Thread: Aviators?

I have held a private licence for 45 years, but do not have a current medical and have not flown since my wife died thirteen years ago (Costs and security requirements leave me with little desire to return to it). My experience is almost solely on single engined aircraft in Australia and PNG, and a little in USA. Most time has been on Cessna 180, Cessna 210, Beech A36, and Auster J5F, but I have flown a wide variety of other singles.

I started flying while working in the Simpson, after seeing the advantages (trained with Alice Springs A/C, Hoxton Park Flying School, and RQAC, learning in Cessna 150, Victa, Musketeer). Finished my training while working in Western Qld, and bought an Auster. Traded it on a Cessna 180 when I was transferred to PNG, and then sold the Cessna after I moved to a new job in Melbourne - renting planes was a lot cheaper than owning one!

I retain an interest in aviation, and have a large collection of books, mainly historical.

John

I learnt with RVAC at Moorabbin, in Cessnas and Warriors. Two of the Cessnas I learnt in have since been crashed by other students

Greatly enjoyed the Dawn Patrol Battle of Britain commemorative flights around the bay each year and the breakfast afterward - great speakers, and one year won a flight in a Harvard as a door prize.

Only got to GFPT before running out of time (family) and money (also family). No current medical, still enjoy reading Flight Safety magazine, and maybe one day I'll manage to get back to it.

Helicopter PPL got close to completing CPL but funds, family and job at the time going belly up put it all on the backburner. Haven't flown now for a few yrs, really miss it too, but $580p/h is a little out of reach now.
Flew Robinson R22's and trained at Kestrel Aviation, Mangalore Vic.

I'm not a 'real' pilot but

Don't kid yourself. You are a real pilot, you just have a licence issued by a different authority. Getting it wrong will kill you just the same. And flying around the top end is incredible (but a bit rough at the moment!).

Just got my PPL(A) earlier this year. Have only been flying ancient C172Ns at RQAC out of Archerfield. Just starting to think about NVFR + endorsements and getting checked out on some more exciting planes (maybe a 172S...wow!). I got the license to go to and from jobs that are further afield and not economical to drive to but so far I'm just getting to see a lot of whales.

We do have a senior Qantas Jumbo and A380 Captain on the forum. Me, I do have a Comercial licence but have never used it.

Hi Alan
I'm a cpl, instructing and charter up to light twins.

Don't dumb down what you do, I have seen some terrible RAA people about but at the same time some great ones too, no different to CASA licence holders, even experienced people It's all in your attitude to it. I love the technical and modern but also the simplicity of things like the landy. My first lesson was in a thruster!

is RAA the same as RA-AUS?