His Excellence the HonourableChris Dawson Governor of Western Australia
Lewis Juniper
Zidane Hartono
Rachel Budd
Steven Hayes
Ray Challen President ray@challen.com.au
Stephen Pearce Vice President spearce@outlook.com.au
Jim di Menna Treasurer
Jim.diMenna@zetta.com.au
Haydn Vernon Club Captain Haydn.vernon@gemcorail.com.au
Andrew Eldridge Committee Member Andrew.eldridge@bigpond.com
Russell Philip Committee Member raphilip@westnet.com.au
Vaughan Emery Committee Member vaughanemery@bigpond.com
Michelle Yeates Committee Member michellekyeates@yahoo.com.au
Alison Glew Committee Member alison@alisonglew.com
Iain Farmer
Gordon Williams
Garry Curran
Steve Gismondi
Richard S ara
Austin Fort
Jac Fontana
Russel Duncan
Peter Wilson
Chaise Matthews
Fiona Polgar
Franz Bernhardt
Ralph Calupig
David Rees
Harrison Murten
Alexander Pigneguy
Arabella Ashton
Lachlan Bettridge
Emily Grace
Mohamed Sewidan
Jake Webb
Toby Webster
Bianca Willis-Milne
Aaryan Kapila
Liam Maher
Cody Geister
Nicolas Davenport-Handley
Tomislav Rajkovic
Andreas Eisenbeis
Jamie Parmenter
Muhamad Hussain
Eliot Long
Chwan Shih Tay
Joel Ross
Adrian Denny
Bronwyn Doak
Amy Spicer
Michael Dadkhah
Christopher Briant
Zack Wong
Sally Pollard
Welcome to the first Tarmac Topic’s edition of the year and what an exciting year it promises to be !
In January the Committee and Management team met to reflect upon the Club’s strategy and in-year objectives to ensure it remains relevant and aligned to delivering the Clubs long term prosperity and well-being. There were several important realisations and exciting commitments made at this forum, notably:
Fleet Renewal – a commitment was made to begin the process of refreshing our fleet, to move toward a more contemporary, modern offering to our members and students. As such we will be issuing a request for tender to fulfil the Clubs long term fleet needs.
Members – The committee recognises club membership is the heartbeat of the Club and you will see various initiatives rolling throughout the year to reflect this commitment. These include enhancing the amenity of the club for members & their family/friends, making flying more affordable through innovative member’s offers, reward those whom fly frequently and provide multiple opportunities for members to get involved in club events in a fun and consistent manner to make the most of your pilots licence.
Part 142 Training – As Aviation travel the world over continues to recover from its post Covid lows, the focus is turning to preparing for the next generation of aircraft, sustainable flying and the how the industry will meet the shortage of pilots. There is a growing global pilot shortage which is forecast to become some -60 000 by 2029, with the most acute shortage in our region of Asia Pacific. We are fortunate that the Western Australian Aviation College is well placed to grow to service this shortage and the Committee endorsed an increase in Part 142 training to meet this need. This will be great for our club as it puts us on a firm and sustainable financial footing enabling the responsible funding for the fleet renewal and to give outstanding value to our members.
Finally, it is great to see the activity and buzz around the Club at all levels. If it’s the packed Flying Committee calendar of events, initiatives such as the Busselton Fly-in and the upcoming Longreach Fly-in that are so popular, the upcoming Murrayfield Open Day and preparations for the long awaited Hangar precinct or the huge success of our Young Eagles holiday program, all these activities build a strong, vibrant, exciting club.
So I am very much looking forward to sharing updates as these initiatives roll out through the course of the year and I encourage you to fully participate in your club and enjoy all that is has to offer.
Hi All , guess what! Its only Norm and Hayds reporting in to all you supporting members to fill you in what’s been going on around the Club, and believe me the year so far has got off to a great start.
Well before we get into what has happened so far in this this year, back in December 3rd last year the Club embarked on its traditional Lancaster Commemoration flight with 16 members and nine aircraft participating. This was a very fulfilling day which incorporated a pilot briefing under the Lanc at the BullCreek Heritage Museum by Tim Berryman and also short history about the Lancaster done by Mick Harcourt, thanks guys.
The flight afterwards was departing from Jandakot and incorporating the Dams of North Dandalup, Sepentine and Wungong.
Thanks for all that supported this event and most of all your remembrance of the crews who lost their lives in these aircraft.
Well it was on to the final event of the year on December 11th were we held a two for one competition and also afterwards the members Christmas party.
The competition was reasonably well attended but the members Christmas part was a little disappointing as far as numbers go, a lot of staff and members go to great lengths to make this event happen and is a bit disheartening when numbers are low.
Now we are into 2023 and we got off to good start with our first Saturday Comp with a healthy 29 competitors undertaking a spot landing.
This was won by good mate of mine Steve Wilson, followed by Peter Hill in second place, Brendan Cox and Michael Stenson in third place, well done guys.
