Commercial Pilot Licence -
Australian students

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Australian Students:

Information about our Professional Pilot courses follows, but fill in our information request form if you would like us to send you a full information and enrolment package.  All our courses will provide credits towards University Degree courses if you wish to undertake further studies.

Welcome

A career as a Commercial Pilot is one that is dreamed of by many people. An exciting career, it offers many rewards such as travel, job security and attractive salaries.

Decisions that affect the long-term career prospects of a candidate need to be made before any training is commenced, and need to be made carefully.

This document will provide you with information about career pathways, and training required to follow those pathways. Hopefully decisions regarding a career in aviation will be made easier.

The path to a Commercial Pilot Licence

The training for a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) follows a similar path, regardless of whether the training is conducted full time or part time.

The first stage is to obtain a Private Pilot Licence. This licence allows a pilot to carry passengers with them, but not for hire or reward – they cannot be paid for their flying.

The Private Licence will generally be achieved with around 50-60 hours of flight time, and also involves three written examinations. A flight test is conducted prior to the issue of the licence.

After a Private Pilot Licence, the trainee needs to build their experience while developing their skills to the level required for the issue of a Commercial Pilot Licence. The Commercial licence is issued after the candidate has achieved 150 hours flying experience, plus passed a written examination and a flight test.

At this point the candidate is qualified to be paid for their flying. There are, however two main limitations placed on a "standard" Commercial Pilot – they can only fly during daylight hours, and they must also fly in reasonably fair weather. These limitations are significant for a CPL holder, so additional training must be undertaken to remove them.

Generally, a CPL trainee will undertake training for a "Command Instrument Rating" which allows them to fly at night and in bad weather. If desired, the night flying component can be covered on its own as a Night VFR rating.

After completion of this additional training the new Commercial Pilot is in a much more employable situation, and is able to pursue jobs in air charter and airfreight operations.

The CPL holder can also undertake training at this point in time to become a Flying Instructor – probably the best way to obtain that first job in the aviation industry. Training to be an Instructor also increases flying skills, as an Instructor must be able to show proficiency in all flying manoeuvres.

Generally, employment will not be possible in the airlines at this point in time as the new CPL holder does not have the flying experience required. This is an important point, and one that is often overlooked when deciding on training options. The CPL holder will have to obtain employment flying small aircraft in General Aviation to build up experience prior to being able to apply to the airlines. This employment can be in the air charter or airfreight areas, or maybe as a Flying Instructor. Gaining employment as a Flying Instructor is the easiest way of increasing flying experience.

Medical requirements

The issue of a Commercial Pilot Licence is dependant on the candidate passing a Class One Aviation Medical. This medical includes a general physical examination, plus eyesight and hearing tests.

Because an entire career depends on passing this medical, it is generally wise to undertake the examination prior to commencing training.

What do the airlines require?

Full details are given on the following pages, however the following is provided as a guide.

• Minimum age 21 years.
• Higher School Certificate (or equivalent) completed.
• Commercial Pilot Licence.
• Multi Engine endorsement.
• Multi Engine Command Instrument Rating.
• 1000 hours flying experience, including at least 500 hours "in command"

Important considerations

The way you undertake training for a Commercial Pilot Licence has a huge bearing on what your career prospects are in the long term. Unfortunately, many people make the wrong decisions at the beginning of their training and the result is a lost opportunity for an aviation career.

There are some fundamental considerations that need to be of primary concern when making your decision:

Age:The airlines will generally be looking at taking on flight crew at the earliest possible age, generally 21 years. The reason for this is that there are significant costs incurred by the airlines in training you, so they need the longest return of service that you can give them prior to retiring. This allows them to recover the training costs they have invested in you. For this reason you should avoid any delays in getting to a position where you can be applying for a flight crew position.

Experience: The most important factor considered when someone applies for a job with an airline is his or her flying experience. It is the one qualification that all aviation jobs are centred around, and it is therefore the most important qualification you need to obtain.

It is crucial that you obtain your Commercial Pilot Licence and other qualifications without much delay, and then start working in the industry to build up your experience.

