LEARN TO FLY AT THE BUSSELTON AERO CLUB

IT'S CHEAPER - IT'S EASIER - IT'S MORE FUN!

 

On short final approach to Busselton Runway 03

1. Learning to Fly at the Busselton Aero Club

Learning to fly is quite easy when you learn to fly in a Recreational (RA) aircraft. It is much easier and cheaper than doing it with Civil Aviation (using Cessnas etc..) also known as GA flying.

Your first step is to make an arrangement with an instructor at the Busselton Aero Club to book you in for a trial instructional flight. Prior to the flight, you will be given a free 30 minute briefing about the flight, and what you will be taught when you are airborne.

Once aloft you will learn all about the controls and in fact, you will be doing most of the flying yourself! The flight will take about an hour and when you have landed you will have a debrief on the various exercises you have been taught. This is incidentally, your very first flying lesson which will be entered into your log book.

If you wish to continue your training, you will probably want to book another lesson. We operate every day of the week (except Wednesday) between the hours of 0800hrs and 1600hrs (that's 8am to 4pm in flying jargon).

We are permitted to let you do no more than 3 hours flying before you must apply for membership of Recreational Aviation Australia (the organisation which manages our affairs). The membership costs $160 which goes towards paying the staff at RA, some 3rd party insurance and a glossy mangazine which will be posted to you each month. You will also need to become a member of our (not for profit) aero club which costs $50 (adult) or $25 (junior) plus a once off $15 nomination fee.

The only other thing you need to buy is a theory kit. This contains 3 excellent books on all you will need to know about flying an aeroplane. They cover principles of flight, engines, meteorology, navigation, radio procedures and rules of the air. You will find these very easy to read and understand. It also includes your log book to record your own flights. We can supply these here for $160.

At the moment we use two aircraft for training, the low-wing Evektor Sportstar and the high-wing Aeroprakt Foxbat, both being very pleasant to fly.

Finally the costs. Learning to fly with RA is much cheaper than GA flying. We charge $189/hr in the air dual (with an instructor) or solo (prior to you obtaining your license). Ground briefings and de-briefings are included free. You will need to do a minumum of 20 hours flying including 5 hours solo to get your Pilot Certificate. You can carry passengers with this certificate but limited to a 25nm radius from Busselton. To remove this restriction you do a 10 hour navigation course then you can fly anywhere in Australia you wish (except controlled airspace, mainly around major capital cities).

This is only a brief introduction to flying so why not make an apppointment to come out and talk to an instructor and even take a flight.

We hope to see you very soon.

Will Owen
Chief Flying Instructor

The SportStar and the Foxbat, our training aircraft

Why Busselton Aero Club

It is cheaper, easier and just more fun to train at Busselton Aero Club! As an aero club we are not for profit, we exist because we just love flying. Unlike commercial flying schools that commercial enterprises making a profit.

We have a fantasstic 1.8km long tarmac runway and our training area is directly above the airport. Unlike other airports, where you are paying for flying time while you wait to line up to take off and transit to the training area, there are no queues here and no transit time to pay !

Come and enjoy come country hospitality and friendly, safe flying at Busselton Aero Club.

2. Your Flying Course at a Glance.

Your first action is to do a Trial Instructional Flight (T.I.F) This begins with a 30 minute briefing on the aircraft, its controls (ailerons, elevator and rudder) and how the throttle, flaps and trim work. From there, it’s up into the sky! Although the instructor will probably do the take off, he may ask you to follow him through on the controls. Once in the air, he will show you how to fly straight and level, climb and descend. Soon you will be flying along all by your self and perhaps taking a peek at the beautiful scenery below. Many students do so well on their first lesson that the instructor will talk the student through the landing as well! After you taxi in the instructor will debrief you on the flight and make arrangements for your next lesson.

Your next lesson begins with another briefing on turning the aircraft. In the air you will revise your previous lesson and then be introduced to turning. You will learn to turn the aircraft in the cruise, climb and descent. You will also learn how to control the aircraft’s speed with power and nose position.

Your third lesson begins with a briefing on stalling. Unfortunately, many people believe that when an aircraft stalls, the engine has failed. Aircraft stalling has nothing to do with the engine. Stalling occurs when the aircraft flies very slowly and the smooth airflow over the top of the wing becomes turbulent and the nose drops slightly. Recovery from this is usually instantaneous. In the air, you will practice stalling the aircraft under various conditions and learn how to predict and avoid the stall.

