A_F_2015_01_02_

WILL SPIERS

worried that these inconsistencies
could lead international students
coming here to train for flight crew
licences being unacceptable in other
countries. Part 141 is a review of
commercial, private and recreational
training other than the integrated
courses. Part 142 reviews the
integrated and multi-crew pilot
flight training.
While CASA hasn’t demanded
that all f lying schools become
RTOs, most schools consider it
inevitable in order to survive, and
have their interested students f ly
now and pay later. They need also
to implement a safety audit unit
program and train staff in human
factors. According to CASA there
are 64 businesses that still need
to convert to an RTO so their
students can access government
f light training loans. This will
cost an estimated $700,000 or
about $11,000 each. But, as one
f lying school owner estimated, the
cost would be more like $80,000,
after hiring two extra staff to
administer the changes.

The traditional path

Historically, Australian pilots have

been trained well by dedicated

flying schools and aero clubs. The

Royal Federation of Aero Clubs

of Australia (RFACA) dates back

to 28 October 1914, with the

establishment of the Australian

Aero Club. It was set up to develop

interest in flying throughout the

Commonwealth and in the 1930s

the aero clubs began to realise

their defence potential and started

vigorous representations to the

Federal Government for financial

assistance, which would enable them

to train a larger number of pilots at a

reasonable cost to the individual.

Later the emphasis shifted away

from the training of pilots for

defence purposes to the government

needing the aero clubs to train

an ever-increasing number of

commercial pilots for Australia’s

airlines and the rapidly expanding

aerial agricultural industry plus

charter and private pilots.

A national aero club movement

first came into being in March 1926

under the name of the Australian

Aero Club Federal Council with

clubs in Victoria and New South

Wales Clubs only. South Australia

joined in 1927, Queensland and

Tasmania in 1928, and Western

Australia in 1929. A new

association was then formed and

the name changed to the Associated

Australian Aero Clubs. The name

was again changed to the Aero Club

Federation of Australia in 1948.

During 1960 the prefix “Royal” was

granted by Her Majesty and the

present title adopted.

Forty years ago, flying schools

and aerodrome operators formed

a thriving, vibrant community.

“In those days, there were about

17 flying schools at Bankstown

and all the instructors knew each

other. They’d meet for a beer at the

aero club at the end of the day and

then go home. There was never any

antagonism with management on the

aerodrome at all,“ commented flying

school operator, Ray Clamback,

the fifth generation Clamback to

be associated with the airport. His

grandfather used to run a dairy farm

on the land and legend has it the

local Aborigines used to help with

the milking. That was long before an

airport was even dreamed of, he said.

Ray’s been flying for 34 years and

together with Aminta Hennessy

OAM started a flying school in 1982

where the two have trained scores of

student pilots, who worked during

the week, paid for flying at the

weekend and studied their theory

australianflying.com.au 49

January - February 2015 AUSTRALIAN FLYING

“The industry universally is

forecast to continue growth for

at least the next 20 years.”