Qualifications: The main qualification for employment as a pilot is the Commercial Pilot Licence. It is of benefit to obtain a further qualification such as a Diploma. A Diploma qualification is generally obtained on a one year course of study, which is a normal period of time to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence. A Degree, however, will require at least three years of ground study, and only produce the same practical qualifications as a Diploma course. This is a poor option as the delay in obtaining qualifications (an additional 2-2½ years could make you ineligible for entry to the airlines. The Degree qualification will make little (if any) difference to career prospects, as the industry is primarily concerned with practical experience rather than educational qualifications. A candidate who has completed a twelve month Diploma course of study and then started working will have around 1500 hours flying experience by the time the candidate undertaking the Degree course finishes with around 200 hours experience. The Diploma candidate is ready to apply for an airline job while the Degree student is looking for work in General Aviation to start increasing their flying experience.

If you would like to obtain a Degree qualification then you can complete studies for this part time by correspondence after completing a Diploma. This is by far the preferred option if you would like a Degree as you receive the benefits of working in the industry and building up experience as quickly as possible, while still obtaining a Degree in the long run.

Summary

From the above, it can be seen that the preferred path to follow for a career Professional Pilot is one that has the following characteristics:

• Diploma qualification if possible, or professional course of study.
• Study period is no more than 12 months to be qualified and employable.
• Involves a wide range of experiences for the trainee, including multi engine simulator training, and high performance aircraft training.
• Provides a clear path into employment in General Aviation to build up flying experience.

Types of study

There are two main ways of studying for a Commercial Pilot Licence:

• Full time study – Diploma or Advanced Diploma Airline Pilot course, and
• Part time study.

The avenue followed depends entirely on your situation, but the following should be considered:

Full time study provides the fastest path to a Commercial Pilot Licence, however it also (naturally) requires the greatest amount of time and finances devoted to it. Full time study will also be less susceptible to delays due to weather etc. as the course can be re-arranged to suit the conditions.

Part time study allows more flexibility in study in terms of time and financial commitment. It does, however, take significantly longer to achieve the qualifications when studying part time, plus you are more prone to delays with weather since there are very limited days on which to train.

Basair has designed professional pilot courses that provide our students with the best possible start in the competitive aviation industry. As well as our accredited professional pilot courses, Basair has a range of courses for the trainee wishing to study part-time, or to gain a variation on the qualifications offered.

Courses

Several Professional Pilot courses are available, each one catering to a different career stream for the candidate.

Full time study can be undertaken for any of the Professional Pilot series, plus our accredited Certificate and Diploma courses.

Part time study is available for any of the Professional Pilot series.

Professional Pilot Series

These courses are designed for the candidate who would like to tailor a course to suit their individual needs. Available on both a part time and full time study basis, these courses give the greatest flexibility in both scheduling and financial commitment.

The basic course is for a Commercial Pilot Licence only, with other courses providing training beyond that level.

Payment for the training can be made as the course progresses, or in instalments.

Diploma and Advanced Airline Pilot Courses

Designed for the candidate who wishes to obtain the best qualification possible, with the most efficient full time training program. These courses contain training for a Commercial Pilot Licence and Multi Engine Command Instrument Rating as a minimum.

The Advanced Diploma of Aviation (Airline Preparation - Flight Instruction) course provides the best path for a trainee to obtain employment in General Aviation immediately on completion of the course.

These courses also provide credits towards study for a Degree course if the candidate wishes to do so at a later date.

Professional Pilot Series

Fully approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority as meeting the requirements of the Day VFR syllabus.

Courses commence as required by the trainee.

Part time and full time training available.

Variations to the courses are available to suit the requirements of the trainee.

Professional Pilot Course Level 1

• Commercial Pilot Licence
• 160 hours flight training experience, including 150 hours of flight time and 10 hours in our flight simulator.

Professional Pilot Course Level 2

• Commercial Pilot Licence.
• 20 hours multi engine flight time.
• 180 hours flight training experience, including 150 hours of flight time and 20 hours in our flight simulator. 20 hours of multi engine flight time also included. 

Professional Pilot Course Level 3

• Commercial Pilot Licence
• Night VFR Rating
• 40 hours multi engine flight time.
• 180 hours flight training experience, including 150 hours of flight time and 30 hours in our flight simulator.

Professional Pilot Course Level 4

• Commercial Pilot Licence
• Multi engine Command Instrument Rating.
• 40 hours multi engine flight time.
• 240 hours flight training experience, including 200 hours of flight time and 40 hours in our flight simulator.

Professional Pilot Course Level 5

• Commercial Pilot Licence.
• Multi engine Command Instrument Rating.
• 60 hours multi engine flight time.
• 260 hours flight training experience, including 200 hours of flight time and 60 hours in our flight simulator.

