Damiann

A point of caution. Investigate what the particular RAA school is teaching. There appears to be a very large difference to the finished product/knowledge. Nothing wrong with the RAA syllabus as such but too many graduates would make the average PPL shudder. Certainly not grouping all RAA schools together but I am sure if you have a yarn around an airport you will be suitably informed. The cheapest way is sometimes not the best option if you want to feel and perform to an acceptable standard - unless you only want to fly around a bush paddock at 60 to 70 kts which does suit some people.

I am yet to do a type conversion that hasn't taught me something yet. Jab was great for really basic stick and rudder, and they will help your crosswind technique more than you can imagine. Once you start adding CSU, RU etc the complexity goes up, but the basic aircraft is a lot more stable. Once you get to things like a C210, twins etc all of a sudden you are moving fast in an aircraft you can't just chop and drop so you have to think profiles and get well ahead of the airplane. Obviously turbine starts changing things even more again.Ultimately if your ambition is to become a commercial pilot, having an ability to rapidly convert between aircraft will be advantageous. RAA isn't a bad place to learn the basics of flying though.

Thank you all for the replies!

Definitely a lot of information to take in, but from what you've all told me, it seems like RA-Aus would be the best approach for me, given the many components and endorsements that will carry over to an RPL for the PPL pathway in the future. The paperwork part still seems a bit muddy, but I'll figure that out as it comes. As long as they carry over, that's all that matters.

So, it's looking like I'll end up going to the Adelaide Soaring Club then, which would offer both gliding and RA-Aus training, but I don't live too far from both Gawler Aerodrome and Parafield Airport, so I should be able to converge paths in the future without too much difficulty.

Cheers again for your help, and if I do run into anyone at the aerodrome, let me know - I owe you a beer as thanks!

At the moment, I am leaning towards Adelaide Soaring Club, but the only thing holding me back is whether or not it would be more cost efficient to learn RPL straight off the bat or go with Adelaide Soaring Club and convert to RPL at a later stage.

While I do appreciate the advantage in regards to a commercial aviation job, my degree is related to another field, so it's unlikely that I'd end up down that path at the moment.

Hi all,

I'm currently a final year university student and an avid aviation fan since childhood. Having completed my final exams, this year is free for me to hopefully learn how to fly a plane and obtain a license for recreational flying.

My end goal is to be able to take my family and friends on general flights, for instance Adelaide to Kangaroo Island, as well as to simply fly for fun. I would also work on gaining further training and endorsements after this in order to do so following gaining a basic license.

PPL is on my goal list in the long term once I start working next year and accruing funds, so for now I'd like to decide between the RA-Aus and RPL.

I have two options to do this, and I'm not sure which would benefit me more in terms of cost, and so I hope you may be able to provide me with some advice on which to take.

Currently my options are:

1) RA-Aus at Adelaide Soaring Club, learning on the Jabiru J170 at $138/hr + annual student (concession) membership fees of $46, and convert to RPL with further training afterwards

OR

2) Go straight for RPL training with a flight school and disregard the RA-Aus course completely?

Which would you recommend I do in terms of cost and efficiency?

Thank you all for your help!