Profile

Ben Mackney

• Director/Instructor

Ben commenced his flying career in 2004 on the north-east coast of NSW. Since then he 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 & FIFO services throughout remote Australia.

Since co-founding Flight Standards with Cameron Marchant in 2015, Ben has been actively involved in running the business & delivering some of our signature courses. As lead instructor on our GA Ready course for many years, he has provided training, mentoring & guidance to hundreds of junior pilots starting out in the industry. He also trains students towards their Instrument Ratings & provides type training & flight reviews on the Cessna 441 Conquest & Cessna 208 Caravan. Ben has helped multiple operators establish Caravan operations throughout Australia.

Ben is the Head of Flying Operations for Mistar Holdings, which provides ongoing support to Marthakal Yolngu Airline. For the past 10 years, Mistar has also been an industry go-to for continuity support, assisting many Part 135 air transport & Part 138 aerial work operators across the NT, WA, VIC & QLD. This support keeps their operations running while they identify & train their future Heads of Flying Operations, enabling a smooth transition.

An active check pilot with HM Air, Kakadu Air Services & Mistar, Ben has also served as a Training & Checking pilot with operators including Chartair, Hardy Aviation, Outback Spirit & Skippers Aviation. He has provided training, assessment & operational support to a significant number of operators across Australia, on types ranging from the Cessna 210 to the Cessna Conquest & Caravan, Fairchild Metroliner & Beech 1900. He is also regularly engaged for type training & Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) lead-up training for pilots approaching upgrades.

In addition to his 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 in the ongoing mentoring of pilots & 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 operational efficiency, passenger management & customer service as well as a high technical standard.