GoFly, Author at GoFly Online

Why navigating an aircraft is not that hard (even without a GPS)

I love instructing and I really love supervising a student’s navigation training.

Many students start their training with the expectation that navigation training, and navigating successfully, is going to be really hard work.

I think part of the reason is that when you start learning to navigate, you are bombarded with all this new information such as flight planning, weather, magnetic track, wind, time and distance. It is a lot of information to take in, so we assume it’s hard! It isn’t hard, it’s just a lot of information. Once you understand and master this information, all of it makes sense and it can all be practically applied to your training.

Navigating is only hard if you DON’T follow the process and the process is very simple:

Are you feeling fit enough to fly (no stress, no recent illness, plenty of sleep)?
Get the weather report (if it looks good continue; if not, stay at home and read a good book)
Do your flight plan for your intended route
Pre-flight and fuel the plane
Take note of the time you departed and add to tit he time you calculated for your arrival at your next waypoint. (Do inflight navigation checks as per your checklist.)
Use the three main navigation tools to determine whether you are on track or off track and where exactly that you are.

The three tools are:

BIG PICTURE – does the scenery around you on a large scale look where it should be in relation to your map, for instance on the east coast of Australia if you departed a coastal airport and headed north, the ocean should be on the right after you depart (sounds simple doesn’t it?!)
SMALL PICTURE – look for small details on the map that confirm your position fix is actually the town, the road or whatever you have planned to be flying over (eg a road and river intersecting a power line through the town)
TIME – This one is critical. Nothing works without time. For instance if you travelled for forty nautical miles and you think the town you’re flying over is Town B but you’re not meant to be at Town B for another twenty minutes then either your tail wind has increased by over 100 knots (unlikely), or it’s actually some other town on your map (more likely). Time is the glue that holds everything together when you are navigating.

Yes, there are other things you need to do while flying, such as fuel logs and re-estimating your ground speed and radio calls but these can all be done methodically one step at a time.

When a new student asks me how long will my navigation training take to complete, I always tell them that firstly it’s competency-based and that it is really hard to answer accurately, and secondly, it really depends on how much time they are willing to put into practicing the process at home before they fly. If they can perfect the process at home before they even get into the aircraft, then they are going to save themselves a lot of time and money in the air.

Obviously I have simplified the entire process a little bit, but my point is that navigating isn’t really hard; it’s just something new and exciting to learn, and if you follow the correct process, and put the time and effort into practicing it at home, that process can become quite easy.

When asked by students what’s the most difficult part of learning how to navigate, I often jokingly say that the hardest thing is trying to fold a map within the confines of a small aircraft – and there is some truth to this!

Happy and safe flying.

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

The honest truth about owning and operating a flight school as a business

I am the proud owner of a busy flying school. I am not a millionaire, however I do enjoy an adequate income and for the majority of the week I undertake work that I truly love as well as working with some amazing individuals.

I am grateful to own a flying school however the reality is owning and operating a business is tough on a person mentally.

I am confident that the reason the majority of businesses that fail within the first five years is because the owner or owners have had enough of the mental stress and uncertainty which is associated with owning and operating a business.

While owning and operating a business is hard work, owning a flight school can be brutal due to the extra complexities and uncertainties involved.

I have made so many mistakes while owning a business, that I have lost count of them. Fortunately I have learnt from some of these mistakes. I also recognise that sometimes I have no idea what I am doing, so I seek the advice of mentors and books to help me learn critical skills for growing the business.

I have owned GoFly Aviation for almost eight years and during these eight years I have had some not so great times and some wonderful times. I call the ‘not so wonderful’ times ‘inconvenient events’, and truly, if you want to stay sane while operating and growing a business, it is best to call these stressful times ‘inconvenient events’ rather than disasters. The good times I call ‘convenient events’. We learn from both types of events’ but I believe we really learn more about ourselves from the inconvenient ones.

Here is a brief summary of both convenient and inconvenient events that I have experienced while operating a flight school over the last eight years:

I hope it is evident by now that operating a business – and life itself – is full of surprises. Some of these surprises are good and some not so good. While I make a decent income I am hardly rich. If you are looking to start a business in order to just make money, you are deluding yourself and you are going to be vastly disappointed.

Some of the unique challenges owning a flight school include but are not limited to:

Weather

This one is the biggest challenge. Imagine running a restaurant and every week for one or two days, and once a month for four days straight, the electricity gets cut off to your restaurant and you cannot trade on those days. Worse still, you where fully booked on those days and had expected all that income. That is sort of what it feels like to operate a flight school.

The weather is never constant; wind and rain can stop you trading for weeks at a time. This means your cash flow is not constant, so you need to be very disciplined at putting aside a lot of the money that you make while the weather is good, to pay for the fixed costs which are there regardless of weather. If you don’t, you will go out of business very fast.

The first two years of owning a flight school were hell for me. I had come from a corporate management job and was used to a regular income. It was hard to look at the calendar and know that all aircraft were fully booked for the week ahead but I was going to be unable to fly due to rain. On a good week I can make $3,000 profit. If it rains during a fully booked week I can loose $3,000 from my reserve PLUS not make the $3,000 profit, so I end up about $6,000 down.

It might appear that on busy weeks you are striking it rich, however after you average your profit and losses out over time, the profit margins are actually quite thin.

Maintenance

Aircraft cost money to maintain and I am meticulous about how our aircraft are maintained. At times routine maintenance may end up taking longer than expected, and occasionally non-routine maintenance is required, which means the aircraft is then unavailable. For each day that one of my aircraft is offline due maintenance, I lose the potential to earn $1800 in revenue. You can imagine how it feels to have have a busy week of flying booked, but an engine part is delayed and your aircraft is offline for three days more than it should have been (ouch).

Staff

Hiring good, competent staff who are passionate about flying is critical if you want to stay in this business. The other reality is that unless your flight school trains full time commercial pilots the business cannot warrant paying full-time flight instructors . If a plane is unavailable, if the weather is bad or a student cancels, the instructors don’t get paid. A man with four children would soon go broke if he had to pay instructors who are not actually flying, on top of the fixed rental costs during weeks of bad weather. I am now in the position to be able to give most of the flying hours to my three main staff members – especially at weekends – rather than do it myself. I now mainly instruct navigation lessons and do the testing. I also have a number of casual employees whom I can call on if we get really busy or my regular Instructors are sick or on leave.

The ‘nice to have’ business

The flying school model is a ‘nice to have’ business. What do I mean by that? A supermarket is a HAVE TO HAVE business; unless you grow your own, everyone HAS to buy food. Not everyone HAS to learn to fly a plane. It is a business that is dependent on people’s discretionary income, which means that if a student gets a big tax or dentist bill and they need to spend less that week, guess what gets cancelled first? That’s right, their flying lesson. So cancellations from students, without much notice, are quite common and quite frustrating, especially when staff have travelled all the way to the airport expecting to teach that day.

Competitive environment

Owning a flying school, and particularly a recreational flying school, can be a lifestyle business for some owners. What this means is that this type of business attracts individuals who start the business for lifestyle reasons only, and not as their main source of income. A good example is the retired engineer who is also an instructor, and who decides to start his own school flight school because he is bored with retirement. There’s nothing wrong with this in theory except that this retired engineer might have less overheads and he is happy to undercut his competitors’ hourly rate because he doesn’t really need to make a profit or grow his business. This is bad news for any nearby business which is actually trying to pay staff a decent wage and turn a profit in order to grow the business.

How to deal with business stress and worry

I would be lying if I said I never worry; I am human and I am not the Dalai Lama. When I first started the school, there were times – due to unforeseen circumstances – that I was unable to sleep because I was worrying about whether I would be able to afford rent the following week or whether my electricity might be cut off because I hadn’t paid the bill yet. Thankfully, as time goes by, my stress and worry have reduced considerably (and my cash reserves have grown thank goodness). I do let worry creep in occasionally but I am aware of it now and have learned how to deal with it so it doesn’t affect my sleep or my enjoyment of owning a business.

Below I have outlined some strategies I use to reduce worry and stress:

Learn from others: I read a lot of books, in fact, I read almost one new book each week. The books I read are business, motivational, spiritual and autobiographies. I would not be able to continue doing the work I love, or coping with the frustrations of owning a business, had I not been an avid reader, and learning from others’ success and failures. Reading puts you into the mind of individuals who have done what you are trying to do and have learnt valuable lessons. There are also many books on dealing with stress. Also while you are focusing on reading, you’re not worrying!

Meditation: I meditate regularly to quiet my mind and I find that this also allows creative insight to flow freely.

Mentors: I have many trusted mentors whom I can call when the going gets tough, and who will offer me objective advice and encouragement.

Quality relationships: This helps me put things into perspective.It is our close relationships that really matter the most in life, and these relationships are my number one priority and also partly the ‘reason why’ I operate my own business. Spending time with my partner, kids and extended family reminds me that worry is just a waste of my time.

Time in nature: I walk regularly in nature, in particular on the beach. The ocean has an incredible ability to relieve any stress.

Despite all the challenges I still love being an Instructor and I love owning a flying school. Maybe I’m masochist but I really would not change a thing that I have experienced over the last eight years.

There have been some challenging moments where I thought I might lose the business, but the love of what I was doing kept me going through those times. When you go through struggles, you learn so much about yourself and other people. I believe we grow the most mentally, emotionally and spiritually when we challenge ourselves and overcome adversity.