If your progress is satisfactory to this point, your next flight will be an exciting one. You will be operating in the circuit area learning how to do take offs and landings! After a good briefing you will learn how to do your cockpit checks, take off, do a circuit of the aerodrome and land! Your first landings may not be very smooth but your instructor will be very close to the controls during the early stages. As subsequent flights take place, your skill and confidence will improve and you will be soon ready for that great day – your first solo! No pilot ever forgets his or her first solo – there is much hand shaking and back slapping afterwards.

Following your first solo, you will remain in the circuit area practicing take offs and landings for an hour or so until you become familiar with changes in local conditions. If conditions are poor for circuits, your instructor may take you to our training area just south east of the aerodrome and practice steep turns and advanced stalling.

Your next exercise will be practice forced landings. Engine failures are extremely rare, but should you encounter one, you will be trained to select a suitable field, glide down and land on it. Actually, we do not touch down but abandon the approach once it is apparent it would be successful.

Your next and final exercise is what is known as precautionary landings. Sometimes a pilot on a long flight may encounter a problem such as bad weather and need to land somewhere. The student is then trained to select a suitable field, inspect it and perform a landing in it. Again, this is a very rare occurrence.

As you come to the end of your training the instructor will give you a revision period on all sequences covered and if the flight is satisfactory, he will arrange a flight test with the Chief Flying Instructor. When you pass this test you will be given your pilot’s certificate!

See the article on ‘Other requirements and Limitations’.

3. What Does it Cost to Learn to Fly?

The major cost in learning to fly is of course the hire of the aircraft and instructor. Aircraft are expensive to buy and expensive to maintain. Your instructor is highly experienced and well trained too. Therefore it is important when reading the notes below, that the figures given to complete a specific course are the minimum permitted by regulations. History has shown that an average person with average intelligence can complete a course in minimum time providing:

1. Progress is not interrupted by long spells of bad weather.
2. Lessons are taken regularly.

Unfortunately, we have no control over the weather and occasionally, bad weather or strong crosswinds may stifle a student’s progress. Although this may on occasions, add to the flying time (and cost) of getting a pilot’s certificate, the pilot will benefit from the extra experience gained.

Additionally, the pilot who flies regularly and takes say, three weeks to get a certificate, will do so at or near minimum time. However, the pilot who spreads his flying out over say, six months will expect to gain his certificate in minimum time plus, for example twenty percent. It is important that you discuss this subject with your instructor.

Costs at a Glance - Pilot Certificate (restricted to 25nm)

$_160____Join Recreational Aviation
$__50____Join the Busselton Aero Club        
$_160____Complete Theory Course
$3780____20 hours flying @$189 per hr      

$4150___Total

-----------or--------

Costs at a Glance - Pilot Certificate with Naviagation (unrestricted)

$_160____Join Recreational Aviation
$__50____Join the Busselton Aero Club        
$_160____Complete Theory Course
$6048____20 hours Pilot Cert + 12 hours Navigation flying @$189 per hr      

$6418__ _Total

Please note: The figures quoted are based on the latest information available. Prices for some services etc may alter without warning. Due to the unstable world economy, particularly fuel prices, the cost of aircraft hire may vary up or down without notice.

The figures given are for an average pilot with zero flying experience trained to a pilot’s certificate with cross country endorsement over a coordinated training course.

4. Other Requirements and Limitations

Having read the article on ‘Your Flying Course at a Glance’ there some other requirements associated with learning to fly. The Busselton Aero Club teaches people to fly under the regulations of the Recreational Aviation Association and not CASA, the government body controlling larger aircraft.

Before you can commence any flight training, you must be a member of the RAA. This costs $160 per year. This money goes to paying for our staff and premises in Canberra (it’s not related to the government), some third party insurance and also for a bright and glossy magazine about RAA flying. This will appear each month in your mail box.

We are concerned that you may do an hour or so then decide that flying is not for you (although most people love it!). Joining the association would then be a waste of money. Therefore we allow you to do 3 hours flying before you must apply for membership. To cover the first 3 hours, we give you a temporary free membership. It is simply filling out a form. About a week after applying for membership you will receive a student certificate in the mail. It is about the size of a business card.

Also, we ask you to become a member of the Busselton Aero Club. This will cost $50 per year. We also prefer new members to be active in the club by attending our social events and competitions or even ultimately be elected into the Aero Club committee.

