FAQs

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will allow you to act as pilot in command (PIC) of a light, single-engine aircraft (SEA) under 1,500kg in Australian airspace without supervision under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). You will be qualified to fly for private purposes (non-commercial) & carry passengers in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) by day.

There are no navigation restrictions attached to a PPL, so in effect – anywhere in Australia!

As an ICAO recognised licence, it can also be used for overseas conversions.

The School Holiday Program is targeted for secondary school students aged between 14-18. However, children that are 13 may be suitable for the program depending on maturity & height requirements.

Want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

No. Having a parent on board would make it a passenger flight & unlicensed pilots aren’t permitted to carry passengers.

Parents are more than welcome to take photos before & after the flight.

No.

We provide water & some other drinks (soft drinks, juice) free of charge during training, but meals aren’t included. Each of our bases has a cafe within 1km that serves snacks & meals.

If you’re enrolled in the School Holiday Program, please bring a packed lunch.

You will be able to fly Pilot in Command (PIC) of any aircraft that you are competent or rated for in a private operation. You will also be able to add operational ratings to your licence such as a Night Rating or Private Instrument Rating.

No & we seek to be very clear & consistent on this. The GA Ready Course was never designed to be a job interview, for us or any other company.

The course was born out of frustration. Pilots were leaving flying schools well short of where industry needed them to be, lacking the fundamental skills for even a basic first job.

Only years later, after we acquired a charter company, did we start looking at graduates as potential employees. Even then, only when we need pilots. We train around 60–70 pilots a year through GA Ready. On average, we also recruit around 40 pilots a year into their first jobs, either into our own companies or on behalf of clients. Not many flight schools can say that.

Getting a job is about more than flying the aeroplane. It’s about being the right person for the team. We’ve met plenty of strong candidates who weren’t the right fit for the particular team we were recruiting for. When we need pilots, we look. If no one suitable is available, we wait.

Our aim is to pack as much as we can into your two weeks with us: operational tips & tricks, a balanced understanding of commercial realities, risk management strategies & a sense of the attitudes it takes to make it in aviation, beyond the glossy brochures. That way, when the time comes, you can put your best foot forward.

Generally speaking, no. As with GA Ready, getting a job is about more than flying the aeroplane. We look when we need pilots & it comes down to finding the right person for the team.

That said, there are a few things worth knowing.

On average, we recruit around 40 pilots a year into their first jobs. When we’re hiring, it’s far easier to take on someone who already knows how we work & what we expect. If you pick up what we’re putting down during training & show the right attitude, aptitude & character, we’d be mad not to take you.

The Pilot Career Pathway was also developed with end-user operators such as Southern Airlines, NTAS, Kakadu Air & Marthakal Yolngu Airline. From time to time, some of these operators pick candidates to go through the pathway. Where those candidates have met the required standards at key stages within set timeframes, these operators have made conditional offers of employment, subject to completing the pathway.

These offers come from the operators, not Flight Standards, so we don’t control whether they’re made.

We currently estimate a 200-hour CPL course will cost around $110,000. We know that’s a lot of money, so we work closely with our students to find a training & payment plan that’s achievable.

Many schools will point you towards VET Student Loans. We’re not a provider & we don’t recommend them. Courses funded this way often bundle everything in from the start, including an Instrument Rating & Multi-Engine Class Rating you’re unlikely to need in your first job (see Do I need an Instrument Rating as well?). That’s a lot of extra cost & debt for the same outcome. We’d rather train you to be effective & employable: ready for your first job, not your last.

Don’t let the total scare you off. Many of our students start part-time alongside a full-time job, flying maybe once a fortnight to keep progressing while they save. Once they’ve saved enough, they switch to full-time training, finish their CPL & ideally walk straight into a job. Several have had a job interview with us or one of our client companies within days of their CPL flight test.

This approach usually takes 3–4 years from start to finish. The big difference? You finish with little to no debt. Consider that most university degrees & apprenticeships take about the same time!

Want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

That’s entirely up to you. The Pilot Career Pathway is designed to set you up for your first & second jobs in industry, gaining valuable experience along the way.

One of the industry’s biggest challenges is that instructing is often seen only as a way to build hours, rather than a vocation.

We’re always on the lookout for instructors who are passionate about teaching & bring real-world experience to their lessons. That’s what makes training valuable & relevant for every student.

If teaching is your passion & you’re willing to go the extra mile to gain real-world experience first, let us know. We’d love to work with you!

At any of our bases: Brisbane, Darwin or Perth. That’s where you’ll complete your flight training towards an RPL & PPL.

Most of your hour building is done from the same base, but as you gain experience we’ll encourage you to venture further afield. Many of our students have flown right around Australia while building hours!