My reason ‘why’ is powerful: I love flying, I love teaching, I love owning the business and I love coming up with visions for how I want the Flight School to develop and then implementing those ideas. When I was a teenager learning to fly, I had some awful experiences with both lousy flight schools and lousy instructors and this frustration is one of my drivers to make sure that learning to fly is a positive life-changing experience for all of GoFly’s customers.

A flying school business is such a positive business to be involved it. All the customers that come to GoFly to learn to fly are ‘can do’ people who want to be here and they believe in themselves and their capabilities. I have made some great friendships with many of our customers and flight instructors over the last eight years and this also continues to drive and inspire me.

Owning a business involves a never-ending pursuit of improvement. So if your reason ‘why’ is meaningful enough to you, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a coffee shop, an online business or a flying school, you will find a way to make your business thrive.

Damien

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

The insanity of noise complaints from people who choose to live near airports

As the owner of a busy flying school, I often get complaints passed on from the local council, or sometimes directly from residents, in relation to the sound of aircraft flying near or over their house.

On most occasions it is not the planes from my flight school which are causing the noise, however, when a resident searches online for ‘flight school Caloundra’, GoFly Aviation often comes up as the number one entry on the list, so they mistakenly assume that there is a good chance that it is one of my aircraft making the noise. It’s important for our school’s reputation that we deal with nearby neighbours in a courteous manner, regardless of whose aircraft it is making the noise.

GoFly Aviation has well maintained aircraft with low-noise engines and very strict rules on avoiding flying over noise-sensitive areas, but even so, some nearby residents will still find a way to be unhappy while living beside a busy airfield.

Why do they complain?

I find noise complaints a very strange phenomena as they appear to be solely targeted at smaller general aviation airports. I am going to list a few reasons why I find it strange:

Most airports were built long before residential housing came along. For instance Caloundra aerodrome was first used as a landing field in 1931 and has been used as a professional general aviation airport since 1971. There were no houses in the area then.
If a person then buys or builds a house adjacent to the airport, does it not stand to reason that there will be aircraft noise?
All busy urban areas grow in size, so if people are all ok with town and suburbs growing, why do they then complain when airports get busier or expand?

I do believe there are some occasions where noise complaints make sense; for example if a new international flying school opens up without public consultation and all of a sudden an airport has five times the number of aircraft movements per day (and an increase in noise). The other reason might be an aircraft completing emergency procedures or flying outside the nominated times for noise abatement procedures. The flight training times that GoFly offers, are between 7.30am and 4pm, when the majority of people are not only awake but most are heading out to work and school.

If you buy or build a house beside an international airport or a busy highway do you think the local government is going to listen to you if you start complaining about noise? The answer is obvious, of course they will not, and I believe the reason why is very simple. Highways, expressways and international or major airports are what we deem ‘essential services’ which most people use on a semi-regular basis. So it doesn’t make sense for them to complain about the existence of an essential service. I believe that smaller general aviation airports are seen to be places which most people will not visit or make use of often, and are also perceived as the domain of rich individuals who fly for fun. While this may have an element of truth, general aviation airports provide so much more than a base for millionaires to enjoy their hobby. Most of my clientele are middle class workers and struggling students with their hearts set on joining an airline one day. If not learning at a small airport – without the confusing radio calls and without commercial aircraft taking precedence over them – then where are our future pilots going to learn to fly, so that they can then fly these complainants away on their future holidays?

Let’s try to see it from their point of view

I believe some real estate agents do not disclose truthfully the proximity of the airport and possible noise issues when individuals are buying or building a home near the airport. A lot of individuals will also inspect a home before or after work, when aircraft noise is at a minimum.

If someone rings me with an honest request to take a different route to minimise noise, and it makes practical sense and does not jeopardise safety, than I am more than willing to change our flight paths accordingly.

Recently I had a local retired couple call me to tell me that they have at least 20 aircraft each day turn over their house at a height of about 700 feet. When I looked at google maps I discovered that their house was situated directly under the designated crosswind turn, where aircraft were doing circuits on a particular runway.

Although everyone based at Caloundra airport was sticking to the ‘Fly Neighbourly’ policy and not turning crosswind until 700 feet, the couple were still getting up to 10 aircraft er day doing circuits (at approx 8 circuits per lesson!). This equated to 80 aircraft per a day turning over their house at the 700 feet level. I could understand their frustration. All it took to solve this problem was to get together with other Caloundra airfield operators and agree to turn into the crosswind section of the circuit once we reached the water at Pumicestone Passage. For pilots it simply meant another twenty seconds of climbing in the upwind section of the circuit to keep the residents below, happy.

Sometimes though, you cannot make everyone happy. I once had a very aggressive (and gym-buffed) nearby resident come down to the airfield wanting to pick a fight with one of my instructors. This resident had just purchased a house at the end of the runway and could not understand why we had to keep flying over his house!

My instructor was very calm and explained that in certain wind conditions we have to land and take off on that particular runway, and, as his house is situated directly off the end of the runway, there is no way to avoid flying over his house as aircraft cannot turn below 500 feet. He didn’t like the fact that the aircraft noise was affecting his afternoon nap. Ironically, he told us he worked as a jet ski instructor (now those things are really noisy!!!). He eventually backed off and went home.

I believe we need to use common sense when it comes to airport noise complaints. We require general aviation airports for the healthy future of our aviation sector, both for training as well as maintenance and private operations.

I believe that one way forward would be for all houses within the noise radius of airports to require a disclosure for new purchasers, to ensure that the prospective new owner understands that there will be airport noise and that the airport may grow in size in the future. Also, the disclosure document would state that the resident cannot complain about the noise unless a particular operator or aircraft has broken a law or gone against the ‘Fly Neighbourly’ policy.

Light aircraft will be more quiet in the future

The good news is that the future for light aircraft is going to be electric and it’s going to be a lot quieter. So hopefully technology will allow both sides to get what they want: afternoon circuits and a nanna nap at the same time!

Alternatively, another idea that could work, is that all houses in the surrounding area should only be available for sale to aviation enthusiasts only!

Happy and safe flying (as quietly as possible)!

Damien

CEO GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

General Aviation is dying and here are 10 radical ideas for saving it!

General Aviation is dying a slow death. This is not just confined to Australia, this is a worldwide phenomenon. The reasons are many and varied. Some of the main reasons GA is dying in Australia are (but are not limited to) the following:

A lack of interest from young individuals in wanting to learn to fly
Overly complex loan structures for trainee pilots
A training syllabus that was created over 50 years ago
Rising costs in regulation, maintenance and aircraft manufacturing
Slowness to adopt and incorporate modern technology
A lack of entrepreneurial spirit to drive General Aviation into a new and vibrant future
A lack of a clear vision on how the future should look
Over-regulation and a slowness to adapt, in our governing body, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)
A lack of a commercial imperative within CASA

I do not presume to have all the answers, I am writing this post not to pick fault with the current system but in the hope of sparking a debate on how we can imagine a better future for General Aviation. What is lacking is a vision of the future which can replace rules and regulations which were designed over sixty years ago.

We are starting to see some exciting technology on the very near horizon and if General Aviation does not adapt to these changes then General Aviation will die. There is not just one entity to blame for this: CASA, Flight Schools, Charter Operators, aircraft manufacturers and our current legal structures are all to blame. For example, the electric on-demand Air Taxi industry is predicted to be the next high-growth industry. There are currently over 200 new company startups working to develop on-demand Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) electric aircraft. If General Aviation does not act fast, it will be left in the dust.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has just released a report confirming that General Aviation has declined by 18 percent over the last five years. Recreational Aviation has increased by 0.2 percent in the same time period. This is hardly surprising given the cost and bureaucratic differences between RA Aus and CASA, and the differences between aircraft age, type and technology. Ease of access and training is another benefit that Recreational Aviation offers over General Aviation training. For example, a person can walk into a Flight School, sign a RA Aus temporary membership form and be learning to fly 15 minutes later.

CASA is finally trying to address a lot of these issues, however without a clear vision of what the future will look like, CASA will only be plugging the water leak in the sinking ship, when it should be creating a new and better ship. The world is changing so fast, that if Government agencies cannot change, innovate and adapt quickly, they will self-destruct and destroy the very industries that they are governing and supposedly protecting.

I am an eternal optimist and I believe that with enough public debate and enough passionate individuals, we can turn things around for General Aviation.

Here are my ten ideas to help stimulate a debate about what’s possible for the future of General Aviation.

1.CASA should simplify its business model and adopt a commercial imperative

You don’t have to be genius to realise that the structure of CASA is overly complex and is stuck in a post-World War II government bureaucratic mindset. This isn’t really anyone’s fault; it is more a limitation of this type of public service government structure.

NASA used to be a classic example of this mindset. NASA has finally seen the light and have finally contracted (outsourced) to private companies like SpaceX to supply most of their rocket requirements. They realised that private industry is where innovation thrives, not in government agencies.

I’m not suggesting that CASA should privatise – though it’s worth considering – but it might not be such a bad idea to outsource many of its functions to companies which understand, and have a vision for, the future of General Aviation

The issue with government agencies is that they often sit above the sinking ship below them. They don’t realise that the sinking ship (private industry) is actually their supply ship, and if it goes down, they go down with it too. When you work for an agency which receives income from taxpayers – regardless of the state of General Aviation – it’s hard to have a ‘this needs to be changed now mentality.