Finally, the other non flying cost is associated with books and manuals so that you can learn all about the theory side of aviation. Some of these subjects include: Principles of Flight, Meteorology, Air Legislation, Navigation, Radio Procedures and Human Factors. Although you may not have heard of some of these subjects, do not be alarmed as each subject is dealt with from the basics. There are several books available but the most popular is a kit supplied from the eastern states. This kit consists of three excellent books, full of colour photos and drawings and it also includes your personal log book. The cost of this is $160. Please do not confuse this with the cost of joining the Association.

            Age Limits. You may commence flying training at any age but you can not go solo before 15 years. We consider the minimum practical age to begin is 12 years. If you are younger than 15yrs you can complete your training progress all the way through to Pilot License + Navigation, but the license will not be issued until your 15th birthday.

            Health: Although the government controlled General Aviation requires a stringent medical from a designated medical examiner, Recreational Aviation assumes if you have a drivers licence, you are medically fit to fly. If you are not old enough to drive you can do a simple medical with your G.P. We have the appropriate forms for this.

            How many hours must I do? If you are good enough (and most people are) you can get your pilot’s certificate at or very close to minimum hours. The minimum hours for a pilot’s certificate are 20 hours of which 5 hours must be solo.

             What does this cost? At the present time we charge $189 per hour dual or solo. (This may vary from time to time according to the financial climate) This equates to $3,780 for a pilots certificate. However, a bare pilot’s certificate restricts the pilot to a maximum distance of 45 km from Busselton before conducting cross country training. To remove this restriction, a further 12 hours navigation training is required.

            Can I Take Passengers? All Recreational Aircraft by legislation must have no more than 2 seats. However, when you have accrued 10 hours solo you will be given approval to carry a passenger. (Note: The solo flying you do for your pilot’s certificate counts here)

            Any More Questions? If you have a question, we can answer it. All you have to do is contact the Chief Flying Instructor, Will Owen, on 9795 6192 or 0429 098 032. Alternatively, you can contact Karen Dorlandt, our Senior Flying Instructor.

5. How Safe is Flying?

Everything we do is dangerous. From the moment we place our feet on the floor as we get out of bed, we are exposing ourselves to risk. We could electrocute our self on the toaster at breakfast. When we go to work, we may be in a dangerous environment. Perhaps this may be the price we pay for living in a high tech age.

Perhaps the most dangerous activity we do each day involves transport and the greatest risk producer of all is the automobile. Despite advances in engineering and design, people are killing or injuring themselves at an ever increasing rate. A figure released by the NSTB in 2006 stated that there were 1.3 deaths per one million vehicle miles travelled in the United States. Offices in Australia may suggest that figure could be higher here.

Turning to aircraft, history tells us that the accident rate in aircraft fifty years ago was significantly high, but technology and the training of pilots has seen a sharp decline in the aircraft accident rate. The same publication from the NTSB stated that the death rate for aviation related accidents was one hundred times lower than for automobiles.

These statements certainly prove that the most dangerous part of flying is the drive to and from the airport!

Notices attached to some ultralight aircraft state that the occupants fly at their own risk. It does not imply that ultralight aircraft are any more dangerous than G.A. aircraft. It simply means that the maintenance standards are different to those established by CASA.

It is also worthy to note that since nearly all R.A. aircraft are very new and use modern engineering and design techniques, one could question the safety of a forty year old G.A. aircraft.

Understandably, the major factor in aircraft accidents is the pilot. Consequently CASA has imposed greater restrictions on pilots and demanded higher standards of knowledge. Members of our industry can only applaud these directives providing they result in a safer industry.

The R.A.A. itself, charged with its own responsibility of maintaining a high safety record, looks upon its achievements with generous pride – nevertheless when it is aware of any faults or tendencies appearing in its sphere of operation, it is quick to take what action it deems necessary to maintain its high standard of safety.

The Busselton aero Club, with its long background in G.A., is keen to adopt any procedure or practice to R.A.A. operations it considers obligatory.

6. G.A. or R.A?

G.A. or General Aviation has been around for many years. It denotes aircraft that fall into a group of light aircraft above approximately 600 kg to 5,700 kg. They include most Cessnas, Beech and Piper aircraft. These aircraft have been very popular in the sixties when large numbers were purchased from the USA. In recent times however, the flow has been stemmed with the result that existing types are becoming quite old.

