madas

@BirdDogThanks for the reply. I appreciate the insights. I didn’t even know about the RAA Cert option until after I posted, so it’s good to hear someone else went for that. I am thinking that is the better option for me; at least initially. I’m initially just looking at taking up to 1x other passenger and flying to regional areas of Victoria, South Australia and maybe Tasmania. The only concern I have with a RAA Cert is the size of permitted aircraft. I am a bigger bloke (188cm, 130kgs) so something like a Cessna 172 or larger is what I’m looking to fly in the short to medium term. I’m not sure how to figure out all the restrictions with the licences as they refer to different weights. Do you know the aircraft weight limitations for the RAA Certificate? Would it include a Cessna 172? Cheers

I’m looking at some information for newbies, in particular: 1. What is the theory commitment for each of the RPL and PPL? I have a Masters level education, so theory isn’t new to me but I’m keen to know about the time commitment in advance. 2. How easy is it to rent a plane, say, a Cessna for one day or multiple days? 3. How much is a low end Cessna cost to purchase? I saw some advertised for as little as AUD55,000. 4. What are the costs associated with owning a plane such as hanger, airport and maintenance costs? 5. Is it easy to travel to various airports from Melbourne? 6. Any other insights / tips for someone just wanting to start out? My primary objective of looking into flying is to see more of Australia. It’s a big country but with COVID, domestic travel is now more important. I have some time off work early 2021 and want to use the time to do some travel and I’ve always loved flying.