We highly recommend moving to Darwin to finish your CPL. You’ll be training where you’re most likely to find your first job, getting to know the landscape, weather, airspace & how aviation works in the Top End. As you near the end of your training, you can also start networking with local operators & other pilots. It all helps maximise your chances of landing that first job.

Want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

That’s your call.

The pathway is designed to train pilots & prepare them for industry: for their first job, not their last. Most first jobs in GA are in remote Australia. Charter work in the major cities is typically in larger or more complex aircraft, which new pilots with no experience are unlikely to fly.

Completing your CPL in Darwin gives you exposure to the types of flying, weather patterns & operations where your first job is most likely to be. You’ll be a step ahead of the competition: familiar with the region, its operators & its weather, with your networking already underway.

Moving to Darwin after you finish your training is fine, but you may lose that edge. If you don’t want to move to Darwin (or somewhere similar) at all, you could be limiting your opportunities. Operators in Darwin & its surrounds employ over 100 GA pilots, many in entry-level roles.

Life’s an adventure. Live a little & get out of the city!

An RPL holder without a navigation endorsement is restricted to a 25 nautical mile (approx. 46km) radius from their departure aerodrome. This can be increased to anywhere by day with a navigation endorsement.

One main theory exam, plus a few smaller ones along the way.

The main one is the RPL aeronautical knowledge exam, which covers topics such as air law, navigation, meteorology & human factors.

Before key milestones in your training, you’ll also sit short internal exams: Pre-Solo, Pre-Area Solo & a flight radio exam.

Generally, all of our ab-initio instruction towards the RPL is completed in the C172. The Archerfield base also has the option to complete the RPL in the C152 (at a reduced cost) & some students even bring their own!

You don’t have to complete an RPL before your PPL, but we believe there’s real benefit in doing it first. You can start building command hours sooner & you’ll gain valuable flight test experience before tackling the harder licences.

We’re often asked about skipping the RPL to save money. The training is identical up to the end of the RPL syllabus. All you’d skip is the RPL flight test & theory exam.

At that point, we insist on a training review with a senior instructor. It confirms you’ve got a solid grasp of everything so far & you’re ready to start your PPL navigation training. In effect, it’s a flight test without being one.

Our advice? Just do the test. The saving is minimal & you’ll walk away with a licence you keep for life!

Want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

You will need to complete a flight review once CASA has recognised your RPC & issued you with an RPL. Once your flight review is signed off, you are free to exercise the privileges of the licence. Additional RPL endorsements can also be added, such as controlled airspace, aerodrome & navigation.

All of the RPL exams, plus one more: the PPL aeronautical knowledge exam. It covers topics such as air law, navigation, meteorology, aircraft systems, aerodynamics & human factors.

Some students skip the RPL exam & go straight to the PPL exam. That’s a legitimate option, but it greatly increases how much you need to learn, retain & understand for your very first aviation exam. Most people prefer to start smaller.

Navigation training is generally conducted in the C172. Other types of aircraft are available on request & some students bring their own!

You will need to have either an RPL or completed the equivalent training for an RPL. This covers basic flight manoeuvres. The PPL syllabus focuses on navigation training.

No. A lot of operations in remote Australia only require a PPL. Any station work, or work that is transporting goods & people within the same company, is classified as a private operation.

Sunscreen, sunglasses & closed-in shoes are a must. We also encourage you to bring a phone or camera to take photos.

Casual clothing is fine, but you’ll spend a lot of time outdoors & around machinery. We recommend sun-smart clothing you won’t mind getting dirty.

Yes.

Experience Flights (also called Trial Introductory Flights or TIFs) can be booked for $300 inc GST. This will give students the opportunity to fly a real aircraft with an instructor on board. Generally, the flights last for 30-40 minutes.

Want to get started or want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

Book an Experience Flight (sometimes called a Trial Introductory Flight or TIF).

It’s one-on-one with an instructor & we put you straight into the pilot’s seat. No getting bogged down in theory, just hands-on flying from the start. You’ll soon know whether it’s something you enjoy & want to pursue.

Get in touch to book yours.

Want to get started or want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

At least once a fortnight, if you can.

Flight training is about reaching a competent standard in each skill, which takes repetition & study. The longer the gap between lessons, the more likely you’ll forget things & need to repeat them, adding time & cost.

We know not everyone can spend all day at the airport. To make the most of your time, always leave with the theory lesson for your next flight already done. After your flight, grab a cuppa, take a quick break & jump back into the classroom. You’ll have the fortnight to let it sink in & arrive at your next lesson well prepared.

Stick to this routine & you’ll see steady progress throughout your training.

Want to get started or want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot.

Before your first solo flight.

