Meet the Team

Cameron Marchant
Director/Instructor

Like many Australian pilots, Cameron’s career began as a charter pilot in remote Queensland & the Northern Territory, however instead of seeking an airline career he took a Commission as an Officer in the Australian Army & became a reconnaissance helicopter pilot. Based in Darwin with 161 Reconnaissance Squadron, & with several operational deployments behind him, he ultimately became a military Qualified Flying Instructor – responsible for the training of Army pilots. Following his tenure in Army Aviation, Cameron worked as the Manager of Training & Checking for two regional airlines, operating aircraft such as the Beech 1900, Fairchild Metroliner, Embraer 120 Brasilia & Dash 8.

Cameron was the Chief Pilot of Chartair during the period 2011 to 2016, leading the transition of that Company from a general flying charter operation into low capacity RPT & Approved Single-Engine Turbine (ASETPA) operations. He is a Civil Aviation Safety Authority Approved Flight Examiner with approvals for a range of licences & ratings, including the Air Transport Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Flight Instructor Instrument & Low Level Ratings as well as Aerial Mustering. For the past 20 years Cameron has also served as a consultant in the aviation industry, conducting training & assessments for a number of commercial & private organisations.

Cameron’s experience in pilot training & development, combined with several years of remote area flying, forms the foundation for his operational philosophies – he believes that discipline in training & the ongoing development of standards is the cornerstone of flight safety.

Ben Mackney
Director/Instructor

Ben commenced his flying career in 2004 on the north-east coast of NSW. Since then Ben has operated in a range of flying capacities including flight instruction, sight-seeing, passenger & freight carrying charter, low acuity aero-medical retrieval, remote regular public transport services & FIFO services throughout remote Australia.

Ben is the Head of Flying Operations of Mistar Holdings & Arafura Aviation and in these roles oversees pilots engaged in charter operations across a number of bases in WA, QLD & the NT. Within Flight Standards much of his time is spent training students towards their Instrument Ratings or providing familiarisation training & flight reviews on Cessna 441 & Cessna 208 aircraft. Ben maintains his own proficiency contracting as a line, supervisory or training pilot to Air Transport operators throughout Australia on types ranging from the Cessna 210 to the Cessna Conquest / Caravan & Fairchild Metroliner.

In addition to flying experience Ben has had significant involvement in safety & compliance, assisting as an auditor & investigator within the Safety Management System as well as the Training & Checking organisation at Chartair from 2011 to 2016. During this time he was heavily involved with the ongoing mentoring of pilots & assisting in the progressive development of comprehensive, relevant aviation training packages.

He has a strong background in business, having studied a Bachelor of Aviation Management at the University of New South Wales as well as managing hotels in Sydney for several years. Ben is committed to a holistic approach to pilot training emphasising such elements as operational efficiency, passenger management & customer service as well as a high technical standard.