All you have to do is log onto the CASA website to see how complex this agency is. This complexity is a byproduct of it being a government agency. I remember ringing CASA once to ask them the minimum hours required for a Commercial Helicopter Pilot to convert to being a Commercial Fixed Wing pilot. The wording in Part 61 was confusing, so I rang the licensing division. In the space of three weeks I had to call them three times, and I spoke to three different staff members and received three different answers. The licensing staff themselves admitted the wording was confusing.

Exams are another issue that needs to be addressed. At present a student can only sit the exams in an approved exam centre, and it can cost between $100 to $250 to sit an exam (depending on where you are doing it). I believe a simpler model would be to allow all flight schools to have access to the online exams and all responsibility should fall on the CFI to make sure the exams are completed honestly. Regular flight school audits would ensure everyone is doing the exams honestly and fairly.

The other issue is that, unlike the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the states, CASA does not have a commercial imperative to grow and promote General Aviation; its main purpose is to regulate it (to maintain safety). While there is no doubt that we require regulation to minimise risk in aviation, I do not see the point in having an organisation regulate an industry without also promoting the future of that industry, because without that industry the regulator would not exist.

In a recent interview, Former Chairman of CASA, Bruce Byron, backed key changes to the Civil Aviation Act being pushed by businessman Dick Smith, who has complained about a rise in needless red tape. The article says, ‘Mr Smith, a former CASA chairman, last month secured approval from Barnaby Joyce and Anthony Albanese for a rewrite of the Act, but the prospect of a bipartisan deal died with Mr Joyce’s resignation from cabinet on February 23. Mr Joyce, then the Coalition transport minister, had agreed with Mr Albanese, his Labor counterpart, about removing a key part of the act that requires CASA to ‘regard safety as the most important consideration’ in regulating the industry. Under the changes, CASA would instead be required to prioritise the ‘highest level of safety in air navigation’ with the need for ‘an efficient and sustainable Australian aviation industry’. We can only hope that this push for the rewrite of the Act, continues, despite changes in personnel within CASA and parliament.

Government agencies are notoriously slow to change and adapt, an example of this is the proposed controlled Airspace endorsement for Recreational Pilots. This proposal has been sitting with CASA now for at least seven years. The irony is that Glider pilots can do a controlled airspace endorsement, and gliders have been legally flying into controlled airspace for years. I understand that the new endorsement needs to be implemented correctly, but seven years is ridiculous. I’m convinced that private industry could have implemented a project to safely roll this out within six months.

My suggestion for CASA would be to outsource the task of creating Survey and Innovation teams. The Survey teams could survey the stakeholders of the General Aviation industry, to collect positive and negative critical feedback on what needs to change within the industry, then the Innovation teams can oversee the implementation of any required changes.

2. Recreational Aircraft should be allowed to be ‘VH’ registered and used for both General Aviation and Recreational pilot training

With some light sport aircraft, if the plane is ‘VH’ registered, it can be used for GA training and even night training. However this same aircraft cannot be used for Recreational training unless it is ‘24’ registered (that is, registered through Recreational Aviation Australia).

At some schools that do both GA and RA Aus training, they have two of the same aircraft, one registered 24 (with RA Aus) for recreational pilot training and one registered VH (GA) for general aviation training. They are the exact same aircraft but registered with two different organisations!

My argument is that if a flight school wanted to best utilise an aircraft for both PPL, night and RA Aus training, the ability to use it should not be determined by how it is registered. This just adds complexity once again when it is not required.

I own a flight school which currently does both RA Aus and GA training in conjunction with another school, and currently leases aircraft owned by others. It would be fantastic if I could VH register our Sling aircraft and use it for PPL, controlled and night training for GA students (with a GA instructor) and then also use it for Recreational Pilot training through RA Aus. This would allow the light sport aircraft to be fully utilised and improve the aircraft owner’s return on their investment. It would also make it easy for students to transition from RA Aus to a PPL or even CPL licence.

3. CPL training should be allowed to be conducted in Light Sport Aircraft or General Aviation Aircraft without a design feature difference

Currently in Australia, a commercial fixed-wing student completing a non-integrated flying course can fly the majority of their training hours in a recreational aircraft. However, to obtain their Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL), they need to sit and pass all their CPL theory exams, as well as pass a Class One medical and sit a flight test in a certified aircraft which can do at least 120 kts and has at least one design feature (e.g retractable undercarriage or constant speed propellor). This usually means you have to sit the flight test in an ageing Cessna 182 or 172 RG.

The issue here is that there is now a plethora of new light sport or EaSA CS-VLA aircraft which are modern and sexy and cost the same as an ageing Cessna, and about half the cost of a new certified single engine aircraft. The Blackshape Prime is a classic example of the new breed of light sport aircraft. This aircraft can cruise at 150kts, has a retractable undercarriage, constant speed, glass cockpit, a BRS chute and costs around $250,000 new (a new Cessna 182 is around $700,000). The operating costs are about one third of the costs of a Cessna 172 RG. And did I also mention that it is sexy?

Blackshape prime aircraft

I know some instructors have argued that you should do your CPL training in a similar aircraft to what you will be flying for your first job, however this argument is becoming redundant as most jobs for new pilots are now going to be either direct entry airline or Instructing jobs.

The Blackshape Prime would be an ideal aircraft for night and CPL training but under the current regulations it cannot be used for the CPL flight tests even it is VH registered, as it is not a ‘fully certified’ aircraft. There are plenty of new Light Sport or ESA VL aircraft under $200,000 which could be used for CPL training. This would make it affordable for flight schools to replace their ageing fleets and at the same time attract new students with these new and exciting aircraft.

4. Airlines should do away with the Twin Engine Instrument rating requirement (single only)

Back in the dark ages when I was a Charter Pilot in the Northern Territory, young pilots would fight each other to get multi-engine instrument time as the airlines required at least 500 hours of multi-engine instrument time before they would even look at employing you. The major airlines have now reduced this requirement, however I propose that they get of this requirement altogether. The reason is simple: handling a multi-engine jet or turbine aircraft is fundamentally different than handling a piston twin. The first difference is of course that if a turbine twin aircraft or jet has an engine failure there is a very good chance you will keep flying.

The other reason is that the airline will do an aircraft Type Endorsement on the jet aircraft you will be flying anyway, and you will be spending a considerable amount of time as a co-pilot before they let you loose as a Captain. During this time you will have to demonstrate your proficiency in handling engine out procedures in the simulator. Most of the twin-engine Charter Pilots I knew never had an engine failure, so more time on a twin – other than going faster – had no bearing on their ability to fly a twin-engine jet in the future.

I believe a more common sense approach would be to only require a single-engine instrument rating (as well as your CPL) as a requirement for airline entry. This would make it easier for Flight Schools as they wouldn’t have to own and house an ageing twin-engine aircraft just to satisfy this requirement.

A Flight School could potentially use an aircraft like a Cirrus SR20 for PPL, CPL and instrument training, and this better utilisation would increase return on investment for the school. Plus statistically, twin-engine training in light piston twins is a higher risk scenario than single-engine operations, due to increased complexity and controllability issues during asymmetric operations for twin-engine aircraft.

The other key benefit would be the reduced cost of flight training and of obtaining your CPL/instrument rating, which would be a huge benefit for everyone, including the airlines.

5. CASA needs to implement the FAA new Part 23 and make it seamless for new business startups to design new aircraft

The FAA has recently implemented a new Part 23 for the certification of light aircraft. Basically the new Part makes it easier and less costly for new aircraft manufacturers to design and manufacture new aircraft. Prior to this, designing and certifying a brand new light aircraft was prohibitively expensive. For instance, the cost to design and certify a new piston 4-seater aircraft in the USA was around $20 million. With the new Part 23 rules this cost drops to around $2-4m. This makes it a lot more attractive for investors to invest in new startups designing and building new types of aircraft . It also means the manufacturer does not have to recoup the huge costs of certification from the initial investment. This hopefully will lead to more modern cost-effective aircraft.

I would recommend CASA implements a Part 23 Team to foster new light aircraft design and production in Australia by following the new Part 23 rules which have been introduced in the USA. We have so many talented aerospace professions in Australia, and this new rule could be a huge boost for the Australian manufacturing sector (and economy), particularly if you consider our dollar exchange rate compared to other countries.

Designing and manufacturing aircraft and exporting them to the USA, China and Europe makes a lot of sense and it would invigorate our own General Aviation industry (and the economy) while at the same time allowing home grown products to be purchased by local flight schools, charter companies and private individuals.

6. The government needs to implement tax incentives for flight schools and aircraft manufacturers

Why not also make it easier for flight schools and charter companies to get started and keep doing business? Tax incentives for investors, as well as a grace period or reduced tax for new startups could be a good way to stimulate business growth in these areas. The other obvious solution would be to do away with the huge processing fees (and timeframes) required in obtaining an AOC for either a flight school or charter operation.

CASA could implement generic templates which could be used for all new startups, while a simple processing fee would be all that is required for your new venture to be approved – providing it follows the guidelines.

7. Change the flight training syllabus for greater use of flight simulation and alternative technologies

Our current flight training syllabus originated during World War II. While much of the syllabus makes sense and has served the General Aviation industry well for many years, I believe we need to take a close look at what is working and what is not working in relation to new technologies. A good example of a change that makes sense was the introduction of the MPL course which offers integrated training for would-be airline pilots and offers multi-crew training all the way through their course (with a high focus on jet simulator training and a reduction in flying real small aircraft).

