.90 or $19.90) and we included a 7 day money back guarantee. We attended aviation expos and demonstrated the product and gave out business cards containing the URL. We made more content. We released free content linked back to the URL. We placed ads in a couple of aviation magazines. Finally, some sales started trickling in from around Australia and gave us the motivation to keep at it and the confidence to buy some new equipment for filming..

In late 2019 our flight school leased a Cirrus and we partnered with a GA pilot to produce some Cirrus and GA content. We have also filmed interviews with a number of commercial pilots. We have plans to include a quiz at the end of each video so students can test their understanding of the lesson and, eventually, their instructor will also be able to access these results to see if the student understands.

We won’t give away any of our exciting future plans, but there are plenty. Our vision is for GoFly Online to create the largest collection of quality inspirational, educational and entertainment aviation videos on the planet. Our aim is to inspire individuals to fly and, once started on their journey, make the process as enjoyable as possible and help create better pilots!. 

You can now access all content with the 7-day FREE trial and we have made the first couple of flight lessons in each category on the site, free to view. Enjoy!

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further aviation blogs by Damien.

 

There is something magical about flying an aircraft into an new destination then stopping for lunch or an overnight stay.

As the owner of a busy flying school I often get asked by pilots who have obtained their cross country endorsement, about places to fly to for the day or for an overnight stay.

Knowing that most of my customers will be taking their partner, I usually suggest a place within a two hundred nautical mile range, so that the maximum flight time each way is around two hours. I don’t know about you, but I find that two hours is about the maximum time my bladder can last before a rest stop is required.

Below I have included just three of the many day or overnight trips which can be done from the Sunshine Coast area if you’re travelling in an aircraft that cruises around 100kts.

 

ORCHID BEACH, FRASER ISLAND

This runway is situated on the northern tip of Fraser Island. The beach is spectacular and the grass runway is conveniently situated in between the pub and the beach!

There are also plenty of well-priced units and houses within walking distance of the runway to rent for an overnight stay. The runway is a little rough but can handle a recreational aircraft with not too many issues. I took the 4 seater Cessna when I went. The aerodrome is privately owned and you need to ring Orchid Beach Trading Post store for more information on 07 4127 9220. They are very friendly and encourage pilots to land there, as the  strip does not get a lot of use.

It is an exciting runway to land on as you have two large sand dunes either end of the runway. You have to complete a slightly angled final approach on both runways to give better clearance of these sand dunes. The runway itself is quite easy to land on providing the winds are below 15 kts.

It is around a 3 hour round trip from Caloundra in our Sling aircraft.  For more information go to www.orchidbeachrentals.com and https://airportguide.com/airport/runway/YORC

 

CHERRABAH HOMESTEAD RESORT

Cherrabah Homestead Resort is a low-key country retreat situated outside of country Warwick, situated high on a mountain on 5086 acres and 3000 feet above sea level with views overlooking Elbow Valley and the Great Dividing Range. It has its own sealed runway which they allow guests to land on. The resort has tennis courts, horse riding, quad bikes and oher activities for guests.

From Caloundra allow 2 to 2.5 hours in the Sling aircraft. While I have not been to this resort myself, plenty of my customers have flown in and spent the night in rural QLD. For more info, go to www.cherrabah.com.au and for runway info go to https://airportguide.com/airport/info/YCHB.

 

EVANS HEAD

Evans head on the beautiful north coast of NSW is a great place to visit for a day or overnight stay. The public runway is situated about 2km from town (a long walk or very cheap uber trip) and the beach.

The town has plenty of accommodation options and restaurants. It is only a two and a half hour flight from the Sunshine Coast in a Sling or Texan aircraft. The aerodrome also has its own museum. For more information go to www.evansheadairpark.com.au and https://airportguide.com/airport/info/EVH

 

These are just some of the wonderful destinations you can easily visit in a day. There are many more towns and airports within this range all over southern QLD and northern NSW. I would recommend using Google maps and your ERSA book to discover other great destinations.

One of our Sling aircraft is available for day and overnight hire. Further information from our website or by calling 0426 282 226.

 

(Please be advised this is only general advice only and it is the responsibility of the pilot in command to research all runway information in relation to suggested destinations.)

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

As the owner of a flying school I am often frustrated with the media and how they represent general or recreational aviation in Australia. The coverage  is either news of an aircraft crash or how some flight school has either closed down or is struggling to survive with dwindling student numbers.

Rarely do the media portray good news stories of individuals or organisations which are making a positive difference in the flight training industry.

