Pilot Pathways

Planning the right journey for you

Learning to fly is an exciting and daunting journey. The journey is nothing short of an amazing adventure with a range of significant choices that you will make at various junctures. Many of these choices will have a profound impact on your life and your lifestyle. Much like the journey of life, a career in aviation, particularly flight training, will present opportunities that can set you on a path of great personal and professional satisfaction. I have found my journey to date to be full of adventure — both expected and (more often than not) unexpected. I continue to discover more about the complexities of the aviation industry and more importantly myself. This article will take you on a short journey which I hope will provide you with some insight into the unique world of aviation; the choices available to you; and how those choices will influence your journey. 

‘Having the clarity of knowing why you started in the first place will come in handy and keep you motivated during your training’

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Understanding the ‘Why’

Understanding the source of a personal interest or goal is vital to understanding why you want to learn a new skill. So, to start this journey, you might want to ask yourself the following: 

“Why do I want to learn to fly?” 

“What do I want to fly?” 

“What has motivated me to make this decision?” 

“Do I want to be a professional pilot or a recreational pilot?” 

“What do I want to achieve personally and professionally in the short, medium and long-term?” 

“If flying suddenly wasn’t an option, do I want to pursue another sector of the industry?” 

“Am I willing and/or able to relocate for training and a job?” 

“What sacrifices must I make in order to prioritise my goals?” 

The benefit of asking yourself these questions is that the answers are entirely yours, and nobody else’s. This means there is no right or wrong answer because there is only one of you. Asking yourself these questions may be tough — it may challenge your beliefs and in fact bring into question your past decisions leading you to this point. That’s okay. 

Having the clarity of knowing why you started in the first place will come in handy and keep you motivated during your training. You will certainly need to call upon this in due course. 

The next step in the decision-making process is to align these answers with the desired outcome. Why is this important? Because in order to make decisions that could potentially have long-lasting effects on your personal and professional development, you must understand what the goal is that you are trying to achieve. This is not to say that the decisions are permanent or that the goal is immovable. But what this exercise will do, is ensure you are making future decisions based upon a foundation of clear and considered understanding of the options available to you. 

When it comes to flight training and a career in aviation there are many facts to be considered. This is because there are many options to choose from when pursuing a career in the aviation sector. To begin with, there are various licensing options and ways to achieving them with the varying implications on your time, effort and financial commitments. This will be discussed in further detail below, however, for now it begins with the end-goal in mind. 

You can only ever make the best decision with the information presented to you at the time. Reflection is a wonderful teacher — we all know that. Taking the time at the beginning to understand your goals and why you want to fly will ensure you have given yourself the best opportunity to set yourself up for success. 

A favourite saying of mine goes something like this, “the difference between the human and animal kingdom is the space between stimulus and response”. 

I interpret this to mean that when you are presented with a scenario, emotions can often override rational thinking and dictate the response (sometimes without warning) — rightly or wrongly. Choose to take a moment in time to stop. Reflect, consider, then respond. The conscious decisions you make today about the future can have a profound impact on your life in many years to come. 

‘The conscious decisions you make today about the future can have a profound impact on your life in many years to come’

Aligning the path with the goal

So, we’ve begun to unpack the ‘Why’ for now, which will hopefully have given you some scope to reflect on your goals in aviation. Let’s take a look at ‘What’ your options are. 

Learning to fly is a skill similar to that of any that requires a mix of theory and practical training. The trick to this form of skill development lies in the ability to build upon elements of learning. In teaching, this is called scaffolding. Irrespective of your ultimate end goal, flight training is built upon the licence holder’s privileges that allow you to continually develop and hone your skill. In theory this means that there are various levels of licences you must obtain to act as pilot in command. 

Recreational pilot licence*:

A recreational pilot licence (RPL) is available to pilots not wanting to obtain a private pilot licence (PPL) but wanting to transfer from the recreational aviation sector to fly registered aircraft. 

To obtain an RPL, you must be 16 years old and have: 

• a current medical certificate— this may be either Class 1 or 2, or a recreational aviation medical practitioner’s certificate (RAMPC) (note that there are conditions on the number of passengers you can carry if you hold a RAMPC) 
• 25 hours of flight time comprising 20 hours of dual and five hours of solo 
• passed an aeronautical exam for the associated category rating 
• passed a flight test

Private pilot licence*:

For a private pilot licence (PPL) you must be at least 17 years old and have successfully completed an integrated or non-integrated course of training. 

‘Integrated’ means an intensive course of training: 

• designed to ensure that a course participant receives ground theory training that is integrated with practical flight training 
• for which the ground theory training and practical flight training are conducted by the same operator 
• conducted according to a syllabus that satisfies the knowledge and flight standards specified in the Part 61 Manual of Standards for a private or commercial pilot licence 
• designed to be completed within a condensed period of time. 

