Have you ever wanted to take to the skies?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Do you not have wings?
Well you’re still in luck.
Valley Lite Flite owner Ken Jellef spoke to the Western Advocate about what any budding pilot has to do if they want to fly a plane.
Mr Jelleff, who instead of driving almost 10 hours from south-east Victoria, flew himself to Bathurst in just three hours for this weekend’s Soar, Ride and Shine festival at the Bathurst Airport.
He owns the Valley Lite Flite flying school, which is based at the Latrobe Regional Airport in Victoria’s Gippsland region.
Thanks to Recreational Aviation Australia, he said recreational flying in Australia is quite accessible but time consuming.
“In the early days, it was fairly uncomplicated [to learn how to fly] but over time, safety is our main concerns and training for recreation pilots is generally on par with general aviation these days.
“For recreation pilots who don’t want to become commercial airline pilots and not interested in flying heavy aircraft, all they need is the equivalent of a driver’s license’s health and they go along to their recreational instructor.
“After a minimum of 20 hours of training, they could acquire their recreational pilot’s license. They’re on their way to flying.”
Mr Jelleff said the best thing to do for interested pilots was to get in contact with your local aviation schools, such as Central West Flying School or the Bathurst Aero Club, to learn more.
“They would help you get started on the path to getting your pilot certificate,” he said.
“You’ve got to do 20 hours and go through briefings. There’s a few exams you’ve got to get on top of as well, such as rules of the air which is like learning the rules of the road when learning to drive.
“You’ve got to learn basic aeronautics and learn how radios work, so we can communicate with other aeroplanes in the area. That all usually happens in the 20 hours.”
While it depends on the type of aircraft you’re learning on, Mr Jellef said prices vary from $200 an hour to hire an instructor and an aircraft.
“You can expect to get through your 20 hours in round about $5,000 to $5,500,” he said.
“You could have to invest about $30,000 to get your private pilot license.