The last positive large-scale media release for general aviation that I can remember was the story of Lachlan Smart from the Sunshine Coast being the youngest pilot to fly around the world in a single engine Cirrus aircraft (incidentally he did one of his first trial flights with GoFly).

The latest news hitting our media outlets refers to the collapse of many general aviation schools and the demise of VET fee help for aspiring pilots.

I have always been an eternal optimist and I honestly believe that the future of general and recreational aviation has never been brighter. We are currently in the midst of a transition from what I call industrial low-tech thinking and low-tech machinery to high-tech thinking and technology.

Part of the decline in flight training is due to old bureaucratic rules and regulations that do not make sense in today’s high-tech culture and partly due to many industry professionals and business owners not willing to change with the times (e.g. trying to attract new young trainee pilots by using a 40 year old Cessna for flight training).

Below I have outlined five reasons why the future of flight training and General and Recreational Aviation has never been brighter.

 

Flight simulation, augmented and virtual reality will be the next huge growth industry

 

Flight simulation, augmented and virtual reality will be reduce the cost for pilots of learning to fly and of remaining current. It will allow flight schools to introduce advanced simulation training at a greatly reduced capital acquisition cost. Augmented reality will allow both flight simulation and hardware to co-exist simultaneously. Online training will be available in standard interactive and a 360 immersive environment, to allow students to study and train anywhere, anytime. In 2017 we created and offered the world’s first 360VR flight lesson at www.goflyonline.com.au With augmented reality you could have an instructor teacher online and explaining the lift to drag ratio at home in your loungeroom while you can still see everyone else in the room. I would also suggest looking at www.magicleap.com to see how this technology is going to impact on training.

 

The new ‘Part 23’ certification process for General Aviation Aircraft

I am amazed at how few industry professionals know about these sweeping changes that have just taken effect in the USA. The new rule replaces the old certification rules that were exceedingly expensive and cumbersome. Basically, under the old rule, to certify a newly designed and introduced four seat General Aviation Aircraft would cost anywhere from $10-15m million. The cost will now be $1-2 million. Similar to how Sport Aviation has reinvigorated the flight training and leisure flying industry, I believe this new change to the certification will as well. Under the ‘Part 23’, electric aircraft are also covered and this will allow innovative entrepreneurs to design, test and certify new revolutionary aircraft which will inspire individuals to learn to fly. It will also bring the cost of each aircraft down, making purchasing an aircraft for personal use more affordable.

 

The rise of the electric aircraft

When I suggest to students and friends that within 10 years a large proportion of recreational aircraft will be electric, I often get laughed at. The main area of contention  in the debate is battery weight and power. While I agree that current battery technology works fine for cars, the weight and charge issue is still an issue for light aircraft. They just are not (yet) as efficient as piston engines in relation to weight versus power. Car manufacturers are currently spending billions of dollars on battery research (thanks Elon) and development, to improve energy density for a longer drive times. This technology will flow through to aviation. Pipistrel aircraft already have an electric aircraft trainer called the Alpha. It has a battery life of just over an hour which is fine for flight training. They are also developing a four- seat electric aircraft called the Panthera (www.panthera-aircraft.com ) Electric aircraft will reduce the cost of flight training as fuel is cheaper and maintenance costs will reduce, making flying safer as electric engines are far more reliable than piston engines.

 

A new age of personal and recreational flying, the Electric VTOL

Of all the new technology that will assist with reinvigorating the light aircraft industry none offers as much hope as the VTOL electric aircraft. One of the issues with using aircraft for personal transport is that you currently have to physically land the aircraft on a narrow runway in sometimes challenging or windy conditions. Basically you have to fly a lot to remain current and safe, and although landing an aircraft on a runway in challenging conditions is extremely rewarding many individuals just find the thought of doing this beyond their capability. Added to this is the fact that you cannot land a fixed wing plane where you want, you will always require an airport.

I believe that the advances in VTOL technology and fly by wire system will make piloting an electric VTOL aircraft easy for anyone. The on board computers will adjust to the wind and allow you to land with pinpoint accuracy almost wherever you want. Uber is also in discussion with companies who are developing this technology for on demand air travel. Imagine being able to take off vertically from your rural home and commute to work 100kms away within 20 minutes of flight time and land beside your workplace at a VTOL landing station. Don’t believe this is coming? I suggest you take a look at Boeing’s recent announcement about $2m in prizes for the invention of the world’s first personal aircraft and  the technology being used at  www.lilium.com

and the

Airlines are growing and pilot-less airliners are still a long, long, long way away

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts airline passenger numbers will double over the next twenty years. Latest research also suggests less than 20 percent of us would be comfortable flying in an airliner without a pilot (fully autonomous). Long story short, the demand for airline pilots is going to be here for a long time. What is currently lacking is innovative government regulation. Currently most governments still insist on offering a commercial pilot’s syllabus that was devised just after World World II. I believe governments will eventually be forced to change their current regulations to cope with the impending pilot shortage. I believe that the future of Commercial pilot training could look something like this.

