Flight Standards

Multi-Engine Type Familiarisation! ✈️

The C310 is an “entry-level” multi-engine aircraft commonly used in GA charter operations across the country.

It does have a few interesting characteristics, especially with respect to the fuel system - which has been the cause of a few “double engine failures” over the years. Like all aircraft, if these things are poorly understood or managed, the outcome can be bad.

If you’re looking to step up onto these sorts of aircraft, it is best to learn from experienced Instructors who fly them on a day-to-day basis in commercial operations. They can show you how to operate it safely & efficiently, setting you up for the start of your multi-engine career.

Here, Zach Abel is getting type familiarisation training from a Flight Standards Senior Instructor, Cameron Marchant, who has been flying the C310 for more than 15 years. There is no substitute for experience!

Two success stories from the July GA Ready course!

Both have worked hard over the past fortnight & have been checked to line with Kakadu Air, as the first step in their careers as professional pilots!

Hamish Coombe & Duncan Lai, both from New Zealand, now take up duty on the GA8 Airvan & Cessna 210 respectively.

Well done lads & welcome to the team!!

New Flight Instructor Rating Course ‼️

Flight Standards is running full time Flight Instructor Rating courses starting next month! Flight Standards FIR course includes more than just the basic Grade 3 Training Endorsement, but also CLR SEA and DF Training Endorsements which, upon completion, creates a “job ready” junior Instructor.

To learn more about this sought after rating and the course itself - get in contact with Flight Standards today.

☎️ 1800 435 946 or send us a DM!

Come down and see Flight Standards at the Pitch Black Open Day!

Come and ask us about all things aviation and look at some awesome aircraft!

It’s great when we can “grow our own”… Welcome to the Flight Standards team, Sean Forster!

A recent graduate from our Flight Instructor Rating course, where the “standard” training includes not just the basic G3 training endorsement, but also the CLR SEA & DF training endorsements - creating a “job ready” junior Instructor. Sean will join our Brisbane (Archerfield) base, alongside Bryce & Travis.

If you’re down Archerfield way, be sure to drop in & discuss with us how we can help you achieve your pilot training goals, or just to say g’day!

Kurt from HM Air was back at Flight Standards this week for his 6 monthly checks in the C210 and Baron!

Ben was more than happy to put him through his paces before taking the opportunity to engage in a collaborative discussion Chief Pilot to Chief Pilot about current trends, common Pilot deficiencies and organisational focus points.
We relish these opportunities to engage directly with our industry partners to ensure we too are continually learning and developing our own skills and the products we deliver.

Thanks Kurt and the HM Air team for your continued custom. See you next check!

The C402B is a very uncommon aircraft around the industry these days - combining the best (& worst) of the C310 & C402C is probably the best way to describe it…

It was great to re-connect with JP Gagnon of Outback Spirit, who chose to trust us with his work-up training for his Instrument Profociency Check. Expertly prepared by Ben Mackney, JP put in a solid acquittal with Marcho on the least possible IFR day in Darwin. JP has been flying the C208 at Outback Spirit in his day job for the past couple of years, from back in the days when we helped establish that capability for that Company. Great to work with you again!

Congratulations to Oliver who was successful in his “check to line” with our operation out at Marthakal Yolngu Airline in Arnhem Land.
Oliver recently completed the GA Ready course and picked up a job off the back of that!

Here’s Sam Paudel again who is making the most of his solo hour building!

He is currently flying our C172RG across the country from our Brisbane base to Darwin. After a few days working with our instructors down south Sam achieved his retractable undercarriage and CSU design feature endorsement. Now he is flying back to Darwin to complete the rest of the CPL syllabus. It is not going to take long until he will be qualified to work exactly where he has trained in the NT, which will make him look favourable to all of the operators.

We encourage our students to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and to make the most of our backyard.
Nice job Sam and enjoy another great trip across Australia!
If you want to start a career in aviation contact us today.

On a brisk Brissy morning last week, Daniel managed to convince Bryce (with ease) that it was time to do a lap of the circuit by himself and begin logging his command time.

Congratulations on achieving your first solo Daniel! We look forward to knocking over more milestones throughout your aviation journey with us 🎉

Just a few shots of the epic journey for C208 VH-BST on its way from Thailand, through Malaysia, Indonesia & Timor Leste on the way to its new home in Alice Springs.