An idea that was first proposed was that airline students could complete all of their training, from ab initio to being job-ready, on a simulator and never had to conduct any training in a real light aircraft. The reasoning is that flight simulators are so advanced the student does not know the difference, plus the student will be sitting in the right-hand seat under supervision for at least five years once they are flying real aircraft. Most industry professionals did not accept this innovative idea, but they do accept that simulators play a very important role in flight training.

While I believe in and see the benefits of training in real aircraft, I also feel that with the advancement in computer technology (including virtual technology) we could allow flight schools the ability to lower the hourly requirements if they could introduce low-cost realistic flight simulation to supplement training in planes. An example might be to reduce a 200-hour non-integrated CPL course down to 150 hours, providing 50 hours are conducted in an advanced low-cost simulator.

Everyone knows the benefits of simulator training for use in practicing emergency procedures that are too risky to practice in real aircraft, so why are they reluctant to adopt this technology in the smaller flight schools? Lowering the hourly requirements and relaxing the simulator requirements would encourage more Flight Schools to invest in this technology. Plus it would attract more young students. At my own Flight School I’ve created the GoFly Online flight training platform, which consists of standard and 360-degree videos of pre-flight and in-flight lessons which can be watched by any student at any time and on any device. These videos supplement the in-air lessons and make the whole learning experience more interesting than an Instructor standing at a whiteboard.

8. The Government needs to introduce a new streamlined VET process for all flying schools

The current diploma HECS or VET Fee program for flight schools, while working successfully in some respects, could be dramatically improved. The scale of the VET Fee program has recently been reduced, due to many schools abusing the program. The other issue is that many VET providers have to wait up to three months to be paid by the government once an invoice has been submitted. Flight Schools are weather-dependent and cash-flow dependent businesses with high overheads (see my recent blog on this subject). Many schools which spent months jumping through hurdles and adapting their syllabus in order to be eligible to receive VET fees, have now had to close down altogether due to not being able to manage cash-flow during the three-month period between invoicing for and finally receiving the large VET fee payments!

I believe the government needs to make VET fee available for all flight schools, including Recreational Flight Schools (up to stage 02), and ensure all invoice payments are made within 14 days of submission to the VET fee government department.

If anyone asked me, my suggestion would be to introduce a three-step program for VET fee help for schools. The VET Fee would be consist of three stages:

First Stage – PPL and CPL Theory course. This fee help would be around $6,000 and allow students to enrol in a full-time theory course to CPL level. If the student does not pass their theory tests then they cannot progress to the next VET fee stage. This ensures that only seriously committed students get access to the next stage of funding, and the worse case scenario for the student is that they are $6,000 in debt.

Second Stage – RA Aus or PPL licence. This VET fee amount would be up to $20,000 and allow the student to conduct their RA Aus, RPL or PPL licence – or an integration of both. The student would not be allowed to progress to the next stage unless they pass this stage of their training. They can choose whichever school they prefer.

Third stage – Command time and CPL/Instrument training up to $50,000 at any approved CPL school. This staged progression would reduce the risk of students getting VET fee funding for the entire course only to realise towards the end of the course that they are not CPL material, and now they have a huge debt with nothing to show for it. This could be a great way to encourage young students to consider an airline career.

9. Airlines should hire new CPL pilots directly from flight schools

Airlines have forecast a serious pilot shortage in the future and are already putting in place programs for cadetships, quotas for more females and are even setting up regional training bases.

I think it is crazy that airlines can run their own cadet program and allow their cadet students to go directly into the right-hand seat of an airliner with minimum experience, whereas for those who have paid for their own training, they require them to build 500 to 2,000 hours of flying experience before the airlines will consider hiring them.

Here is a radical idea to fix the future pilot shortage: reduce the minimum hours required for entry into airlines to 200 hours with only an instrument rating and CPL licence for everyone. The airlines could do extra simulator training to bring these low-hour pilots up to speed on that particular aircraft type. The ATPL theory subjects could be studied part-time and completed before the new hire is promoted to Captaincy. The reality is that a new airline hire is going to spend three to eight years in the right-hand seat under supervision of the Captain. That’s around 2,000 to 4,000 hours of flying experience before they are ready for a command position.

If young students knew that they could go directly from a flying school into an airline job, I can guarantee there would be no longer be a future shortage of pilots, as the career path would be a lot more attractive than spending years out in regional Australian towns trying to build hours on an ageing light aircraft, or being paid a minimum wage as an instructor.

10. Encourage mature individuals to learn to fly and become career instructors

The other major issue affecting General Aviation is the poaching of qualified instructors by the airlines – to the point where there is a serious lack of qualified experienced instructors. This is only going to get worse with the current pilot shortage. One of the current problems is that the younger instructors will work for a low hourly rate just to build their hours before heading off to the airlines (see my point above!). While this may benefit the Flight Schools in the short term, in the long term, the entire industry suffers.

I believe that one way of avoiding this is to try to attract the middle-aged individual who has left it too late to join an airline but would make an excellent career instructor. I know plenty of individuals who are in their late 40s who would happily give up their soul-destroying office or construction job to be a full-time or part-time flight instructor if there was a clearer pathway and the income was adequate.

Private industry needs to work together to improve the pay conditions and advertise the lifestyle benefits of changing careers to become an instructor. My experience is that a properly run flight school in a good location can comfortably pay its full-time instructors anywhere between $50,000 – $65,000 per year. I’m sure there are plenty of mature potential instructors who would love to fly planes every day for $60,000 per year.

Time for change

In fairness, CASA has a challenging job and they have been trying to innovate many of their processes for a while. The recent changes to the medical requirements for PPL holders is a good example and a step in the right direction.

Within 10 years we will have low-cost electric aircraft and electric vertical take off and landing aircraft readily available (see my blog on this subject). If General Aviation does not adapt with the times it will be replaced by something new and foreign to many of us. Self-flying air taxis are a real possibility, but who will manage the infrastructure and safety aspects of these new industries when we cannot get the current framework right?

We require inspiration and entrepreneurial leaders in private industry and in government to initiate change today, not tomorrow. If you have a vision for a better future for General Aviation don’t sit on the fence and hope things will improve, make a noise, join a board, or at the very least, comment on this blog.

The future of General Aviation is in your hands!

Damien

CEO, GoFly Group – 2019

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Learning to fly: fear and personality

I have been wanting to write this blog about fear for a long time. Part of the reason I have put it off is due to being incredibly busy over the last six months, and also, ironically, due to my own fear: fear of offending someone! I’m writing it not to name and shame, but to highlight the difficulties humans have when dealing with our internal fears and personality quirks, and in writing this, I’m hoping to help readers identify when others are displaying fear-based behaviour or personality issues/disorders.

As a small business owner I am fascinated in what motivates individuals to learn and grow. As a Flight Instructor, I believe that my main mission is to keep students motivated through their flight training, as I know that mastering a new skill can sometimes be frustrating (fortunately, learning to fly is also very rewarding).

I also have a deep fascination with human psychology and over the last 20 years have read over thirty books on psychology and motivation. Fortunately for me, 99% of the students I teach are motivated and do not have any of what I would call ‘adverse psychological baggage’ which is going to have a negative effect on their flight training. During my last eight years of owning a flight school I can only think of around five students whom I believe have had negative psychological issues which impacted on their ability to pilot a plane safely. If you are a flight instructor or student pilot, or you own a business, reading this blog may be beneficial to you.

As a business owner it is important to spot the warnings signs early, because these customers could cause your business (not to mention your peace of mind) damage and stop you from focusing on the customers who do in fact value your services. The warning signs are also important if you’re hiring staff. For instance hiring an instructor with narcissistic tendencies would be a huge mistake for my business. No one wants to fly with an instructor who has little empathy and constantly talks about themselves and how good they are.

As Recreational Aviation and Private Pilot Licence authorities do not impose psychological testing on students, it is important to notice these warning signs as early as possible. I am not a trained psychologist and these anecdotes are only my experiences, however I still feel that sharing my experiences and what I have learnt from them, is worth the possibility of offending some individuals. To protect the identity of the individual and their families, I have left some detail out of some of the anecdotes. My intention is not to harm or embarrass but to highlight the difficulties that some personality types share and help others identify them in oneself and in others.

Learning to fly

By the time most of us start learning to drive we have been sitting in a car observing others driving, for at least fifteen years. With learning to drive, nothing is really that unfamiliar to us. But when it comes to flying a plane, unless your parents are pilots, the chances are your first lesson is going to be completely foreign to you (and exciting). Flying will require all of your senses and it will require all of your focus if you are to succeed. As humans we are not used to directing ourselves through space and thinking in three dimensions. This takes time for our brains to become accustomed to.

Being humble

When we are learning something new for the first time we have to be humble. In a way it’s like being a small child again: we have to accept help and acknowledge that we don’t know what we are doing. This can be challenging to the mature student who has been successful in their given profession and is used to being competent at most of the things they do.

When a student first starts learning to fly, if they act like a know-it-all and don’t take direction or accept feedback well, I know in advance that I am going to have issues with their training. These issues are exacerbated with an emotion that we all occasionally suffer from, and that is fear. I’m not talking about the fear of flying; it’s the other fear which starts early on in our lives and remains with most of us until we depart this earth – fear of failure!

