There are basically two pathways into flying the more conventional aircraft. Except for older aircraft such as the Tiger Moth most modern aircraft have fully enclosed cockpits. All these aircraft have three axis controls: rudder, elevator and ailerons - unlike microlights which have weight shift controls.
• Ultralight or Recreational Pilots Certificate.The first type we are involved with is the recreational or Sport Aircraft category. Aircraft in this class are restricted to carrying two persons and are limited to a maximum take off weight (MTOW) of 544kg. There are certain operational conditions applied as well. For example they are restricted to day light flight and are not permitted to fly over 5000’ AMSL (above mean sea level).
However one of their great advantages is that you only need to be 15 years of age. An aviation medical is not required but a student pilot must be medically fit to a standard equivalent to that required to hold a car driver's licence in Australia and sign a declaration to that effect.
Recreational aircraft are much less expensive to operate and therefore the rates for instruction and hire are less than most GA aircraft.
The hours of flying that you accumulate in this category can be counted towards your PPL (private pilots licence) should you later wish to fly larger GA (general aviation aircraft). To obtain an Ultralight Pilots Certificate requires a minimum of 20 hours of flying. Once this has been achieved you may fly solo within a 25nm radius of Bunbury Airport. The next (optional) step is to obtain a passenger endorsement and then a cross country endorsement. Once you have achieved this you may fly an ultralight aircraft, with a passenger, any where in Australia outside controlled air space.
The operation of ultralight aircraft in Australia is governed by Recreational Aviation Australia (RA-Aus), not CASA. www.auf.asn.au is the RA-Aus website.
Bunbury Flying School have a Jabiru J230 and a very new SportCruiser in this class for hire and training purposes.
The holder of a PPL is permitted to fly anywhere in Australia, in any aircraft (type specific endorsement required for each new aircraft you fly) whilst the aircraft is engaged in private operations (not for any monetary reward).
To go down this path you will must first apply to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for an Aviation Registration Number (ARN) and a Student Pilots Licence (SPL). The next step is to pass an aviation medical examination which must be conducted by a designated aviation medical examiner (DAME).
Currently Bunbury Flying School have five different aircraft in this category: a Cessna 150, a Cessna 152, a Piper Cherokee 180, a Fuji Aero Subaru and a Piper Arrow. The Arrow has retractable undercarriage and a constant speed propeller unit (CSU) and is ideal for pilots wishing to start commercial training. The Fuji Subaru is a four seater but can also be used for aerobatics.
The CASA web site www.casa.gov.au has a great deal of information and the appropriate application forms can be down loaded from this site. It is well worth getting used to using this site.
The first step in taking up flying, as a career or just for pleasure, is to undertake a Trial Instructional Flight, or TIF. A TIF will cost $88.00 and it will last around 30 minutes. The trial flight is designed to give you an idea of what it really feels like to fly an aeroplane. During a briefing prior to your flight the instructor will explain in basic terms how an aeroplane flies, how the flight controls operate and what you will try and achieve. You will be in the pilots left hand seat and you will really have a go at flying. You will not have much time for sight seeing as you will be busy flying the aircraft. Generally this trial flight will lead to a few lessons after which you should be able to decide whether you want to continue flying training.
During the initial stages of flying you will always be with a flying instructor. You will be taught the basics of flight in preparation for your first solo in the circuit area (a rectangular pattern flown around an aerodrome), and you will be familiarised with the local training area, which extends from Bunbury to approximately 7 Km North of Harvey. During this time you consolidate your training and build flying experience. Most likely, you will be ready to fly solo after approximately 10-15 hours of instruction. However each subsequent solo flight must be authorised by your instructor.
Before you can fly solo, you will need to pass the required medical checks, pass a "pre-solo" written exam, and be issued with a Student Pilot Licence (SPL). To be issued the SPL, you must be at least 16 years of age and be capable of reading, writing, speaking and understanding the English language.
If you have set your sights on a career in aviation, this is usually the time that we will advise you of the options available for commercial training. We suggest that you undertake the required medical checks at Commercial Level which are more exacting for professional pilots to make sure you can satisfy the medical standards before outlaying considerable sums of money on flying training.
Your first solo flight will involve practising take-offs and landings, and general flying within the airport circuit. This is basically a consolidation of everything that you have learned to date, such as operation and effect of controls, straight and level flying, climbing and descending, turning and stalling.
From this point on, you will focus on preparing for your first area solo where you will demonstrate your ability to fly solo outside the airport circuit but still within the training area.
Most students are ready to attempt their first area solo after reaching 15-20 hours. Before you can do so, however, you must pass an examination on the flight procedures pertaining to that training area.
Your first solo in the training area will involve practising simulated engine failure during which you will exercise your own judgment, simulate radio calls and trouble checks as well as passenger briefs. It will also include a short navigation exercise to and from the local training area to enable you to demonstrate some chart reading skills.
As you progress, you will learn to fly the aircraft in all situations in preparation for your General Flying Progress Test (GFPT). Before you can undertake this test you first need to pass the Basic Aeronautical Knowledge theory examination. You will also need at least 20 hours flight time which includes 5 hours as pilot in command and 2 hours instrument time, of which at least 1 hour must be instrument flight time. Having said that, the average student is not ready to attempt the GFPT until the 30 hour mark.
During this test, you will demonstrate to an approved testing officer (ATO) that you can competently manage the aircraft in all basic phases of flight. When you pass the test, you will be able to carry passengers in private operations within the confines of the training area. Your solo or pilot-in-command flights must still be approved by your instructor.
After the GFPT, you will be able to commence navigation training. The navigation exercises teach the practical skills and airmanship required for flying safely to distant locations plus management of fuel and flight logs, radio communication and transition through different airspace, control zones, unplanned diversions due to weather etc., and circuits at distant locations with landings on different types of surfaces. These skills will then be reinforced and consolidated in preparation for the Private Pilot Licence flight test.
Prior to undertaking the PPL test, you must have acquired at least 40 hours of flight time as a pilot that includes:
• 5 hours of general flight time as pilot in command; and
• 5 hours of cross country flight time as pilot in command; and
• 2 hours of instrument flight time.
You must also pass a theory examination which covers flight rules and air law, navigation, performance and flight planning, meteorology and principles of flight.
Although the minimum experience requirement is 40 hours, the average pilot is ready to attempt the Private Pilot Licence flight test after about 55-60 hours. You can undertake the PPL flight test while still 16; however, you cannot be issued with the licence until your 17th birthday.
You will demonstrate your skill to an approved testing officer by departing for a round trip with two or more landings/turning points enroute. You will be able to show that you can divert to an alternative location and overall, demonstrate competent planning and management of the flight, observing all procedures and rules, navigation, radio work and airmanship before successfully completing the flight.
After passing the PPL Test, you will be issued with the licence which enables you to fly anywhere within Australia , solo or with private passengers in daytime visual meteorological conditions. You will no longer require your instructor's permission to undertake a flight as pilot in command.