The cockpit of a Cessna 152 training aircraft

Diploma and Advanced Diploma Airline Pilot Series

Fully accredited courses to a Certificate or Diploma qualification level. These courses are accredited by the Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board of NSW (VETAB).

Candidates are eligible for AUSTUDY assistance if they meet the relevant criteria.

Courses commence on fixed dates throughout the year.

Enrolments close 3 weeks prior to course commencement.

Diploma of Aviation
(Commercial Pilot Licence)

• Advanced Commercial Pilot Licence.
• Certificate IV qualification.
• Articulates into Degree courses.
• Multi engine Command Instrument Rating.
• Advanced flight training.
• Advanced CPL theory training.
• 235 hours flight training experience, including 200 hours of flight time and 35 hours in our flight simulator.

Advanced Diploma of Aviation
(Airline Transport Pilot)

• Advanced Commercial Pilot Licence.
• Diploma qualification.
• Articulates into Degree courses.
• Multi engine Command Instrument Rating.
• Advanced flight training.
• Advanced CPL theory training.
• Airline Transport Pilot Licence theory.
• 235 hours flight training experience, including 200 hours of flight time and 35 hours in our flight simulator. 

Advanced Diploma of Aviation
(Airline Preparation - Flight Instruction)

• Advanced Commercial Pilot Licence.
• Diploma qualification.
• Articulates into Degree courses.
• Multi engine Command Instrument Rating.
• Grade III Flight Instructor Rating.
• Advanced pilot training.
• Advanced theory training.
• 285 hours flight training experience, including 250 hours of flight time and 35 hours in our flight simulator.

General

All training provided by Basair is of the highest quality, and the formal structure of our courses provides a learning process with precisely defined goals throughout.

A candidate is trained with a small group of other students at the same level of experience and at the same time will interact with students at varying levels in other courses. This provides a wealth of information and provides a more stimulating learning environment.

Basair is not a large, high turnover flying school, but a medium sized school that maintains a real emphasis on the quality of training and personal attention. At Basair the Chief Flying Instructor is continually in contact with all instructors, and closely monitors the progress of students, as well as the standards being achieved.

While the learning environment at Basair promotes the highest standards of professionalism, it is also an enjoyable place to study. Class sizes are kept small, with each student receiving personal tuition. Interaction with other Basair students is a vital part of the learning process for a professional pilot who will have to deal with many different people as their passengers. Basair has a reputation for quality training, while retaining a pleasant atmosphere, and this is also enjoyed by our full-time students. Our fly away trips, competition days and other social events are as much a part of our full-time students lives as they are for our part-time students.

Basair facilities are unequalled with comfortable training facilities, a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, plus a flight simulator in-house.

Vocational Guidance

Our vocational guidance service is provided to students to help with both selection of courses and career paths in the initial stages, to assisting with job placements on completion of their training. Counselling with our student adviser is available at any time. A course review committee ensures that course content is always updated to keep abreast of changing technology, as well as with changing industry needs.

Learning at Bankstown

Bankstown Airport provides the perfect location for professional pilot training. One of the busiest airports in the Southern Hemisphere, Bankstown provides an exciting and stimulating location for all forms of training. Despite the bustling environment, Bankstown enjoys few delays (unlike Sydney airport), top quality facilities and a convenient location close to the City of Sydney. The use of three parallel runways ensures any traffic load is handled with ease. Proximity to the "training area" where initial training is conducted is important, with this area commencing just 5km from the runway complex. No time is wasted travelling to a distant training area, and the close proximity of Hoxton Park and Camden Airports provides added scope for airport usage.

Enrolment procedure

Professional Pilot Courses:

Enrolment is obtained by contacting Basair and advising a commencement date. Basair staff will make all the necessary arrangements for medicals, Student Pilot Licence issue etc.

Diploma and Advanced Diploma Airline Pilot Courses:

Formal enrolment is required by completing an application form (available from Basair). An interview and aptitude test will then be conducted prior to enrolment being confirmed. If AUSTUDY is required, an application can be completed upon enrolment.

Further information

Course costing information is available in either the e-mail for paper-mail versions of the information.

To request an information pack please go to our on-line information request form.  We will send you a full information package straight away!

Further information can also be obtained by contacting:

The Chief Flying Instructor
Basair Australia Pty Ltd
685 Comper Street
Bankstown Airport NSW 2200
Australia

Phone: (+612) 9791 0111   Facsimile: (+612) 9791 0065

E-mail:   Internet: www.basair.com.au

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