Fear of failure

When it comes to hobbies and interests that we love and are passionate about, we tend to fear failure the most. I don’t enjoy cricket so if I failed at learning how to fast bowl it would not affect me in the slightest. I’d be relieved that I could now go and do something more interesting. However I love flying, and if an instructor had said to me early on in my training, ‘You’re no good at this kid, why not try learning to sail instead.’ I would have been devastated.

Since most individuals would not attempt flying lessons unless they were passionate about flying, the idea of failing at flight training creates a lot of fear in most students. How a student handles that fear is what separates the successful students from the not-so-successful ones.

Some common signs of a student not handling their fear well, include:

The student blaming the instructor for them not making progress
The student cancelling lessons at the last moment with no logical reason.
The student blaming the weather or other aircraft for their substandard performance
The student getting angry at themselves if they make a mistake and not being able to get over it in a timely manner
The student sabotaging their flight training by quitting or inventing an excuse so that they never undergo their flight test

Believe it or not, the last one is quite common. A student may be doing well and either be getting close to solo or to his/her flight test and then suddenly they quit, with no reason given. While personal issues may be the cause on some occasions, I believe that mostly the student is choosing to not lose face with themselves and in front of other family members and friends. The fear of failure is so strong that it is easier to just quit and tell others (and yourself) that you just didn’t enjoy it, or you ran out of money, rather than fail at something you love.

I spend a considerable amount of my time helping students overcome their fear of failure. It’s is very simple life lesson: you will never get to enjoy the work, hobbies or relationships that you are passionate about if you cannot accept that failure might be an option, and that if you do fail that it is completely ok and is just a part of the learning process. You only truly fail if you don’t learn from your failure and if you refuse to give it another try. As a child, we were not embarrassed to fall off a bike and get back on and try again, time and time again. But as adults, we tend not to bounce back so well after initial failure.

A warning sign as an instructor is if a student becomes overly emotional or does not handle stress in a positive way (gets angry or blames everyone else.) While all of us vary in how we deal with stress and regulating our emotions there comes a point if a person cannot control their stress or emotional state then there may be something more serious going on.

Personality disorders

This is a topic that fascinates me. While mental illness encompasses a wide range of mental disorders the ones that can greatly affect a student are what psychologists call the ‘cluster B’ types of personality disorders. The reasons why these disorders are fascinating is because they can at first be very hard to detect. I have read many books on these subjects and have known many students, family and friends over the years who have displayed these traits.

It is important to note that cluster B personality disorders range on a spectrum from displaying only minor traits right thought to displaying major traits which may affect the individual’s day-to-day relationships, goals and ambitions. Most of us at some point in our lives will also display some of the symptoms, however that does not mean we actually have the disorder. These disorders can affect the ability to learn something new because many of the negative characteristics are amplified when the individual is placed under stress or is fearful. Flight training can bring these traits to a head.

The two main disorders that I will discuss, are Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

While BPD and NPD have much in common, there are differences. I will generalise a bit to keep this blog succinct. A person with narcissistic personality disorder lacks the ability to empathise (they cannot put themselves in your shoes) and they believe the world revolves around them and that everyone is there to support them and give them the love they so much crave and deserve. Narcissists are usually pretty easy to identify.

Narcissists are not good listeners and they love to talk about themselves and their accomplishments. They find it hard to show true empathy when someone is in pain. If you look at someone’s social media sites and more than 80% of the photos and posts they upload are about how clever they are, how good their life is, where they have been and what they are up to, there is a very good chance that the individual has some narcissistic tendencies.

Narcissists are very hard to teach because they find it almost impossible to be humble and admit a mistake. It is always someone else’s fault. They often learn to fly for the wrong reasons (e.g. ‘If i get my pilot licence, I can feel superior and everyone will be impressed that I am a pilot’). If they fail a test they will often rage and blame the instructor.

I once failed a student midway during a navigation test and he refused to accept my decision – even though at the time I had around 3,000 hours of flying experience and he only had 40 hours. He started yelling and screaming at me in the plane. I had to take control and at the same time, carefully calm him down. When we landed he ran from the plane screaming, and took off in his car. To his credit, he rang me three days later to apologise and pay for his flight.

Some narcissism is ok, and possibly healthy, if we are to get what we want in life, however it becomes negative or malignant when an individual cannot have empathy with, or an interest in, other individuals.

BPD or Borderline Personality disorder (the emotionally-driven individual)

This one can be harder to spot than narcissistic personality disorder but can be just as damaging. While there are many characteristics of BPD, the main ones are: an inability to regulate one’s emotions; fear of abandonment; and ‘black and white’ thinking.

Most of us have the ability to control our emotions; if someone upsets us or shows disapproval, or if we are fearful, we can generally hide these emotions and carry on. Someone with borderline personality disorder finds it very hard to regulate their emotions on a daily basis. They are in many ways ruled by their emotions and not by logic. Common signs are manic highs and depressing lows (happy and excited then sad) and this can happen multiple times throughout a day. If you say something that offends them, they will either rage at you or burst out crying.

Another common trait is black and white thinking. To put it another way:something is either all good or all bad. People with this disorder find it hard to integrate shades of grey into their thinking. For instance, as an instructor, if I offer some constructive feedback on what they need to do to improve, a student with BPD characteristics might take offence and within a second they will turn on me and I will go from being their hero to their enemy within seconds. Fear of abandonment also concerns these people, as the thought of someone leaving them or not liking them, sparks in them the fear of rejection and can trigger emotional dysregulation.

Another telltale sign of BPD tendencies, is that during one lesson they might be in a fantastic mood and in the next lesson they are depressed and indifferent to the instructor.

The main difference between narcissist and borderline personalities is that a borderline person can be empathetic and they can be very likeable, and this is the reason it can be so hard to identify in students upon first meeting them. More often than not, these characteristics are only displayed towards the end of the student’s flight training when facing the final flight test or if they believe the instructor is disapproving of or abandoning them.

Lack of logic or empathy

While there may be other external reasons affecting the performance of these students mentioned below, here are a few examples of people who let their emotions sabotage their flight training:

A student cried every second lesson and would swear at other aircraft during flights and kept blaming the other aircraft in the sky for distracting her from flying.
A student who was just two lessons away from being flight tested and was flying very well, refused to do another 20 minute dual check before he was sent solo (recommended by me due to the challenging conditions on that day). During his previous lessons he was always upbeat and confident but as the day of the test neared, he became very hostile and refused this recommendation (accusing me of trying to get more money out of him) and then refused to complete his training. I later discovered that he had done the same thing at another flight school after also spending a lot of money on lessons there just prior to being sent for his first solo..
A student was asked to wait an extra thirty minutes before starting his lesson, as the previous flight had been delayed with a minor maintenance issue. The student said ‘No worries, I don’t mind waiting at all’, only to run out of the hangar and drive off after twenty minutes. Later that night he rang and screamed at me for half an hour, saying he was so upset with having to wait, and at being made to feel unimportant, that he vomited all afternoon .
A student who failed the flight test for his Instructor Rating refused to take the test again and instead waited a year, then out of the blue, sued me for $130,000 for ‘lost wages as a flight instructor’ (even though no instructing job was ever promised to him by a flight school and despite him still owing me $5000 in training fees!) While defending this claim, I endured two years of stress and wasted hundreds of hours and more than $28,000 on legal fees, both of which would have been better spent on improving the flight school or taking my kids and partner on a much deserved holiday. I was fortunate to meet a great lawyer halfway through the case and he got the claim thrown out.

The IMSAFE Checklist

As part of becoming a competent safe pilot we teach students the acronym ‘IMSAFE’ to be used every time before they fly. The checklist is very simple and self explanatory, and, just like an aircraft checklist, this checklist is to ensure your are physically and mentally fit to fly:

Stress and emotion are a part of the the checklist. I believe that individuals who are heavily weighted towards NPD or BPD are a potential risk to themselves and potential future passengers. The main reason is the inability to regulate their emotions, in particular when placed under stress. A competent pilot needs to be able to keep calm and keep their emotions under control under pressure. This is one of the many criteria I look for when I am testing someone for a flight test.

As stated before, the majority of my students are wonderful and willingly receive feedback for self improvement. We all go through hard times and we all act emotionally at times, without logic or reason. The main difference though, is our level of self-awareness and if we are able to ‘self-soothe’. If you can’t soothe yourself, and if you get angry or upset and you can’t control your emotions by yourself within a reasonable time-frame, you may have an issue and need to see a psychologist. As for self-awareness, are you aware when your emotions are controlling you? Are you aware when you have upset someone? Are you aware when you might be wrong?

Having some knowledge of the different personality disorders that exist and having a basic understanding of human nature and psychology has I believe helped me to become a better flight instructor and business owner. There are plenty of days where I myself could have been more self-aware and empathetic to both my staff and students, and like everyone, I have my own fair share of negative traits which I work on reducing while trying to also increase my positive ones.

The reason I keep growing my business and teaching individuals how to fly is because I enjoy developing meaningful relationships with the 99% of customers and staff who have nothing but goodwill towards themselves and others.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog today, and, if this post made you really upset or angry, then maybe flight training is not for you…

Damien

Reaching for the Sky: Enrolling in a Bachelor of Aviation + applying for a Virgin Cadetship

I am currently a first year student at the University of Southern Queensland studying a Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations). While I’ve always had an interest in aviation – after being fascinated at a young age with the work of my grandfather building aeroplane engines for Rolls-Royce – having a career as a pilot had never seemed like a possibility.

