After passing the General Flying Progress Test you are eligible to go on and complete the navigation training for the issue of a full Private Pilot Licence. Navigation training can be completed immediately after, or even years after passing your GFPT. Lightning Ridge is a fascinating place to visit by air!

Course summary

Flight training

The structure of the navigation training for the Private Pilot Licence is quite different to that for the GFPT. Each navigation flight is a cross-country exercise of around 21/2 to 3 hours duration. During these flights you will visit places like Goulburn, Canberra, Bathurst, Cowra, Dubbo and the Hunter Valley. You will also fly over the City of Sydney for a spectacular view of the harbour.

There are approximately 6 dual and 2 solo navigation exercises to complete. The first solo flight is generally after about three or four dual flights.

The spectacular views from the air and the thrill of landing at different aerodromes away from Sydney are not the only rewarding aspects of this training. The pre-flight planning involves you learning to measure track directions and distances on maps and calculate ground speeds to be expected due to wind effects. You will learn to read an aviation weather forecast to decide what cloud, visibility and wind is to be expected on a flight.

Pre-flight preparation and briefing involves about two hours of ground time prior to each flight, and a thorough de-brief and analysis of the flight is conducted after each exercise. Each lesson will therefore take up the better part of a day.

You can fly as infrequently as once every few weeks, or complete the entire course within a fortnight (weather permitting).

If you prefer, some (or all) of your navigation training can be done on trips to places such as Surfer’s Paradise, the Whitsunday Islands, the Melbourne Cup or Grand Prix, or maybe an adventure to Ayers Rock. Many such trips have been conducted with great success in the past.

Theory training

One theory examination is required to be passed prior to attempting your first solo navigation flight. This PPL theory exam is set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and can be sat at Basair. The exam is not difficult, and covers such topics as navigation, meteorology, flight rules and aircraft operations and performance. We prefer you to have at least completed a study course for this exam prior to undertaking any navigation flights.

Basair runs quality courses covering all areas of knowledge for the PPL exam. Courses are normally conducted on a part-time basis at night, or on weekends.

It is possible to study on your own for this exam, however to do this you will need to purchase a PPL Study Kit comprising four textbooks. This kit costs around $180, and is not required if you attend a Basair theory course, where course notes are provided for you.

Requirements for the PPL navigation course

• GFPT training needs to be completed prior to undertaking navigation training. There is, however, a navigation component within the GFPT course.

• You need to be a minimum age of 17 years before you can be issued with a Private Pilot Licence.

• The PPL theory examination needs to be completed prior to your first solo navigation exercise.

• Some navigation equipment is required for the navigation theory and flying exercises. This includes items like a navigation computer (circular slide rule), a scale rule, a Douglas protractor, maps and official documents. The approximate cost of this equipment and documentation is $160 (including a one year amendment service for documents).

What you can do with a PPL

Upon completion of your navigation training you will complete a flight test in the form of another cross-country exercise with the Chief Flying Instructor. A pass in the PPL flight test allows you to fly yourself and passengers anywhere in Australia. You will receive a "credit card" style licence as evidence of your achievement.

You now have real freedom! Aircraft hire for fly away trips is relatively inexpensive, as you only pay the hire rates while the aircraft is in the air. Flying a light aircraft is roughly 3 or 4 times faster than driving, and you and your passengers can share the cost of the aircraft hire.

Basair also conducts fly away trips where whole groups of people and aircraft fly together to such events as airshows, Grand Prix races and the Birdsville Races. Other locations such as the wineries of the Hunter Valley, the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo and places far afield like the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania are often visited.

Where to from here?

A typical touring aircraft Even after completing your full Private Pilot Licence there are still many challenges ahead for you if you wish!

You might like to just take it easy for a while and enjoy your new freedom. Basair has a great range of quality aircraft for you to fly - no matter how far you want to travel, and how many people you want to take with you.

You can undertake a Night VFR rating to allow you to fly in the dark, or an Instrument Rating that allows you to fly in bad weather. You can also upgrade to flying faster and more sophisticated aircraft, maybe even try your hand at one of our twin engine aircraft!

If your Private Pilot Licence has really whet your appetite for a career in aviation then you can go on to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence. Basair also offers fully accredited courses right through to the Airline Transport Pilot Licence level. We would be happy to discuss future training courses that would be of benefit to you either prior to or on completion of your PPL training.

Keeping your Private Pilot Licence current

All that is required to keep your licence current is a new medical examination each time your medical expires, plus a flight review every two years. There are no minimum flying hours required each year - the only restriction is that you cannot carry passengers with you unless you have completed three takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days. This requirement is met by a flight as short as thirty minutes.

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