Integrated courses require (amongst other things) 35 hours of flight time, including 10 hours of solo, five hours of solo cross-country and two hours of instrument time. 

Non-integrated courses require an additional five hours’ flight time (40 hours in total).

Commercial pilot licence*:

To obtain a commercial pilot licence (CPL) you must be at least 18 years old and have successfully completed an integrated or nonintegrated course of training. 

Integrated courses require (amongst other things) 150 hours of flight time for the aeroplane category rating and 100 hours for the helicopter category rating. 

Non-integrated courses require 200 hours for the aeroplane category rating and 150 hours for the helicopter category rating. 

A CPL holder cannot be pilotin-command of: 

• an aircraft engaged in multicrew charter or regular public transport (RPT) 
• an aircraft certified for a single pilot with a MTOW of more than 5,700kg in RPT 
• a turbojet aircraft with a MTOW greater than 3,500kg in RPT. 

The theory exams must be completed within a two-year period to remain valid. 

Basic instrument flight training is optional for the pilot completing a non-integrated training course. 

Air tansportpilot licence*:

For an air transport pilot licence (ATPL) you must be at least 21 years old. 

The ATPL with the aeroplane category rating [ATPL(A)] includes the privileges of the Part 61 instrument rating. 

You are also required to: 

• hold a CPL or multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) with the same category rating 
• have at least 1,500 hours’ experience for the aeroplane category rating, or 1,000 hours for the helicopter category rating 
• have completed an approved course of training in multi-crew co-operation (MCC). 

The theory exams must be completed within a two-year period to remain valid. 

You must complete an ATPL flight test. The flight test will be conducted in a multi-engine, turbine aircraft or an approved flight simulator. 

*For more information on licensing requirements visit: www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/ licence-types

‘Ultimately, the licence you choose to train towards will be destined by the choice to fly for fun or as a profession’

A licence can only be issued by a government body. However, currently in Australia there are two main streams of immersion in flight training. You can obtain licences through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) or certificates and approvals through a number of Self-Administering Organisations (SAOs) that largely represent the sport aviation sector. 

Although the two options may be largely classified as two systems, both will, provided you meet the required competencies and standards, issue you with a licence or certificate that reflects the training you have completed. 

A common quandary when beginning your flight training will be whether to gain a certificate or licence. Depending on what you’re aiming to achieve in the first instance, the following is worth your consideration.

Recreational certificates v CASA issued flight crew licences

In September 2014 CASA introduced a significant number of flight crew licensing reforms. This led to the introduction of the recreational pilot licence (RPL), effectively a replacement for the previous General Flying Progress Test which was a staged version of a restricted private pilot licence. 

There is the continual debate about which is better, the recreational certificate or a CASA issued licence. The answer is — neither, but they are different. There is a reason why the ranks of RAAus pilots are growing fast and many private, commercial, airline and military pilots are also members of RAAus and fly recreational aircraft — it is simply because it is fun and affordable. But there have been recent changes. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority approved a new licencing system in September 2014 recognising the need for a purely recreational licence and now offers a relatively simple transition into the formal licencing system with the recreational pilot licence (RPL). 

What’s the difference between the recreational pilot certificate and the recreational pilot licence? How do I choose which one to go with?

A recreational pilot certificate (RPC) allows you to: 

• Fly a two-seat recreational registered aircraft in uncontrolled airspace during daylight hours within 25 nautical miles of your departure aerodrome 
• Use a driver licence self-declared health standard 
• Take a passenger when endorsed to do so 
• Fly further in uncontrolled airspace with an additional navigation endorsement 
• Fly in good weather conditions (VMC). 

Compared to recreational flying, a recreational pilot licence (RPL) allows you to: 

• Fly aircraft with more than two seats up to 1,500kg take-off weight and additional passengers if you hold a Class 2 Medical Certificate 
• Fly in controlled airspace 
• Use a GP issued Recreational Aviation Medical Practitioner — Certificate (RAMP-C) medical 
• Fly aerobatics (extra training required). 

Or, with a private pilot licence (PPL) or higher licence: 

• Fly at night (with extra training beyond the PPL) 
• Fly on instruments/in cloud (with a lot of extra training) 
• Use a CASA issued Class 2 Medical Certificate. 

That seems like a lot of extra capability, but it comes at a cost. In aviation, practical training requires an aircraft, fuel, an instructor, a medically fit pilot and of course let’s not forget the cool gear like the uniform, headset and study materials. 

The standards of training and maintenance are the same for your RPC and RPL. The requirements of the pilot and maintainer are different. Depending on your flight school, the difference can equate to a substantial cost outlay. This is because of variations including, but not limited to, the type of aircraft utilised, the cost of maintenance and parts, the school location and airport fees and the qualification of the instructors. 

The benefit of a scaffolding approach when learning to fly means that you can start with recreational now and if after a couple of years of enjoying flying you find you do want to expand your horizons and go for your private licence; all your experience counts. An experienced RAAus pilot may need only minimal hours to convert to a PPL and after that you can fly both aircraft, whichever is the more appropriate for the flight you are doing. 