Last year, I decided to follow my passion and pursue a career in aviation by enrolling in the Bachelor of Aviation at USQ. The degree at USQ has students undertaking aviation-specific courses from day one, with the opportunity to choose flight operations and learn to fly at a flight school (within the university degree) and also in the university’s first class simulator.

An extremely beneficial part of the degree is the personal development program embedded throughout. This gives students the chance to learn from current aviation professionals such as military and airline pilots through to aviation management professionals; giving us the chance to best prepare and succeed in an aviation career.

Studying aviation at USQ has presented many opportunities including undertaking work experience with QantasLink and the opportunity to apply for the Virgin Australia Ab-initio Cadetship, which, if I’m fortunate enough to be accepted, would see me employed with Virgin Australia as a commercial pilot at age 21.

The Virgin Australia Ab-initio Cadetship means that successful candidates can look forward to an exciting career as a pilot with the Virgin Australia team upon completion of the 59-week residential course based at Parafield Airport, near Adelaide and is designed for candidates to achieve a Commercial Pilot License (CPL), Multi Engine Command Instrument Rating (ME CIR), as well as study the ground theory subjects for an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) and a Multi Crew Cooperation (MCC) Qualification program.

When applying for this cadetship, I didn’t have high expectations about the outcome – being only 19 and with almost no prior flying or aviation knowledge other than a single semester of university.

The selection process began with an initial application submitted online, followed by a video application for shortlisted candidates. Following the video applications, candidates were further shortlisted and I was lucky enough to be invited to attend an Assessment Day at the Boeing Simulator Centre in Brisbane which included PILAPT and academic testing, group interviews and one-on-one interviews. Approximately 30 candidates are shortlisted for the final panel interview stage, and I am fortunate to be one of them. Then 12 final candidates will be chosen for cadetships.

It is so important to make sure you are as best prepared as possible for opportunities like this, by making sure you are familiar with the company you are applying to(from routes, to aircraft fleet, to businesses within the company). While passion is one of the biggest factors in succeeding in the aviation industry, it is not just a matter of saying you have the passion, but showing it.

Though this cadetship is an Ab-initio cadetship requiring zero previous experience, I believed that undertaking some flying would be beneficial for giving me some personal experience and for continuing to develop my love and passion for aviation. So I set about researching flight schools so I could obtain my Recreational Pilot Certificate.

While GoFly Aviation is not the closest flight school to where I live, I decided to begin my flying with them and I couldn’t be happier. I will be forever thankful for all that the school and the instructors have taught me. It has truly helped my love and passion for aviation continue to soar.

Ami Love

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Why you might want to consider learning to fly at Caloundra Aerodrome

Before you roll your eyes and say: ‘Of course the owner of a flight school in Caloundra is going to plug his own aerodrome over the other aerodromes’, be aware that my first flight school was actually located at Caboolture Aerodrome. Later, when I was looking around to start a satellite flight school I also spent considerable time researching other sites such as Redcliffe, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast and Archerfield.

(At the time I thought that ‘bigger is better’, when running a business, so it made sense to me to start up a second flight school. Since then I’ve learnt that ‘becoming excellent at what you do’, is much better than becoming bigger and more complex, and maybe I’ll write another blog on this topic in the future.)

All of these locations I researched had some benefits but many of them had more disadvantages than advantages. After six months of research I concluded that Redcliffe or Caloundra were the best choices for starting my second flight school. While Redcliffe had many advantages I wanted to eventually live on the Sunshine Coast, so I decided on Caloundra Aerodrome. After operating GoFly Aviation from both Caloundra and Caboolture for a few years, I eventually decided to move my entire operation from Caboolture to Caloundra because the facilities available and the aerodrome were so good to operate from. The fact that it shortened my commute from Mooloolaba was just an added bonus.

I’ve been in the flight training business now for eight years and flown into many airports. I am listing below, those airports which I believe to be the best flight training aerodromes in south-east QLD and why I think this:

Caloundra Aerodrome (very good)
Redcliffe Aerodrome ( very good)
Caboolture Aerodrome (good)
Archerfield Aerodrome (average)
Sunshine Coast Aerodrome (average)

Sunshine Coast Aerodrome

I did my Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating at Sunshine Coast Aerodrome around twenty two years ago (yikes, those years went fast!) and it was a busy aerodrome even back then. I remember having to hold in the Twin Piper Seminole for up to ten minutes while 737 planes departed, and thinking to myself, ‘Well, that wait just cost me $80’.

Learning to fly at a Controlled Airport for a new student is not a lot of fun. Firstly you have to get clearance then wait for the controller to tell you what to do. Secondly, small aircraft (training aircraft) get lower priority over large regular public transport aircraft flown by the major airlines. Last year almost a million passengers travelling with the major airlines used Sunshine Coast Airport.

Sunshine Coast just closed the east-west runway while constructing a new longer international runway so things are about to get even worse. Training aircraft presently cannot do touch-and-go landings at the Aerodrome between 10am – 1.30pm during the week. This results in many of the flight schools flying (ferrying) to Caloundra Aerodrome – at the student’s expense – to do touch-and-go landing practice. This adds considerable cost to the student in ferrying to another aerodrome.

Again, if you’re wanting to become a Commercial Pilot, learning to fly in controlled airspace environment has its benefits, however if you’re wanting to learn to fly for fun, do you really want all this stress and extra cost?

Archerfield Aerodrome

The best part of Archerfield Aerodrome is its proximity to Brisbane (particular south and western Brisbane). Other than that, there is not a lot I really love about this Aerodrome. It has multiple runways and is controlled, so for new students this can be overly complex and intimidating.

At certain times of the day, the aerodrome limits the amount of aircraft which can operate in circuit and will restrict how many touch-and-go landings an aircraft and student can do in a particular lesson. This has a flow-on effect for a student. They also have expensive landing charges. One of my competitors, who operates out of Archerfield charges $40 more per hour for lessons and I can only assume that this is to cover the landing and other charges that this aerodrome imposes on flight schools. The other issue is that it is surrounded by lots of Controlled Airspace, making it complex for new student pilots. If you are wishing to become a Commercial Pilot, this may be beneficial, but if you’re looking to fly for fun then I suggest you go elsewhere.

Caboolture Aerodrome

Caboolture is still fairly close to Brisbane and I operated out of this aerodrome for five years. As a training field it is fairly good, however my main issue is that the majority of the runways are grass so it can get rough or soggy after rain. The other issues ares a lack of commercial office space for flight schools and the high numbers of birds and other wildlife which don’t mix too well with student pilots and aircraft. If you look past the wildlife and grass runways, it is still a good aerodrome. There are no runway lights so if you want to do night training you will have to go elsewhere.

Redcliffe Aerodrome

This is my second favourite aerodrome in SE QLD. The advantages are: close proximity to Brisbane; it is a non-controlled aerodrome; and there is close proximity to the training area and other control zones. The aerodrome is well managed by Moreton Bay Council and has a decent paved runway and taxiways. It also has runway lights for night training.The only disadvantage is it only has one runway, so crosswinds can be a challenge, however some may argue that makes for a better pilot (eventually). If you’re based in Brisbane and don’t want to drive all the way to the Sunshine Coast, this would be my recommended aerodrome.

Caloundra Aerodrome

I love teaching and operating at Caloundra Aerodrome. It is a non-controlled Aerodrome and I believe a non-controlled Aerodrome is a better learning environment for pilots wanting to learn to fly for fun. There are no landing charges at Caloundra and this results in GoFly being able to offer competitively-priced training. There are two sealed runways and this means that there is rarely an issue with crosswinds being over the maximum limit for the training aircraft. It also has runway lighting. It is still close to Controlled Airspace for students wanting that experience or learning to become commercial pilots.

As a business owner, I also have greater flexibility in how I operate my business and at what times I can start and finish, than I would have if I operated at a Controlled Aerodrome.

The location is also absolutely spectacular, being situated directly beside the river and ocean. As soon as you take off you are presented with an incredible view of the Pumicestone Passage, Glasshouse Mountains, Moreton Bay and islands. The aerodrome is also very central to shops and the Caloundra township, making it ideal for overseas students to find accommodation and transport for the few weeks it takes to get their Recreational Pilot Certificate. There are plenty of accommodation options from budget to five star hotels and of course the beaches are wonderful. Many of my students live in Brisbane but learn to fly with us because they can visit the beach afterwards. Some bring friends or family and make a day of it, enjoying the great restaurants beside the beach.

The only negatives at Caloundra Aerodrome are that there is not enough taxiways (one has to use runways to access other runways) and there’s a lack of parking for visiting aircraft, but these negatives are minor compared to the benefits and can be improved in coming years.

A good aerodrome is a nice-to-have but good training is a must-have

It is important to note that you can receive fantastic training at any aerodrome. There are many great flight schools which operate at all of these aerodromes. If you find a great school at an aerodrome that is not-so-great, and which has great instructors whom you’re comfortable with, then stick with it. You can become a great pilot from any aerodrome if you have good quality training.

However, if you can have good quality training at any aerodrome, wouldn’t you want to choose the location which best supports that great training?

I’m so glad I made the decision to move my entire operation to Caloundra Aerodrome two years ago. I love working at Caloundra Aerodrome as it has a unique tropical feel that few aerodromes possess. Having the friendly guys at AMS right next door for maintenance also makes life easy for a Chief Pilot, plus we get to see a variety of exotic old and new planes being worked on and put through their paces.

