PRIVATE PILOTS

Learning to fly is a personal challenge that offers a chance to do something really different. The process can teach you as much about yourself and your skills as about flying an aircraft. You will develop improved self discipline and self-analysis as you learn to safely operate these machines.

You can learn to fly in as little as a few months with weekly sessions. It’s not much more difficult than learning to drive a car.

Learning to fly is not as hard as you might think. In fact, each year many people of all ages and from all walks of life learn to fly. You can start learning at any age, though you must be 16 years old to obtain a student pilot’s licence (SPL), and 17 to obtain a private pilot’s licence (PPL).

It’s a thrill and a challenge. To fly an aircraft ably and safely is a huge achievement, and it is a safe and cost-effective way to travel. You can learn to fly right now. From your first lesson, you will sit in the pilot’s seat and manipulate the controls. Your Flight Instructor will be in command of the aircraft and begin to teach you to fly during that first lesson. You don’t need to know anything about flying to take your first flight. Throughout your training you will not be asked to try anything you are not ready for.

There is no need to own an aircraft. There is a diverse range of aircraft available at varying rates dependant on whether you are flying solo or with an Instructor. We focus on professional training, while creating a recreational club atmosphere.

Most people who learn to fly are content with achieving the PPL, which permits them to fly themselves and non-paying passengers virtually anywhere they want. Many pilots fly for the sheer joy of flying, while others fly because it is an independent, fast and convenient form of transportation. Instead of driving, or being tied down to public transportation schedules, they fly on business, for holidays, or just for fun.

There are no formal educational qualifications needed to train as a Private Pilot. Many pilots who fly for recreational purposes have little formal education. The education level needed to pass the private pilot’s (aeroplane) licence examinations set by CASA is well within the scope of most people. The only requirement is to be able to speak, read, write and understand the English language.

Most people who succeed in aviation have above-average initiative, self-discipline, common sense, patience and perseverance.

You need to pass a medical examination before you are issued with a Student Pilot’s Licence. These examinations are done by doctors approved by CASA, known as Designated Aviation Medical Examiners, or DAMEs. We can help you find a DAME in your local area. A full list of all DAMEs can be found on CASA’s website

Before you take your medical we will assist you in arranging for CASA to issue you an Aviation Reference Number (ARN), a unique identifier that will stay with you for the rest of your flying career. The doctor needs this number for your fitness report to CASA. This form can be located on the CASA website.

For the student and private licences, a simple medical examination is all that is needed. For a Commercial or Air Transport Licence, the examination includes an ECG, an audiogram, a blood lipids test and a specialist eye examination in addition to the general medical, depending on your age.

Medical examinations become more exacting as you grow older. If you have any concerns as to whether you would satisfy CASA’s medical requirements, you can discuss your condition with a DAME. If you need to contact CASA medical section, call 131 757.

You can start training to be a pilot without a medical examination or a Student Pilot’s Licence (SPL), but you must always be accompanied by an Instructor when flying. However, in order to fly solo (on your own; without an Instructor) you must be issued an SPL and a Class 2 Medical Certificate.

You need to build on solo experience in order to get your full Private Pilot’s Licence.

You must be at least 16 years old to hold a SPL.

You must also be able to read, write, speak and understand English because English is the official International language for aviation.

Australian Government policy requires all pilots to complete a security clearance.

Before you can be issued with a SPL you must provide CASA with proof of identification and photographs of yourself as part of the security clearance process.

Before you sit for any CASA examination, you must first get an Aviation Reference Number (ARN) from CASA.
Any flying that you do must be recorded in a logbook, which you can buy through your flying training organisation or from local pilot shops. The logbook will record your achievements for each phase of training. Your Instructor signs off your logbook as your flying training progresses. The flying school will keep its own record of your progress and this record is transferable should you relocate to another training provider.