General Aviation is administered by CASA which sets standards for licencing, testing of pilots as well as the maintenance of aircraft. Due to what is loosely termed as ‘over control’ by the government, the costs of this are handed down to the student in the form of higher rates for the aircraft.

R.A. or Recreational Aviation can be described as a new kid on the block. R.A. aircraft are often called ultra lights or microlights and comprise a group of aircraft below approximately 600 kg. In this category, we will find beautifully designed, sleek two seater aircraft with high performance right down to home built aircraft, powered parachutes and the micro lights with their classic triangular wing. Nearly all training organizations using R.A. aircraft choose the very modern conventional type of aircraft.

The distinguishing feature of the R.A. group is in their administration.  The Recreation Aviation of Australia funded by its members to make rules and see that they are carried out. In nearly all cases, the rules set up by the R.A.A. provide sensible criteria for the safe operations of pilots and aircraft in the group. Since there is no government body involved in this, the charges for this service are significantly lower than G.A. operations.

For example, to become a G.A. pilot, one must attend a designated medical examiner to be proven that he is medically fit to fly. This procedure plus the applications could cost in the vicinity of $200. On the other hand, an R.A. pilot need only produce his driver’s licence to prove he is medically fit to drive a car. For applicants who do not hold a driver’s licence, they can download from the R.A.A. a simple medical questionnaire and take it to their own G.P. Several other examples can be cited to illustrate that it is much cheaper (usually about 60% cheaper) to gain a licence with R.A.

However, it must be mentioned that R.A. aircraft are limited to two seats and if an R.A. pilot wishes to progress further into larger aircraft, he must transfer to G.A. This is usually a simple procedure involving around 5 hours conversion to the new type. However, there is till a significant saving in doing the initial licence with R.A. then transferring to G.A. at the appropriate time.

7. About Learning to Fly

Ever since the dawn of mankind, human beings longed to emulate the birds in flight. History recalls futile and in many cases bizarre attempts by man to defy gravity. The story of Daedalus and his son Icarus of Greek mythology immediately comes to mind. When Daedalus and Icarus were imprisoned in Crete he devised a method of escape. Both he and Icarus glued bird’s feathers together with wax in the shape of wings and flew away from the island. Unfortunately, against his father’s orders, Icarus flew too high and the sun melted his wings resulting in the boy falling into the sea and drowning.  

Of course, this story is mythical but it does not cloud the real desperation of perhaps thousands of men and women who have aimed for the stars.

When Wilbur Wright completed the first controlled flight of a powered aircraft over the dunes of Kittyhawk, S.C., on December 17th, 1903 the flying machine was viewed as a curiosity. It may have been a curiosity to many but to men like Chanute, Bleriot Lilienthal and many others, the mould had been set – man could fly, and from that moment on, the genesis of aviation progressed at an unprecedented rate. In less than a mere one hundred years from Kittyhawk, men, women and children were now circling the globe in comfort at nine hundred kilometers per hour!

Today, the vision is not lost. School children, teenagers and even grandparents accept the challenge and begun to learn to fly. Many take the challenge up as a challenge itself. Others see themselves enveloped in a rewarding career while some take it on simply because of the exhilaration and freedom a pilot licence provides.

How Do I Become a Pilot?

Becoming a pilot is not simply filling in a form and waiting for something to appear in the letter box. To fly means accepting the fact that much has to be learnt. There are subjects like aerodynamics, engine systems, meteorology, navigation and air law that have to be studied. However, it must be emphasized that the knowledge required for these subjects is quite elementary. Flying training institutions provide text books which take the student carefully through these subjects.

Then of course, is the manipulation of the aircraft itself. To fly, the pilot must operate three control surfaces and an engine. This requires the use of two hands and two feet but since most modern aircraft are so easy to fly, the student rapidly becomes adept with their use.

To become a pilot, a person must first choose a training institution. Apart from the air force which train their own and some airlines that offer cadetship, most people choose either an aero club or flying school in their area.

Aero clubs are non commercial organizations with appropriate licenced training facilities that are capable of training students up to various grades of licences. As clubs, they usually charge a small annual membership fee to cover administration and social expenses.

Flying schools are purely commercial enterprises. Usually there is no difference between the standard of instruction between the two types. Different schools and clubs may offer different types of aircraft to train on but usually, the instructors are well qualified.