If you are still considering which is the best location at which to learn to fly, drop in to visit Caloundra Aerodrome for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Damien

CEO GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

If you cannot handle frustration, you cannot be an Airline Pilot

Those who can and those who cannot

As a business owner and Chief Flying Instructor, I have always been intrigued by why some students succeed during flight training while others give up; or why some of them go on to join airlines and fulfil their dreams while others don’t. I‘m quite obsessed with self-development and psychology, and fascinated why some people never give up while others give up before they even begin.

I am not talking about individuals who are not quite sure whether they want to be a pilot or not, but the real die-hard aviation enthusiast who wants to learn to fly and to one day get paid to be an airline pilot.

I would love to be an Airline Pilot but….

Below are all the excuses I have heard over the last 30 years as to why someone would love to be an airline pilot but cannot be. In their minds, people have created excuses as to why it is not possible.

I don’t have enough money
I don’t want to get into debt
It will put too much stress on my family
I already have a pretty good job
I might have to move to another city
I’m not smart enough
My partner/family does not want me to
It could be dangerous
I might not pass the medical
I’m too old
The only excuses I agree with are the last two: airlines generally don’t hire new pilots after the age of 65, and if the person has a medical or psychological issue preventing them from passing a medical, they will not get hired.

Their excuses tell me one thing: this individual does not want to be an airline pilot badly enough or, they simply cannot handle, and have not learnt to deal with, frustration.

Big dreams equals big frustration

It doesn’t matter matter whether you want to start your own business, or become a well paid lawyer, an artist, a doctor or Airline Pilot; to achieve anything rewarding you are going to have to handle ‘frustration’.

The definition of frustration is: being upset or annoyed as a result of not being able to change or achieve something.

Most individuals give up on their dreams for three main reasons

their dream is either not big enough or not meaningful enough for them
They don’t believe they are capable of achieving their dream
They have not learnt to properly deal with frustration
Some students give up at the first sign of frustration

It is common knowledge amongst flight instructors that the majority of our students give up just prior to going solo. I believe the reason for this is that learning to land an aircraft can be difficult – and most students have an expectation that it will not that be that hard to learn. As soon as the training becomes difficult, they feel frustrated and give up.

Many students come to GoFly having heard a story about an old friend, or a friend of a friend, who completed their first solo after just 10 hours of flight training. They may have had this anecdote in their head for years, and even when we try to change their expectations, they get frustrated when they get to 11 hours of flight training and have not yet gone solo.

‘The only person in this world you should be competing against is yourself.’ You may have heard a variation of the statement above at some point.

Commercial flight training is challenging AND rewarding

Notice how I stated that it is both challenging AND rewarding. As as a rule, nothing is really rewarding if it is very easily achieved, and of course, anything which is challenging can also mean it is massively frustrating.

But anything which produces frustration can also lead to massive rewards.

During my own flight training, I considered giving up many times. I failed every one of my flight tests the first time, except for my Commercial Flight Test. I found my twin-engine instrument rating so challenging that I felt like giving up on the course on a daily basis. But I stuck it out, and the feeling of achievement was well worth the massive frustration I had to deal with to get to the end. Flight training will bring out the best and worst in you. It can be extremely challenging but the rewards can be exhilarating.

Feeling frustrated feels very uncomfortable

No one likes the feeling of frustration, it is a very close feeling to the feeling of being stressed. So it stands to reason that we try to avoid feeling frustrated at all costs. The easiest way to avoid frustration is to simply avoid doing things which make us frustrated, so we give up as soon as something becomes frustrating. This makes absolute sense if you don’t need or want to achieve anything meaningful or important, but if you are reading this post I will assume that you do not fall into this category.

How many people do you know who work in average jobs, live in an average house and have average dreams and goals? Most likely a lot – if not the majority – of the people you know. The reason that there are so many individuals who live average lives is because they want to continue living in their comfort zones and do not wish to have to deal with frustration. Also, many of them have given up believing that they have any real power to change their lives or that it is even possible to get what they truly desire.

There is another way

What if, instead of avoiding frustration, or giving up as soon as we feel frustrated, we could learn how to channel our sense of frustration into something that feels a lot better? Wouldn’t that be great? Over the last thirty or so years, I have learnt how best to manage my own frustrations. Some of these techniques I learnt from reading books and others I have learnt through trial and error. Here are some of my tips on how to avoid or eliminate feelings of frustration altogether, so you can succeed.

(1) Expect frustration

The first step in learning to deal with frustration is to expect it. If you are planning on doing anything new and it excites you and will be a challenge there will be frustration involved. If you expect it and almost welcome it then you will reduce its impact.

(2) Estimate how long, and how much, it will cost you then double it

Planning on starting a business and think it will take you twelve months and ten thousand dollars to begin? Well, you should really plan on it costing twice as much and taking twice as long, as there is then less chance of you being frustrated. Unrealistic expectations are what causes of lot of frustrations. For flying students for instance, I tell them that the legal minimum to get your initial pilot certificate is 20 hours, however, the average time taken is around 30 hours for part- time or casual students.

(3) Read or talk to others who have gone through the same experience or process

Talking to others who are going through or have been through what you have gone through is a great way to normalise the feeling of frustration you might be feeling. I love to read books and when I read about some individual who has achieved something and has dealt with massive frustration but continued anyway, it inspires me to keep going. I also then come to realise that my problems are usually not worth getting frustrated over. Reading about someone who has achieved what you are trying to achieve is a great way to motivate you and to reduce feelings of frustration.

(4) Meditate in nature

Nothing relieves my frustrations more than going for a meditative walk on the beach on my own. This really allows me to clear my mind and receive creative inspiration to keep going. I like to do this at least twice a week. Owning and operating a weather-dependent business can be frustrating at times and I look forward to these walks and they also remind me how lucky I am to live near a beach. Find a reserve, park, hill or walk that calms you and allows you to get some perspective on your frustration.

(5) Exercise

I’m not at all sporty but I have read books which tell me that exercise can also help reduce frustration! While I do not exercise a lot, I know that after I go for a power walk or use my rowing machine, I feel a lot better and frustration does diminish.

(6) Frustration will be there regardless of what you choose

I used to be a Manager with a large insurance company. I was paid a lot of money for not creating a lot. While I was comfortable doing the job, I knew I was wasting my time, talents and abilities, and this caused massive frustration. In fact, I think this type of frustration is worse than any other form of frustration because it is within your control; you know what you should be doing, but you’re just too damn scared to do it and that is really frustrating.

If you had to choose between the frustration of not even attempting to go after your dreams, or the frustration that comes with chasing them, I know which one I would prefer.

Channeling frustration into positive action

I have learnt to use the energy of feeling frustrated, to motivate myself into action to create a structure that will eventually reduce the frustration. What on earth am I talking about? A good example of this is when I started my business. I used to get very frustrated on windy, rainy and low-cloud days when the weather prevented my flight school from making money. So, after some thought, I used this frustration to film and edit flying lessons, which could be sold on DVD and posted to people to create income, regardless of what the weather was doing.

The year after I created these videos, the Sunshine Coast experienced the longest period of wet weather in 100 years. This low, but constant, income from the videos saved my business from closing down. So, as you can see, frustration, when turned outward into positive action, can create massive positive results for your life. (I have since filmed the ab initio lessons again, this time in 360-degree video and you can download the first lesson for FREE here. )

Imagine what your life will look like when you are old if you never learned to handle your frustrations

When I was working for the insurance company, I imagined being 60 and still being stuck in the same dead-end boring job and looking back on my life thinking: ‘How would my life be different if I had taken a chance and followed my dreams?’ This was a big motivator for me.

Your dream of being an Airline Pilot is at the moment just a dream. Dreams and visualisations are powerful things. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine that you’re old, and you’ve been stuck for many years in a boring job which does not inspire you. Next, imagine what your life could have looked like if you were determined to handle your frustration and determined to become an airline pilot. Imagine your perfect future. What would it feel like to actually change your life and fulfil your dream? A favorite saying of mine by Henry Ford is: ‘Whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right.’

Whether you choose to achieve your dream and learn to deal with frustration or not, is the choice you must now make.

It’s time to get frustrated!

Damien

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

Can I obtain my Commercial Pilot Licence by flying in a recreational light sport aircraft?

If you have heard about the global shortage of pilots and are interested in becoming a Commercial Pilot, you are likely to have been researching flight schools and learning a lot of strange new terms. Terms such as: RPC, RPL, CPL, light sport aircraft, General Aviation aircraft, 3-axis and rotary aircraft, VET fee, HECs, Aviation Diploma, class 02 and class 01 medical and CASA (the Civilian Aviation Safety Authority).

A question I get asked repeatedly is: ‘What’s the difference between a General Aviation and a light sport aircraft and can I use my hours flown on a recreational aircraft towards my Commercial Pilot License? Before I answer this question, let’s start by looking at some key differences between a recreational light sport aircraft and a General Aviation (GA) aircraft.

Firstly, as far as general mechanics go, there is no difference. They are both fixed-wing three-axis aircraft. The only difference is in the weight. Recreational aircraft are currently limited to a maximum of 600kg (total weight of combined plane, fuel, passengers and luggage) although that’s about to be increased. General Aviation aircraft can weigh up to 5,600 kilos. Most older General Aviation two-seat trainers weigh somewhere between 600-800 kilos, fairly close to the recreational aviation weight.

