good chat. It was very relaxing, which
helped, because I was quite nervous!”
According to Dinning, that easy-
going culture extends into the training.
“It was all so laid back and when
you start here everyone makes you feel
so welcome,” he remembers. “It’s like a
really big extended family here where
everyone helps you out. It’s just like
coming home. Although the course is
very full-on, it’s also laid-back at the
same time. You can get help whenever
you want and there’s not that pressure
to sit down and study hard all day
long. You can study a bit then sit back
and chat with the instructors about
it. Everything about the course helps
you become the best commercial pilot
you can be.”
Both of them admit that the casual
atmosphere does not completely
extinguish the pressure; they have 15
months to go from zero to MECIRCPL with a Metro ticket. That’s a lot
of learning to squeeze in.
“Fifteen months is a good time to
do it in,” Vanclay reckons. “It is quite
cramped, and we’re quite busy and
under a little bit of stress occasionally,
but it’s nothing we can’t handle. It’s just
preparing us for the industry, because
I guess it’s not going to be easy, so we’ve
got to learn to deal with a lot of things
coming up at once. It’s a lot shorter
than most of the courses going around,
so it’s got that going for it.”
Dinning: “It’s going to teach us time
management and, as Carlie said, in life
we’re going to be really stressed at some
points and it’s just good practice for us.
And also with the course being done
in only 15 months compared to unis
where it’s two or three years; it gets us
into the industry earning money and
flying a lot sooner. I’d much rather fly
than study for the next three years.
“It’s never-ending, but it’s good,
though ... it keeps you busy.”
Quite amazingly, and perhaps a little
disappointing, Carlie is the only woman
in the cadet class Australian Flying
visited. For a young lady from Upwey,
it’s a big move to be transplanted into
a bunch of young blokes in a dusty
Wimmera town, but Vanclay seems to
be completely undaunted by a move that
could prove challenging to some.
“I don’t really see aviation as a
particularly manly industry,” she
responded, “so I’m not too sure why
there aren’t many women [in the
class]. I love being a pilot. I think it’s
really fun and I don’t see why there
aren’t more women around.
“My parents were really supportive.
They’ve know for ages what I wanted
to do, so once we discovered Sharp
they were really excited for me as well.72 Flight Training
AUSTRALIAN FLYING January - February 2015AVIATION CONSULTING
AND COMPLIANCE
Working with you to review, develop and
implement solutions for the success and
safety of your aviation business.Delivering aviation services and solutions in:
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http://www.aviationconsult.com.au [email protected]ABOVE: Former cadet Ash Clark returned to
Sharp Airlines and is now a Metroliner Captain
based at Essendon.
TOP: Cadets train to MECIR level using a Piper
Seneca V based at Hamilton.