Training Report-EN

AUSTRALIA
123 855
257
Fixed-Wing Training Fleet – OEM
Helicopter Training Fleet – OEM
American Champion Aircraft
20 (2%) Partenavia 12 (1%)
Socata 21 (3%)
Beechcraft 49 (6%)
Diamond 64 (8%)
Piper 260 (30%)
42+30+8+8+6+3+2+1+G
Others 72 (8%)
Guimbal 2 (1%)
MD 2 (1%)
Schweizer 15 (6%)
Airbus Helicopters 24 (9%)
59+25+10+4+1+1+0+0+G
855 257
Leonardo 1
Bell Helicopter
Cessna 357 (42%) 64 (25%)
Robinson 149 (59%)
Fixed-Wing Training Fleet – Size Category
Helicopter Training Fleet – Size Category
79+18+2+1+G
62+30+5+3+G
Turboprop 18 (2%) Jet 8 (1%) Medium 10 (4%)
Light Twin 7 (3%)
Light Twin Piston
143 (17%) Single Piston 686 (80%) Single 72 (28%)
Piston 168 (65%)
855 257
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA),
the Australian domestic aviation market had weaker demand than
any other major region of the world last year. The country, hit by a
downturn in flying in the mining and oil and gas sectors, is turning
toward tourism to help boost demand. Australia’s international
carriers are facing dropping airfares, as a result of increased
competition. The matured aviation industry in Australia will still need
to prepare for the onset of personnel shortages within the region.
The country is a key player in aviation, particularly for its training
facilities, known for high standards and an abundance of space, as
well as the quality of safety in aviation – making Australia one of the
safest countries to train worldwide.
Because Australia is highly regarded for its recreational and sport
flying, the country has Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA),
responsible for overseeing ultralight, recreational, and Light Sport
Aircraft (LSA) operations. There are a number of RAA-approved
training schools across the country, which provide training specific
to this type of flying. Although training under this curriculum is less
expensive, because of lower fuel usage rates, aircraft accidents
under this type of flying have increased since 2005. RAA training
hours cannot be counted toward CPL certification.
Australia has the highest number of training schools throughout
the Asia-Pacific region, with 123 training schools. The facilities
range from international training schools to local country flying
clubs with only one aircraft and one instructor. Several airline
programs are based in the country including Cathay Pacific, China
Airlines, Dragon Air, Qantas Link, Virgin Australia, Air Asia, Jet Star,
China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines. Students in Australia
can earn a Recreational Pilot License (RPL, previously known as
GFPT), a license which is not recognized overseas, which includes
the lowered age requirement of 16 and just 25 flight training
hours – five of which are solo flown. Typically, 35 hours of flight
sufficiently prepares students for the final flight exam. RPL holders
are permitted to fly within 25 nautical-miles of the aerodrome
and carry passengers, however are unable to fly at night and may
not fly multi-engine. To earn a PPL, students need to be at least
17 years old, fly an additional 10 hours after RPL certification,
including six hours of solo flight, Class 2 medical certificate, a
mark of 70 or above on a written exam covering seven subjects.
Typically, an additional 30 hours of flight time is sufficient. A CPL
requires students to be at least 18 years old, obtain a Class 1
medical examination, have a total of 150 flying hours including
70 hours as pilot-in-command (PIC), 20 hours of cross-country
PIC, and 10 hours of instrument flight. RPL and CPL hours can be
included.
Helicopter endorsements are also popular throughout Australia,
with night VRF rating, ATPL, multi-crew testing, and multi-mission
endorsements available.
The most used fixed-wing aircraft in Australia is the Cessna,
accounting for 42% of fixed-wing aircraft used for training. Piper
accounts for 30%. Of the rotary-wing aircraft used for training, 59%
are Robinson and 25% are Bell Helicopter.
40 | 2016 ASIA PACIFIC TRAINING SCHOOL REPORT