Secondly, as far as learning to fly and the training syllabus is concerned, there is almost no discernible difference between learning to fly in a recreational aircraft and a GA aircraft. Recreational aircraft are however, usually more advanced than the GA aircraft used in most flight schools. This is one of the reasons why GoFly has been successful: we use modern recreational aircraft which are under 5 years old and each has a modern electronic flight instrument system (EFIS).

A new recreational aircraft costs around $180,000, whereas a new GA aircraft costs around $500,000.

As a flight school owner, I have worked out that once you start to borrow more than $200,000 for a flight school aircraft, the profit margins on flight training decrease dramatically. What this means in the real world is that flight schools tend to either purchase the older GA aircraft or the cheaper new recreational aircraft. Which would you prefer to learn to fly in? A modern recreational aircraft or a 30 year old GA aircraft?

The other major difference between recreational aircraft and GA is the cost of learning to fly. Recreational aircraft can cost up to $100/hour less to learn to fly in. General Aviation use older engines and most still use the more expensive Avgas, as well as using more fuel per hour. This means the flight school has to charge a higher hourly rate for teaching. A Cessna 172 used for flight training, uses around 34 litres/hour of fuel whereas the fuel burn for a rotax-powered Sling recreational aircraft is 16 litres/hour. Both aircraft fly at the same speed and can be used for the same type of training.

Integrated and non-integrated training

Now let’s look at the difference between a CPL-integrated and non-integrated course. An integrated CPL course is a full-time flight training course which is usually integrated with a diploma course and has very strict guidelines. The minimum flight hours for these courses is 150 hours.

A standard Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) course or non-integrated course, can be full-time or part-time and the minimum number of flight hours is 200.

While integrated courses might reduce the total flight hours required, I can tell you from experience, a 150-hour commercial pilot fresh out of uni, is not very employable. If you’re an owner of a charter Company and you have two candidates: one from an integrated course with 150 hours total command time and a pilot from a standard 200 hour course, who are you going to employ?

Ok. it’s time for me to finally answer the question in the title: yes, you CAN do most of the flying for your CPL in light sport aircraft! For non-integrated CPL courses, CASA will allow the majority of flight training to be done in a recreational aircraft!

CASA has a strange way of grouping aircraft. Both General Aviation and recreational aircraft come under one group called ‘fixed wing aircraft – Group A’. They then break it up into another category called ‘registered’ (or ‘recognised’) aircraft. Australian aircraft have a registration number starting with the letters VH. This means that if the aircraft has VH registration and is certified, then it is recognised.

This might sound confusing but all you need to know is that for non-integrated CPL flying course (which most flying schools offer), you can do the majority of your flight time in a recreational aircraft. The dual benefits of this are that it saves money and the aircraft are modern.

At GoFly we have partnered with another business with a Part 141, to offer a hybrid RPC to CPL course. There are other flight schools (such as Soar in Sydney and Melbourne) which offer a similar course. For our 200 hour CPL course, the first 150 flight hours are conducted in our modern recreational aircraft. The student then does a conversion over to the GA plane and finishes their commercial training and flight test at the end of the course. This equates to a saving of around $10,000 in flight training costs.

For more information about our hybrid CPL course, please call us on 0426 282 26, email [email protected] or log onto the CASA website www.casa.gov.au for hourly requirements for CPL courses.

See you in the sky!

Damien

CEO, GoFly Group

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

Am I too old to become a Commercial Pilot?

You love flying and you might have dreamt of being paid to fly an aircraft. Your dream may have been to become an Air Force or Airline Pilot or even a Flight Instructor.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, you gave up on your dream of being a pilot and you settled for a comfortable (and easier to achieve) job. As each year passes, your dream of eventually becoming a Commercial Pilot seems less and less likely. However, if you still have that desire, and you’re thinking that another 20 or so years being stuck in a dead end job that you’re not passionate about, is just like undergoing daily root canal therapy, then read on.

How old is too old to learn to fly?

I have trained some student pilots in their 70s who made me feel unfit standing beside them. So there are a lot of exceptions to every rule, and my suggestions are by no means gospel. If you’re learning to fly for fun, I would say 80 years old would be the cut-off, if you are in good health.

If you are looking to fly for a career, then this obviously changes the maximum age. What type of pilot you want to become will determine what age would be too old to change careers and start your flight training journey.

Becoming an Airline Pilot

If you’re looking to fly larger jets for a major airline then I would suggest the cut-off date is around 35 years if you are only just starting your training. I would suggest anyone just learning to fly over the age of 40, will probably not get into a major airline but they may get into a regional (smaller) airline.

In fact the 40-45 age bracket has an advantage for smaller regional airlines, as the airline knows that you will not move onto a major airline, so the time they invest in your training is well worth their risk of employing someone slightly older.

Obviously there are exceptions to this rule but I know a lot of the regional airlines are complaining because they are losing a lot of their younger pilots to the larger airlines after only a couple of years of employment with the regional airline. I would suggest 45 would be the cut-off age if you are considering a regional airline and are just starting your flight training.

Becoming a Charter Pilot

If you’re willing to travel to remote locations you can still get a job in general aviation as a charter pilot even in your 50s. I worked for a large charter company in the Northern Territory and they regularly employed pilots in their late 40s and 50s as they knew, once again, the airlines would not poach them. As it’s expensive to train new pilots, it makes economic sense to retrain?? older pilots, particularly for smaller charter companies where keeping training costs low is critical.

There are a lot of charter companies in remote areas of Australia which carry tourists and mine workers. Many of these charter companies fly modern turbine aircraft and offer a lot of variety and flexible work hours. I would suggest the cut off age to become a charter pilot would be around 50.

Becoming a Flight Instructor

With the global pilot shortage and the growth of recreational flying, there will always be a need for flight instructors (well, until we have self-flying aircraft in about 10 years, anyway)

The good news about growing old is that many students prefer instructors who look older, as they assume they are more experienced, plus, you have more life experience and skills that can be applied to assist your students in the training environment.

I would suggest that the cut-off age to start learning to fly and becoming a flight instructor would be 55. Please remember these are only suggestions and there are ALWAYS exceptions to every rule.

Stop using your age as an excuse

I have met a lot of students who hate their jobs and want to change careers but they often use their age as an excuse for why they can’t. The real reason is not usually their age but their fear of failure.

We tend to fear failing at something that we are passionate about. When you take on something new and you’re and you cannot be certain of the outcome, fear will creep in. Your mind starts thinking ‘What if I lose all my savings? What if they they laugh at me? What if I have an accident? Is it fair on my partner for me to stop earning while I learn a new skill and apply for jobs?’. It’s easier to stay in a job you hate, and complaining to everyone about it, because at least you can predict the outcome.

It’s too embarrassing and maybe even confronting to tell everyone the truth: ‘I’m not going to chase my dream of being a pilot, as I’m really afraid of failing and being called a fool for trying’, so we use age as an excuse not to be a pilot. It’s hard for people to argue with you because most individuals have no idea what too old is (including yourself!)

I’ve written this blog so you can stop the excuses and begin to seriously consider starting your journey to fulfill your dream.

How much will it cost?

Another excuse is the income uncertainty. I am always amazed at how many individuals would prefer to earn a high income in a job they hate, than work at a reduced income but in a job they have a passion for. We all need money to live, but wasting half of your waking hours working at a job you hate just so you can earn a good income, is crazy.

So how much can you expect to earn as a commercial pilot? Below I have outlined some basic wage expectations once you have secured full-time employment in Australia:

Charter Pilot. $50,000 to $85,000

Flight Instructor $45,000 to $75,000

Regional Airline Pilot $80,000 to $140,000

Airline Pilot $90,000 to $250,000

One of GoFly Aviation’s most recently hired flight instructors gave up a corporate job in Sydney and moved to the Sunshine Coast with his wife and young child for a lifestyle and career change. He is in his early 40s.

He is now earning half of what he was being paid before, however he regularly tells me how happy he is and how much better his life is, now that he is living in one of the most beautiful areas in Australia.

Just focus on the first step

When a middle-aged person comes into my flight school and tells me that they have always wanted to be a commercial pilot but they think they are too old, I tell them not to focus on the entire training or the time that will be required to become a commercial pilot. Instead, I tell them to just start learning, and o complete the first part of their training. If they enjoy it and succeed, then they start and complete the next part of their training. It’s easy to plan and achieve smaller steps along the way to our goal, and a lot less intimidating.

Also, sometimes you don’t really know if your dream is right for you until you actually start to follow it. Taking small steps towards your dream will confirm you are on the right track. Worse case scenario is that you don’t enjoy it, and guess what? You’ve learnt something about yourself and you can move onto doing something else which is better suited to you.

Opportunities

In the last 25 or so years that I have been involved with the aviation industry, I cannot think of a more optimistic time to be a commercial pilot; there are plenty of jobs – even if you are older -and I do not see this changing for some time. Remember the famous words of Henry Ford ‘If you think you can, or you cannot, you’re right’.

If you’re still not sure whether you’re too old to change career then I suggest you research your local flight schools and book your first lesson, and then you can decide. You don’t want to get to your 80s, still in fairly good health, thinking: ‘You know, I really should have done something that I loved for the last 30 years’.

The regrets in your life will always weigh more heavily on your mind than the mundane and comfortable times of your life!

Damien Wills

CEO, GoFly Group

How old is too old?

Click on this link to read further blogs by Damien.

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Can I obtain my Commercial Pilot Licence by flying in a recreational light sport aircraft?

Am I too old to become a Commercial Pilot?​

How old is too old?

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