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If experiencing the thrill and exhilaration of flying an ultralight is one of those "I'd really like to give this a go one day" ideas that surface when you see an aircraft fly overhead, then today is the day to give it a go and Holbrook Ultralight Club is the place to do it !!
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Ultralighting is recreational flying in the true sense and for as little as A$50 you can experience all the excitement of piloting an ultralight by taking a trial instructional flight in a factory built and certified two seat training aircraft.
It'll put a smile on your face that will last for days.
If you've been putting off giving ultralights a go because you thought it might be too difficult, it isn't. Most people who can drive a car or ride a bicycle have sufficient co-ordination to successfully learn to fly. Your flight training will be tailored to best suit your leaning style and your airborne training will be conducted in certified two seat training aircraft.
Quality flight instruction is the key to producing well trained, disciplined and therefore safe pilots and whether your aim is to fly for fun or you see it as a start to a professional career in aviation, you owe it to yourself to get started with the best.
As a student you will receive your flight training in a two seat factory built and certified training ultralight aircraft. Whilst there is a good range of ultralight training aircraft students should be aware that these aircraft are divided into two main categories, tail wheeled aircraft such as the Thruster and nose wheeled aircraft such as the Tecnam.
The Australian made Thruster T500 is arguably one of the country's best ultralight training aircraft. It is safe, strong and light on the controls. It is also comfortable to fly and economical to operate, which means that your flying dollar will go much further. The Thruster is also turbulence and cross wind capable.
The Thruster is powered by the powerful and reliable Rotax 582 liquid cooled engine. With the 582 engine, the Thruster has good climb performance and an economical cruise for those navigational exercises. It has long been held that if you can fly a Thruster well, you can fly virtually any ultralight.
The Tecnam P96 Golf is an example of a state of the art flight training aircraft. It is roomy, comfortable, rugged and has been designed to meet the demanding International Air Navigation Standards. The P96 Golf is also light and responsive on the controls and being a nose-wheeled aircraft has excellent ground handling qualities.
The P96 Golf has a good cruise speed for all those longer cross country trips and is powered by the smooth and reliable Rotax 912S 100hp four cylinder four stroke engine, which gives the aircraft a range of around 400 nautical miles.
This only a brief sample of the broad range of training aircraft available to the student wanting to achieve his or her ultralight pilots certificate. Importantly it gives ultralight flight training schools the capability to provide student pilots with a well balanced flight training schedule that will provide a solid and safe foundation for both sports pilots and those wishing to pursue a career in aviation.
To learn to fly an ultralight aircraft, in Australia, you must first obtain a Student Pilot Certificate issued by Recreational Aviation Australia. Your Flight Instructors will be only too happy to help you through this process and get you started as quickly as possible.
To be eligible for the issue of an Australian Ultralight Student Pilot Certificate you must have attained the age of 15 years and be medically healthy to a standard which is equivalent to that required for the issue of a private motor vehicle drivers license in Australia. As you will be operating an ultralight aircraft under Australian flight conditions you must also be able to demonstrate to a Chief Flying Instructor that you are able to understand and carry out instructions given in the English language.
If you are keen to have a go at flying, but are a little unsure about whether ultralights are the way you want to go, arrange a trial instructional flight for as little as A$50 and with temporary AUF Membership you can receive up to 3 hours dual instruction prior to the need to apply for a Student Pilot Certificate.
Not at all, if you can drive a car or ride a bicycle then you will most likely have sufficient co-ordination to learn to fly an ultralight. Quality of instruction is the key to achieving success. You will be trained by one of the best, at a pace that best suits your learning style and time availability. Multi day and full time courses are generally available for those who wish to complete their flight training course in a hurry.
If you are a current pilot, with a private pilots license (PPL) or higher, you can obtain your Ultralight Pilot Certificate with a minimum of five hours ultralight flying time.
To complete the pilot certificate course Recreational Aviation Australia requires that students complete a minimum of 20 hours of flight training, although most student pilots need more than the minimum number of hours to proficiently complete the course.
Along with the in-air flight training, you will also be taught the skills of aeronautical knowledge, flight rules and procedures, navigation, meteorology, map reading, radio procedures, airfield circuit procedures and general airmanship. There are two ground tests and one flight test which must be passed before you can be issued with an Ultralight Pilot Certificate. The first ground test is a simple written multiple choice test on rules of the air, which must be passed before you can go solo. The second is the Basic Aircraft Knowledge test, which must be passed prior to the flight test.
Your RAAus flying school's will have fully qualified instructors help you develop these skills and prepare for your tests, which will enable you to safely pilot an ultralight cross-country whether it be into other airfields or to other parts of Australia.
The regulations require that students complete a minimum 20 hours general flying training, including a minimum of 5 hours flying as pilot in command i.e. solo, before the Pilot Certificate flight test. If a student was to complete his or her flight training to the required standard in the minimum number of hours then the total flight training costs would be around $2500 to $3000. Generally flight training costs are about $100 to $150 per flight hour depending on the type of aircraft. Typical student time is about 15 – 18 hours flying with an instructor and 8 – 10 hours flying alone and, like learning to drive, some students will take a lot longer to achieve a satisfactory performance level in all the required training sequences.
Contact Holbrook Ultralight Club and we will be happy to assist you with any additional questions you may have.
| Holbrook Ultralight Club | |
| Office: | (02) 6036 3042 |
| Email: | training@holbrookultralightclub.asn.au |
© Holbrook Ultralight Club 2003