• Initial pilot’s licence conducted in a small cost-effective electric training aircraft
• All theory to be conducted online using AI (artificial intelligence) and augmented reality
• Theory to be practical and focused on what is required to become a safe competent airline pilot (instead of trying to prove the pilot is smart enough to pass an exam made up of information that is irrelevant)
• The majority of flight training to be conducted in advanced low-cost flight simulation to simulate airline flying
• More time spent under supervision as First Officer before progressing to Captain level

 

What is required is more innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers and doers to make this future a reality. The good news is that much of what I have discussed is already happening. I am very excited about the future and cannot wait to be able to offer flight training in an all electric VTOL aircraft at GoFly Aviation in the not too distant future.

What you believe is self-fulfilling: if you believe the future looks bright for aviation then that is what you will create and expect. As the brilliant science fiction author William Gibson once stated, ‘The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed yet’.

Damien Wills, CEO GoFly Group

January 2018

As the owner of a busy flight school I often get asked by prospective students whether it is better to learn at a controlled or non-controlled aerodrome.

By ‘controlled’, we mean Class D towered aerodromes like Archerfield or Maroochydore, while ‘non-controlled’ refers to aerodromes situated in class G non-controlled aerodromes such as Caloundra or Redcliffe and these aerodromes are known as CTAF aerodromes (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency).

I learnt to fly at a controlled Aerodrome (Camden) a long long time ago and have flown commercial flights into many controlled aerodromes over the last 26 years.

The major difference is that at a controlled aerodrome you have to get clearance before you can start your engine and taxi to the runway. Everything you do in relation to flying in and around the aerodrome has to be approved by the air traffic controller. In many ways this can make flying easier, however when we add in regular public transport and big jets into the equation it can become problematic for trainee students.

At a non-controlled aerodrome you simply transmit your intentions and keep separation with other aircraft by using see and avoid technique, using the radio and following basic rules that govern who gives way to whom.

I have outlined below, the three reasons why I am slightly in favour learning to fly at a non-controlled aerodrome.

1.COMPLEXITY

The biggest issue I have with learning to fly in a controlled environment is it adds more complexity and workload for the student pilot and instructor.

If you are flying at an airport with airline operations, it also increases the wait time on the ground and possibly in the air.

When you are first learning to fly you have a lot to remember, so having to deal with the complexities of operating in a controlled aerodrome will just add to the student’s (and Instructor’s) stress levels.

For recreational pilots who have no interest in becoming an airline pilot, this added complexity can rob the pilot of the joys of flying.

If your ultimate aim is to become an airline pilot, I can see the benefits of beginning your learning in a controlled environment, however, there are enough challenges and anxiety in the early days of your training, without adding in this complexity – which can be built up to once the student has mastered the basic skills of flying.

2.EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

It is also lot easier to practice emergency procedures at a non-controlled aerodrome than a controlled aerodrome, as you have more freedom. At Caloundra airport, training aircraft from flying schools located at controlled aerodromes actually fly to our non-ccontrolled aerodrome to teach students their emergency procedures while completing circuits.

I am not suggesting flying at a non-controlled aerodrome is easy and it does have its own challenges however for the novice pilot I believe  it allows more room to grow and develop.

3.WAIT TIMES (WHICH INCREASE THE  COST OF FLIGHT TRAINING)

When I first started GoFly Aviation on the Sunshine Coast I had the choice of setting up at Sunshine Coast or Caloundra Aerodrome. The choice was an easy one. While I completed my commercial and Instrument rating at Sunshine Coast Aerodrome I  remember spending considerable time taxiing on the ground waiting for Qantas or Virgin jets to land or take off. One time I was kept holding in a twin-engine trainer for 20 minutes (at a cost of about $200) while multiple jets were cleared for take off. Imagine completing your first solo flight then being asked to extend your downwind so a Boeing 737 can land first.

It would be very unusual that you will have to wait any longer than five minutes to take off at a non-controlled aerodrome.

I want our students to get value for money while learning to fly, and waiting on the ground, or in the air for clearance, can add substantially to the cost of flight training.

Ultimately it is the quality of the training that counts and not whether you learn at a controlled or non controlled aerodrome. So in the end it may just come down to personal preference.

Happy and safe flying.

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.