If you’re working towards a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), you don’t need a Class 1 medical before your first solo. However, we recommend getting assessed for a Class 1 before you get too far into your training. Otherwise, you risk completing all of your training only to be refused the medical you need to fly commercially.

In our opinion, no. It comes at significant cost with little likelihood of reward. Few, if any, operators will give a newly minted CPL holder the chance to fly a turbine-powered aircraft. You’re better off saving your money for something else later.

Instead, focus on knowing the qualifications you already hold as well as you can:

• How well do you know the CASR, MOS & AIP?
• Do you truly understand aircraft systems beyond the textbook definitions?
• Can you communicate accurately & confidently on the radio in line with the AIP in every scenario, or are you still relying on your flying school’s old cheat sheet?

At the end of the day, you’re the customer. If you know something we don’t, like an inside run on a turbine job that needs the endorsement, we can help in a variety of aircraft & simulators around Australia. Otherwise, save your money.

No. But there are a few things worth thinking about.

Once you’re qualified, even with an Instrument Rating, night hours are the hardest to come by. Most air transport operations in the Top End carry workers or residents to remote communities. None of them want to fly at night unless it’s an emergency. Those flights are mostly handled by CareFlight, the RFDS & other air transport operators in complex multi-engine piston or turbine aircraft.

Most pilots are working towards their Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), which requires 1,500 hours total time, including 100 hours at night. To build night hours, many pilots ask the boss if they can depart early on an empty sector & wait at a remote community until their passengers arrive. Given the increased risk, most Chief Pilots are understandably reluctant, which makes those hours even harder to get. Even when you step up into a multi-engine or turbine aircraft, many operators won’t let you fly at night until you have some experience.

Our recommendation: on the way to your CPL, complete your Night VFR Rating straight after your PPL. The hours count towards your CPL total time, so the only real extra cost is the instructor & flight examiner. Then do some of your CPL hour building at night. If you can finish your CPL with 20–30 hours of night experience, your Chief Pilot is more likely to give you night opportunities as they arise.

Find out more about our Night VFR Rating.

It depends on what you’ll be doing. Low-level flying isn’t something done on a whim. It takes careful planning &, importantly, an operational requirement to fly low in the first place.

If you’re heading to a cattle station where you’ll be doing bore runs & similar work, then yes. If you’re after a typical charter job, probably not.

Find out more about our Low Level Rating & Aerial Mustering course.

In our experience, not yet. A first job will rarely involve flying under the IFR. Operators expect a minimum level of experience. Under CASR Part 135, IFR operations are also restricted to multi-engine or turbine aircraft: bigger, faster, more complex aircraft carrying higher-paying clients. Companies are understandably reluctant to put a new pilot on that work.

A newly qualified CPL holder is, with respect, still getting the hang of general flying. You’re likely used to a lower-performance single-engine aircraft & may still be a little apprehensive operating into unfamiliar aerodromes or controlled airspace. Adding a second engine, more speed, a new ruleset & a raft of new procedures adds complexity that won’t help you where you’re most likely to be employed. In all likelihood, you’d only just reach the IR standard by the end of the allocated hours, provided you work hard.

Instrument flying is also a highly perishable skill. You’ll need to pass an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) within 12 months of your initial flight test to keep using the rating. If you haven’t used it in that time, passing is unlikely without considerable retraining at significant extra cost.

Our recommendation: complete your CPL focusing on VFR operations, get a job & gain 6–12 months of operational experience. By then, speed, airspace, unfamiliar aerodromes, last-minute changes & operational pressure will be part of everyday flying. You’ll pick up the new skills more easily & to a higher standard.

After 12 months of full-time work, most pilots in Australia will also have accrued around six weeks of annual leave. That’s about the time it takes to complete an Instrument Rating & Multi-Engine Class Rating, so you’ll be earning while you train, which helps fund it. If you’ve done a good job in that time, you’ll also have made a strong case for upgrade.

Pilots have traditionally been told to “make the move north in time for the next dry season” or that “no one hires in the wet”. In our experience, this couldn’t be further from the truth!

While some locations & pockets of the industry are seasonal in their hiring, most GA operators in Darwin & the surrounding region employ pilots on a permanent, full-time basis. Their recruitment is driven more by the major airlines’ hiring cycles than by Top End weather. When the airlines recruit, GA pilots move on & vacancies open up.

Our advice? Move north, establish yourself somewhere like Darwin & start looking for work.

As the old saying goes, the best time was a week ago. The next best time is today.

Yes!

GA Ready is designed to prepare you for the realities of the industry, whatever the season. The course has a strong focus on Top End weather & risk mitigation strategies for both dry & wet season weather phenomena.

Training in the wet also gives you first-hand experience of the conditions you’ll be flying in during your first job.