For the buffs: VTBOA - VTBD - WMSA - WBGG - WAAA - YPDN.
A good challenge for Marcho in ferrying the aircraft for our good friends at NTAS, who will use the aircraft in Alice Springs as part of their forward strategy. To do a task like this one has to know their job… aircraft systems & capabilities, international flight planning & management, the complex airspace of Singapore, flying for range (one leg was just on 900nm mostly over water & over 6 hours flight time - meaning that good range flying skills are vital, unless the flight ends with a swim home…).
Learn from the most qualified & experienced team in the Territory, who have done the job, continue to do the job & can set you up for the job.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CLEARED FOR FIRST SOLO IN DARWIN!

This is Max David, a current student at Flight Standards Darwin. Max is an air traffic controller at Darwin International airport and has decided to come test the waters on the dark side…

Max is an extremely motivated student and is always up for a challenge. He puts a lot of effort into his studies and arrives for his flight lessons with a plethora of questions. Our instructors work hard to push students to achieve the best results, and that is exactly what Max is doing. We love to see this enthusiasm in our students!

He started working towards his PPL just a month ago and today he has achieved his first solo flight. Well done Max! If he keeps up this pace he will have a PPL in no time, watch this space.

If you are wanting to start flight training, contact us today! Call 1800 FLYING (1800 435 946)

After seven years of languishing in rural Thailand, C208 S/N 2222 will again take to the skies as VH-BST on its journey to a new home in Australia.

Painstakingly restored by a team in Thailand, under the watchful eye of TWA Aero, Marcho will test fly the aircraft to make sure it is up to the task of making the journey - before making the trek with it from Bangkok to Alice Springs, where it will enter service with NTAS as part of their business expansion. Keep an eye out for the reports of the journey through Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia & East Timor. This task certainly pushes our boundaries & challenges us on a range of levels - keeping us aware of the need to constantly learn & develop. Go beyond any podcast & learn from those actually doing the job.

A handful of shots from the latest GA fly away. We explore remote area operations, unsealed aerodromes, decision making and risk management in practical scenarios, passenger management in emergencies, customer service and commercial efficiency. While we’re at we’ll show you a thing or two about the Cessna 210 that we’ve learned over the many years we’ve been operating them.

Congratulations Mickyle, one of our first year VET in Schools students for achieving his first solo!

We are looking forward to checking off more goals with you! Keep up the good work!

‼️🗣️ Open day today!

Come down for free time in our sim, photo ops, and meet Mix 104.9 Radio Presenter Dan! If you want to jumpstart your flying career, we have discounted flights TODAY ONLY!

If your flying training didn’t look this this, are you even ready for your first job ⁉️

Here are some pics from our latest GA Ready Course.

Included in the course is Darwin Airspace Famil, Top End Weather management, Dirt Strip and Remote Area operations, Drum refuelling, CASA briefing, ATC tour, RPT observation flight, C210 famil and simulated charter operations with a guarantee of at least 5 hours in the C210! (Our last course all averaged over 6 hours on type at no additional charge).

Only one space left in the June course and July is filling up fast.

Call us today to reserve your spot!

☎️1800 435 946☎️

We all know that Bryce Hafner gets pretty easily excited…

However, after a week in the Northern Territory, he’s got something to be really excited about - successfully becoming our newest Multi-Engine Instructor!

Completing his flight test on the airstrip at the remote Indigenous community of Warruwi (anyone know where that is?). He even found time to catch up with his former Archerfield trainee Callum Queale.

Now it’s back to work in Queensland for Bryce - so if anyone needs training in the MEA space either in their own aircraft of our BE55 - get in touch!

Sometimes the dry season can be every bit as challenging as the Wet in the Northern Territory…

The dominant subsidence inversion is what makes the Dry Season dry but it also traps the smoke & dust close to the ground - potentially reducing visibility to less than VMC over a widespread area.

Do you know how to manage this best?

Did you know that cruising at the level of the inversion layer will give you an uncomfortable and bumpy ride, but simply going up or down a few hundred feet will make it much more pleasant for you and your passengers?

To learn about all the things that aren’t taught in flight schools, but will help you in your flying job - sign up for our GA Ready Course today. The course is conducted during the first two weeks of every month at our Flight Standards Darwin base. At $4750, whether you’re looking for that elusive first job or just looking to further your skill set, the GA Ready course is an investment in your future.