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The SPL enables you to begin your training in preparation for the next stage, the General Flying Progress Test (GFPT). Successful completion of the GFPT allows you to carry passengers (in the same aircraft type used for your training) with some restrictions. A pass in the GFPT means that you have completed all of the basic flying sequences and are quite capable of flying the aircraft safely in most circumstances. Before you can be awarded a pass in the GFPT, you must:

- Pass the pre-solo and pre-area (a specified area near the airport) theory examination.

- Pass the Basic Aeronautical Knowledge (BAK) theory examination. The exam is generated by the training organisation at no charge.

- Complete the syllabus of practical training: a minimum of 20 hours flight time, which includes 5 hours solo flight time and 2 hours Instrument Flight (IF). Instrument Flight means you fly by reference to the aircraft instruments only.

- Be recommended as ready to do the flight test by the training organisation’s Chief Flying Instructor.

- Undertake and pass a flight test with an Approved Testing Officer or Chief Flying Instructor.

The exams cover such areas as air law, aerodynamics, weight and balance, engines, systems, instrumentation and take-off and landing charts. The BAK is the most extensive of these exams, taking around 3 hours to complete. This exam is set by your flying school and is marked by a Senior Instructor. Results are recorded in your pilot’s logbook.

On the flying side, this time can be the most exciting. Your training will include aircraft handling through every stage of flight and how to deal with emergencies. One of the most memorable flights you will have is your first solo. This is when you take full control of the aircraft without an Instructor and fly a rectangular pattern (known as a circuit) around the aerodrome. From that time, you will be completing more solo and less dual flying in the circuit area until you are ready for the advanced flying component of the syllabus.

Advanced flying covers such things as flying purely by reference to your instruments, advanced turning techniques, advanced stalls and recovery, advanced circuits, practice in forced landings and in-flight emergencies and a practice flight test. Having passed the GFPT, you are able to fly in the local training area with passengers, but you still require the approval of an Instructor for each flight.

The GFPT requires approximately 30 X 1 hour flights where you learn basic aircraft handling such as climbing, descending, turning, emergency procedures, takeoffs, landings, etc. After approximately 10 to 12 lessons you will be sent on your first solo flight where you will do your first takeoff and landing without your Instructor on board. The theory for the GFPT will require approximately 40 hours of home study. During your training you will do 3 relatively straightforward multi-choice exams that are very practical. Although the flight lessons are about 1 hour of airborne time they also require approximately a 3 hour commitment due to the requirement for the associated briefings and a preflight inspection of the aircraft, followed by a post flight debrief. Therefore you need to schedule approximately 30 visits to the airport of 3 hours duration. On completion of the training you will do a flight test of approximately 90 minutes duration. On successful completion of the test you will be able to carry passengers inside the Moorabbin Training Area which is several hundred square miles in size. You will not however be able to fly to other airports.

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Once you have passed your General Flight Progress Test, you can plan to go for your Private Pilot’s Licence (aeroplane) – PPL(A). Obtaining a PPL should be regarded as a considerable achievement. When you hold a PPL you may fly many types of aircraft and gain similar operational authorizations (ratings) to a Commercial Pilot. You are also legally allowed to share aircraft hiring costs with your passengers. This makes the cost of flying very attractive. However, as a PPL holder you cannot fly for hire or reward (you need a Commercial Licence for that).
The PPL is the component where you learn how to navigate the aircraft to other destinations. This is made up of approximately 9 x 3 hour flights that will require a full day commitment each to allow you to plan up the flight. There is one 3.5 hour theory exam covering air law, weather, aviation medicine, aircraft performance, engines and systems, navigation, and basic aerodynamics. This exam is in a multi choice format and is designed at the recreational pilot. It involves fairly simple arithmetic and the course of study is both manageable and very interesting.

The theory for the PPL will require approximately 90 hours of home study. Alternatively this could be done at the flying school at our regular classes. There are a number of excellent text books now available for self study although most students still opt for the classroom delivery of theory. The exam is relatively straight forward and students rarely have any difficulty with it.