The GA Ready Course typically commences on the first Monday of the month. The course is presented full-time over a two-week period & is only available at our Darwin base.

Want to enrol in our next available course? Click here!

There’s no set rule. It depends on you: your availability, your headspace, how your training is progressing, your budget & the course you’re doing.

For the RPL, we recommend flying at least once a fortnight if you can. Longer breaks often mean revisiting things you’ve forgotten, which slows your progress & adds to the cost. Your instructor will help you find a routine that works for you & adjust it as your training progresses.

Training part-time? See How often should I fly if I’m training part-time?

Whenever you’re ready! A few of our courses, such as GA Ready, run on set dates. Most of our training is one-on-one with no fixed intakes, so we tailor it to your needs & your schedule.

Want to speed things up? Book more lessons. Need to slow down because work is busy or pause for a family holiday? No problem. Just let us know when you’re back & ready to pick up where you left off.

Want to get started or want more information? Click here to find out what is involved in becoming a pilot. Alternatively, get in touch to book your first lesson.

It varies from person to person. Everyone learns differently: some students move quickly through one area & need more time in another. Some are happy to self-study, while others learn best in a group or with classroom support.

Outside factors play a part too, including weather, health, aircraft serviceability & work, family & other commitments. For a CPL, it also depends on what other training you complete along the way, such as additional ratings & endorsements. Above all, it depends on how your training is funded, because that often decides whether you can train full-time.

As a guide, starting with no experience & training full-time with no major setbacks, you can expect to complete your CPL in around 12 months.

Wondering how to pay for it? See How much does it cost to become a Commercial Pilot? To see where a CPL can take you, explore our Pilot Career Pathway.

It varies from person to person. Everyone learns differently: some students move quickly through one area & need more time in another. Some are happy to self-study, while others learn best in a group or with classroom support.

Outside factors play a part too, including weather, health, aircraft serviceability & work, family & other commitments.

The biggest factor is how often you train. As a guide, if you start with no experience & work through the RPL & then the PPL syllabus, flying once a week with no major setbacks should see you complete your PPL within about a year. The more often you fly, the sooner you’ll get there.

Talk to us about a training schedule that suits you.

It varies from person to person. Everyone learns differently: some students move quickly through one area & need more time in another. Some are happy to self-study, while others learn best in a group or with classroom support.

Outside factors play a part too, including weather, health, aircraft serviceability & work, family & other commitments.

The biggest factor is how often you train. As a guide, flying once a fortnight with no major setbacks should see you complete your RPL within about a year. The more often you fly, the sooner you’ll get there.

Talk to us about a training schedule that suits you.

Yes, funding options do exist. But a full Commercial Pilot Licence is a significant investment & the interest on a loan that size can add a lot to what you end up paying by the time it’s repaid.

For younger students we often suggest a different approach. Start flying casually while you’re at school or working, to keep the passion alive. Once you’ve finished school, work full-time, save hard & when you’ve saved enough funds, commit to full-time training to complete your CPL. It takes discipline, but you’ll start your flying career with far less debt.

For set courses such as GA Ready, Instrument Rating or Instructor Ratings, flexible payment plans are available through our funding partner, HandyPay. See our Finance page for details, or give us a call to talk through the best option for you.

Whilst previous exposure to maths & science will certainly assist in some areas of flight training, these are not prerequisites for learning to fly, although they may limit what avenues exist for flight training – such as University or Defence pathways.

When considering or selecting high school subjects for years 11/12, we have no specific requirements as to subject selection for prospective pilot trainees.

Perhaps surprisingly, there isn’t any stated minimum age to learn to fly. We have had many young aviators experience their first flying lesson as early as 12 or 13 years old!

Despite this, the formal licences & milestones are limited by age. A candidate who has met the required standards can be sent on their first solo flight at age 15! Thereafter, provided they keep up with both the theory & practical elements of the training & meet the required standards, they can attain a Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) at age 16, a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) at 17 & a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) at age 18. The final step is the Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), which is available from age 21. It also requires significant aeronautical experience (including 1,500 hours flying an aeroplane), so it’s typically not possible until the pilot has been flying in the industry for some time.

For those younger aviators still in high school, we engage with both the student & their parents to ensure that the training provided is age appropriate & tailored to the individual.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is no maximum age to start learning to fly!

Generally speaking, no. Ad hoc flight training is available as a “pay as you go” product.

Full-time courses will typically require an upfront payment to secure a place in the course, with subsequent instalments paid at predetermined milestones throughout the course.

Additionally, some specialised products (eg AROC, GA Ready) require full upfront payment to confirm enrolment in the courses. Regardless, we are happy to discuss payment options with candidates.