Another Special Procedure Scenic for Sam Paudel and FEA‼️

This time it’s the Horizontal Falls of the Kimberley Region in Northwest WA. This was followed by a very scenic flight around Cape Leveque and finally, navigating the Class D airspace into Broome for an overnight stop.

Great photos Sam!

If you’re interested in seeing the world for a new point of view, in control of an aeroplane, get in touch with us today and see how we can help you!

Check out some of these awesome photos from Sam Paudel! 📸

Sam is currently on a fly-away as part of his hour building towards his commercial license. As part of this he has conducted a very spectacular flight over Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯan and sent these amazing photos through. At Flight Standards we encourage our students to get out of their comfort zones and travel further abroad as part of their hour building time. This not only makes the hour building process more interesting but exposes them to a wide variety of different conditions which only helps further their development as pilots. 👨‍✈️

Remember Kelly Shotton? She recently qualified for her PPL with our team in Darwin

She’s now back home at Newcastle Waters undertaking station flying duties as part of her job as a station hand. Last week, she completed her Low Level rating along with station pilots Angus Gripper and Bessie McGaffin, who all now have the requisite skills to make bore runs (checking cattle watering points for water) a lot safer. Newcastle Waters is larger than some European countries - and with the recent wet season, difficult to traverse on the ground - so checking waters with an aeroplane is an essential part of the stations day to day operations.

Well done Kelly, Angus and Bessie!

Back into Aerial Mustering training for CPC this week on Newcastle Waters station on the Barkley Tableland!

This particular skill in an aeroplane is rare these days, but very relevant and efficient for the wide open spaces found in Central Australia. Quinn Frost, senior pilot for Consolidated Pastoral, is the newest aeroplane mustered in the country and joins the small club of pilots with this ability!

For all your specialised training needs, get in touch with Flight Standards today to see if we can help you achieve your goals!

With the May GA Ready course already fully booked, the June and July intakes are filling up fast!

If you’re looking to take the leap & go for your first GA job in the ‘Top End,’ let us help you prepare for securing that first role.

Want to know more? Get in touch today!

☎️ 1800 4 ‘FLYING’

A quick trip to Alice Springs to help out the Head of Operations for NTAS with his C404 type familiarisation… ✈️

The C404 is a wonderful aircraft - it has a monster payload for a piston twin, passenger friendly with a (reasonably) spacious cabin & is one of the few GA aircraft that you can actually have a conversation in whilst flying without the need for headsets!

It’s not everyday that you see a full double rainbow from end to end 🌈

Prior to a pre-flight inspection, one of our Archerfield instructors snapped this pic during a break in between the showers.

Unfortunately there was no pot of gold at either end ⚱️☘️

PPL success for Sam Paudel!

Sam is undertaking a full time course with us in Darwin - ultimately for his CPL & start as a professional pilot. This test was a little different - solo to RAAF Tindal to pick up the Examiner (Marcho), then do the flight test before dropping him off at an ALA before heading back home by himself - getting a fast start on the command “hour building” he now needs!

Any guesses on which ALA (pictured) was involved??

Another Commercial Pilot !!👨‍✈️

Congratulations to Dalton Hopewell who joined the ranks of commercial pilots after passing his CPL Flight Test on Tuesday! After having to reschedule due to the recent poor weather in Brisbane, Dalton made the best of a good flying day and successfully ticked off all the competencies required by CASA.

All the best with your future endeavours Dalton! We are glad to have been part of the journey.

We’ve never heard of CASA issuing anything on a weekend!

But for Callum Queale, who trained from the beginning with Flight Standards, his license was issued early Sunday Morning and he flew his first charter less than an hour later - that must be some kind of record!

We don’t talk about how to make flight training a success, we’re too busy making it happen…

“That’s the first flight I’ve never had to pay for…”

Memorable quote from Kakadu Air’s newest C210 pilot, Sam Guest.

From IAANZ (Christchurch), Sam recently completed the GA Ready Course in Darwin - no doubt he will “pay” for his flying in the effort required to step up to the standard required of a professional pilot in their first job! All the best for the start of this adventure Sam - make sure you work on what you’ve learnt since being in the NT!