The PPL flying training includes navigational exercises, which are designed to hone your map reading and planning skills in a variety of operational environments. The first navigational exercise will normally involve a flight outside controlled airspace to a remote aerodrome. From there, your Instructor will gradually increase your exposure to different operational environments, types of airspace and weather conditions. You will also be required to conduct some instrument flying using navigational aids.

Your flying training will conclude with a flight test under a CASA-approved Testing Officer. The flight test is preceded by an oral examination. Generally, the flight test will take about 2.5 hours. On successful completion of the test, you will be awarded a pass and will then be able to fly by day under the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) anywhere in Australian airspace.

As a Private Pilot you can fly anywhere in Australia. You will no longer require prior authorisation from an Instructor for solo flying. When you obtain a PPL, some restrictions will apply, but these can be removed with further training. There are limitations on which type of aircraft you can fly. Your PPL is usually completed on a basic single-engine aircraft which has restrictions, such as the speed it can travel, or the distance between fuel stops.

On completion of a Private Pilot Licence you are welcome to hire aircraft from our large and diverse fleet to take your family and friends anywhere in Australia. When hiring these aircraft you pay only for the time when the engine is running. You are welcome to take any of our aircraft anywhere in Australia, for as long as you require.

With regards to the duration of training it could be easily completed in two to three months on a fulltime basis or if you did one lesson a week it would take up to twelve months to achieve the Private Pilot Licence. Many students elect to extend their training over a longer period. Courses are predominantly delivered on a one to one basis. This means that you can commence flying training any day of the week.

A conservative budget for a Private Pilots Licence can be found on our FAQ area. This budget includes all supplemental equipment (medical/documents/headset/etc) that is required for your training. Please be aware that the hours stipulated are based on realistic hours rather than the CASA minimums. It is probable that you may complete your training in fewer hours, which of course would mean your costs would be lower.

As far as maintaining a licence the minimum legal requirements are 3 takeoffs and landings every 90 days. If your 90 day limit should expire you will have to complete those three takeoffs and landings with an Instructor. You should also allow a medical examination every 4 years. The only additional expense is a flight review every 2 years with an Instructor.

We suggest that prior to spending any money on medical examinations and security checks that you first experience a couple of lessons to ensure you enjoy flying. If you do enjoy it, and I am confident you will, then we will guide through the relevant paperwork that must be submitted to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Download and complete the 639 form found on the CASA website and 639i form describing how to fill it out.

This paperwork needs to be completed at the flying school and will require you to bring in your driving licence and passport (birth certificate is fine if you don’t have a passport), as well as two passport photos and documentary evidence of completion of your secondary schooling in Australia.

Some schools may offer what is known as a Trial Introductory Flight. This is a short subsidized flight. Although it is very cheap it is a marketing tool and doesn’t actually count towards achieving a licence. At MFT we encourage you to complete a first lesson at a cost of approximately $300. This will give you a more realistic understanding of what is involved in flight training and will count fully towards you achieving a licence.

With regards to the Instructors, you will be allocated a compatible Instructor who will be responsible for you throughout your training. There are three levels of Instructors. They could be either a Grade 3, 2 or 1 Instructor. The Grade 1 Instructor being the most experienced Instructor. Please be aware that this experience level refers to their instructional experience rather than their flying experience. For example a highly experienced Airline Pilot may be a relative new comer to instructing and therefore be a Grade 3 Instructor.

We strongly suggest that you visit Moorabbin Airport where you will be able to visit the 8 schools that are located here. Although there are many similarities between the schools we have tried to develop a number of differences with our organization.

Our Instructors are the most experienced on the airport with an average experience in excess of 5,000 hours each. This gives us the most experienced Instructors operating at any flying school in Australia, with a number of them being either current or retired Airline pilots.

In addition we maintain a large and diverse fleet of aircraft. We are one of the few schools able to offer you a choice of either the Piper series of Aircraft or the Cessna series. On completion of your training you are welcome to hire the aircraft for as long or as short a flight as you want and you pay only for the time that the engine is operating. We would also like to point out that as well as a large fleet of aircraft they are also a near new fleet.

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