This comp was the firstforournewlyappointedcompetition Instructor Ray Challen.
Challen who did a marvelous job for sitting in a C152 for over two hours , good on ya Ray and thanks also to air judges Jimmy Jenkins and Mick Harcourt, well done guys.
Our first formation for the year was on February 3rd with 6 aircraft participating and the briefing done by Werner Buhlmann.
These formation Fridays have been well supported and it is all down to the dedicated efforts of Gary Evans who has a wealth of experience and carries out our briefings and organises the formations, thanks Gazza on a job well done.
In addition we have had the services of Werner Buhlmann in the past couple of formations , we are very fortunate to have Werner carry out the formation briefings and his experience and guidance has been invaluable, thanks Werner.
On The 12 February we had our first Murrayfield Comp which encouraged 12 competitors to head down to undertake a PFL, unfortunately yours truly could not attend after coming down with the dreaded C.
A big thanks must go to John and guys down at Murrayfield for doing breakfast at our monthly comps, thanks guys.
Now the big one, the fly in to Busso on the February 18th and 19th .
I won’t report to great in this report as it would be covered in a more in depth article, but just thank you for all that supported the event, every one had a great time and a huge thanks must go to Vaughan Emery for undertaking the bulk of the organising and Louise Kemp for all her efforts in supporting the organisation of the event, well done guys.
The month finished on February 25th with a Jandakot Competition which we had a total of 21 competitors undertaking a Glide approach.
The winners were Michael Stenson, Duncan Watkinson and Peter Hill, well done guys.
Thanks must also go to not just our air judges at these events but to also Martin Jones for cooking our sausage sizzle and for Brendan Cox for manning the bar.
Our Flying Committee meets every second Friday of the Month and please if any members have any requests or ideas on Fly ins /Destinations etc please let us know we would be happy to hear from our Members.
Well that’s enough from Norm and Hayds for now hope to see you all down at the Club and big thank you to all that have supported the Club.
NTS 1.1 – Maintain effective lookout, NTS 1.2 Maintain situational awareness. These two elements you’ll see on every flight test form, every flight performance record and for good reason. CASA has invested a lot into human factors and see and avoid training. Today I’d like to talk about the importance of a good effective lookout.
This process actually begins before you even take-off, why you may ask? Because of your windows! Your windows need to be clean from dust and splats formally known as bugs, I can’t count the amount of times I’ve gone flying on a photographic scenario for a student’s CPL only for the windows to look like a connect the dots puzzle!
Now I’d love to say that when you walk to the aircraft that the person before you has shown the same love and respect and cleaned the windows after they’ve covered it in bugs but well “the hire car theory” comes into play here.
So on your pre-flight ask ops for a squirty bottle and clean rag and take it out there as part of your routine. Once you’ve done the windows you can also clean leading edges if you need to/wish to. Our natural focus distance isn’t very far and by having foreign matter on the windows it will help draw your eyes to it, potentially missing the outside target and we all know how hard it can be sometimes to spot that aircraft “late downwind in your 1 o’clock”.
Next is the time it takes to do a look out, I’ve had candidates say “clear right, centre, left” quicker than I can finish turning my head to the right to start my lookout. There are somethings in life where speed is beneficial, a lookout is not one of them. Remember to scan up and down, not just left to right and when on approach to land don’t forget to check for aircraft on straight in approaches but also is anybody still on the runway?
Taking that little bit of extra time could save your life, sadly there has been some really close calls but also some fatalities in Australia here in the last few years and these can be attributed to the holistic grouping of situational awareness.
If you’re not aware, the ATSB puts out their safety findings after incidents and accidents and some of them are of great value to read. Otherwise CASA has some good reference material, google “CASA safety behaviours” there’s a multi booklet series covering things like situational awareness and threat and error management, also “CASA AC9114” this talks about the pilot’s responsibility for collision avoidance.
Finally if you google “pilot visual scanning technique” there’s a lot of great articles and videos to assist in your education on the subject.
By taking the time to do it properly you can help avoid getting yourself into an “undesired aircraft state” and continue flying for many years to come. With new technology becoming more widely adopted such as ADSB into aircraft equipment and EFB’s this will continue to raise the pilots awareness. Until next time safe flying.
Congratulations to all of our achievers for the months of December, January and February. We are very proud to see so many people reaching new heights in their flight training with us.
Greetings from Murrayfield!
Summer has ended and has hopefully taken the strong winds with it. Get ready for cool calm mornings and beautiful flying weather.
We were lucky enough to host Awesome Aviation’s Extra NG in the RACWA hangar towards the end of February. The Extra NG is an all-carbon, high performance aerobatic aircraft and in the hands of pilot Mark Jeffries, it can perform some truly unreal aerobatics. Mark tore up the aerobatic box in preparation for the Australian International Air show in Victoria.