Ultimately, the licence you choose to train towards will be destined by the choice to fly for fun or as a profession. The decision, although not final, should be considered from the outset in order to make the right choices when it comes to the options available regarding training schools and the funding pathways. 

Fuelling (funding) your dream 

Flight training is not cheap. There are no two ways about it. It requires a commitment of time and finances that have little resemblance to any other career, although the rewards far outweigh this sacrifice. 

Some options available to potential pilots are the following: 

Self-funded: Pay-as-you-go is an option that if amenable to your circumstances will, generally speaking, be the most cost-effective option. This is due to the self-paced nature of it that is suitable to an individual’s lifestyle and doesn’t accrue debt into the future to be accounted for. 

Cadetships: A silver lining to the pilot shortage is the increase in cadetships available through industry. A cadetship typically involves the full or part-payment of pilot training by the airline or operator in lieu of a period of service to the organisation. This option while offering the least financial burden on an individual, is highly competitive and should not be the sole focus for entering and competing your training. 

VET-FEE Funding: Some flight training schools are accredited as registered training organisations (RTOs) and with that have access to government funding (much like the university HECS scheme). VET-FEE is awarded to courses that offer vocational qualifications such as Certificate IV and Diploma in Aviation/ Flight Operations. Having access to VET-FEE funding means the government will loan you an applicable amount of funds that reflects the training you are enrolled in. It is important to note; these funds must be repaid. Whether you complete the course or not, once you sign away the access to your funds you will be required to pay it back, and some arrangements include additional interest payments. Although it may seem like the ‘quick and easy’ option, the total cost of your training can in some cases, equate to almost a third greater than that of self-funded avenues. In the current aviation climate, with a steady (and periodically increasing) demand for aviation professionals, this option may be an appropriate and preferable option. 

Scholarships: The aviation industry is in its very essence a forwardlooking industry and offers a range of in-kind and financial contributions to organisations and associations that represent various sectors of the industry. The scholarships on offer assist new and developing pilots to progress their training and assist in their theory and practical requirements. 

‘When you find something you love and are passionate about, you will invariably work to achieve success in that field’

Flight training organisations (FTOs)

There are many considerations to be made when selecting an FTO. A quick search online will provide you with multiple lists and criteria to help you in this process. In addition to the common considerations, here are a few additional items to ponder: 

Career pathways: Think big picture. If you are looking to fly professionally or expanding your list of endorsements and ratings in the future, be sure to select an FTO that offers a variety of training packages and aircraft to suit. Taking the time to discuss your goals and desired pathways with the chief flying instructor (CFI) of the school will give both you and the school an understanding as to whether you are a good fit. 

Instructors: A critical component of your flight training experience will be the instructor. Depending on the size and activity levels of the school, the FTO may offer you to train with more than one instructor along the way. Pilots will often argue the point for and against as to the value of one or more instructors, however, I have tended to settle on the philosophy that with different people comes different perspectives. In teaching this can only mean an exposure to different techniques and ways of achieving the desired outcome. Granted, the rotation of a few instructors during your training may not be suitable to your learning style, and that’s okay too. Knowing what suits you best will ultimately come from discussing your needs with the FTO. 

Learning style: Understanding your personal learning style and how that reflects with your potential training school is a subtle but significant component of your experience and ultimate success. It is a well-known adage that says: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn”. Knowing how best your brain processes and retains new information will allow you to understand and foster a routine and environment that is best suited to your needs. Once you understand your learning style and communicate that to your FTO and instructor, all parties will be in a position to develop your skills and provide you with a productive environment. 

Cleared for take-off: The journey ahead

Aviation is a challenging yet rewarding career. Speak to any pilot or aviation professional and you will undoubtedly hear countless adventures (many of which include their first solo!) that have ultimately influenced the person they have become. The journey from flight training to career progression is one that is filled with the need to make decisions and with that, to question your current and future state. All the time. It may even put into question your abilities and desire to pursue the thing you sought out to achieve. 

When you find something you love and are passionate about, you will invariably work to achieve success in that field. The skills required to be successful aren’t always the technical skills to hold the accreditation and maintain the licences; the skills required also include the non-technical. These are the things that make you a better communicator, a better decision-maker, a better leader. Aviation challenges you to understand ‘You’ (and the study of human factors) and the ‘Why’ (your personal and professional intentions in aviation), and this has inspired me to thrive in this industry. I have found a love and passion for flying and aviation – I believe it makes you a better human being; it challenges you to take the skills of situational awareness, command decision-making, communication and perseverance, and adds discipline and focus to your life. The skills you acquire in aviation, particularly during flight training (be it recreationally or professionally) will set you up with skills that are transferable across all aspects of your life. And you will have a tremendous amount of fun en route!