Murrayfield also received a visit from Rescue 651. The RAC rescue helicopter came down to conduct some training giving us the chance to see this amazing aircraft up close.
We have many exciting events coming up in the autumn months. The first of those events being the Murrayfield Moon on the 15th of April. Come and test your night flying skills flying a night circuit. This competition is open to all members, night rated or not, and there will also be a BBQ and movies playing in the hangar for those not flying.
Night flying can offer some spectacular views of Mandurah and Perth and this is the perfect way to experience it!
The most exciting event on the calendar this year is the Murrayfield open day, held on the 27th of May. This year will be bigger than ever with lots of static aircraft displays, trial flight, scenic flights and vintage Tigermoth flights. We also need volunteers to help on the day so if you are interested please let us know.
My background, I worked as a Flight Instructor from 1986 until 2004, predominately at RACWA. In 2004 I unfortunately failed to meet the required medical standards so had to hang up the Headsets. I won’t bore you with all the details however sufficient to say, modern medicine came to my rescue in 2009 and whilst I now have a new “lease on life”, I still don’t have a medical certificate.
After leaving the Club, my wife and I moved to Tassie however after a while, we longed to get back to WA, managed to achieve this mid last year, got back to Perth, then don’t call me Lucky, call me Lucky Lucky, I was fortunate enough to get this position and renew my association with the Club and aviation.
Now I have finished discussing my personal factors, I’d like to discuss something that affects us all, Human Factors in aviation. So here goes, apologies in advance to any psychologists reading this, I am by no means expert however I’ve done some courses, done some googling, and spent a bit of time flying.
If you are not aware, in November of last year Mooney AKF suffered a wheels up landing, all systems were operating and unfortunately the cause of the accident was a combination of human factors. At this stage I would like to thank the pilot concerned as he was more than happy for me to share my analysis in order to possibly help others, quite brave. It’s important to remember that the factors I’m about to discuss aren’t unique, they affect us all.
Our brain is amazing, one of the most complicated machines in the universe, all this and it can also be fuelled with a feed of fish and chips. However, our short term memory is a bit rubbish, it holds information for about 10 seconds and can only process about 4 pieces of information at one time. In aviation we need to remember and use vast amounts of information, relying on our short term memory to conduct pre-landing checks for example, would fail, so how do we do it. We can use mnemonics, these bring our long term memory to the rescue however, not the best system, it is much more preferable to use a written checklist (when possible) which allows us to DO or CONFIRM each action. We now don’t rely upon our 10 second short term memory however we must be mindful of a few things:
1. We must be consistent- always use the written checklist when required, e.g. pre-landing checks.
2. I t is a DO or CONFIRM system not just words. Sometimes we can get complacent and “Say” without actually doing or checking.
3. Know the context- what are you checking and why, for example- pre take-off checks we are not only checking that the carburettor heat works, but we are also confirming that we have not collected carburettor ice during the taxi. If you don’t know what and why you are checking, have a chat to an instructor.
4. IMPORTANTLY- if you are distracted, preferably start again or at least return to the list a few items before the distraction that you can positively identify, our short term memory may have failed us and we may have forgotten where we are up to and miss items.
In the AKF accident, the pilot had just commenced his checklist then got distracted with a high workload and failed to complete, hence, wheels not down. This brings me to the next important point, our short term memory may prevent us from conducting the pre-landing checklist in the first
place, the solution, PLAN A TRIGGER POINT, where/when will you conduct these checks.
It will vary depending upon your flight e.g. are you joining for a straight in approach or a base entry, your experience- an inexperienced pilot needs to set up earlier than the more experienced pilot, the complexity and performance of the aircraft, and traffic density at the airport, higher density the later your visual approach clearance- set up the aircraft prior to arrival and get the pre-landing checks out of the way.
There are other human factors associated with this accident, and “stay tuned”, I will discuss these in the next issue however, talking about short term memory- the number of instances that we have of people failing to certify or check certification of the daily inspection is ridiculously high. This is I hope, purely administrative, i.e. the pilot has conducted
the DI just forgotten to sign the Maintenance Release. Trigger points/memory joggers are already in place, a reminder is the first item on the start-up checks however obviously may not be enough.
My suggestion, when you enter the aircraft, the first thing you do after inspecting the maintenance release, keep the book open with the maintenance release exposed and put it on your seat, this will remind you to sign before strapping in the aeroplane.
Finally, I look forward to meeting you in the future and conveniently, my short term memory is really very rubbish, please forgive me when I forget your name.
Ron is a dedicated and experienced staff member at the Royal Aero Club Maintenance department, having worked there since September 1, 1998. He has a passion for aviation and learned to fly in 1978-1979, achieving his Private Pilots Licence. Ron’s role as a General Hand requires him to perform a wide range of tasks, from aircraft maintenance to ordering materials and general detailing.
Ron’s favourite aspect of his job is when he is able to take the aircraft for a check flight after completing a service. He takes pride in ensuring the planes are safe and ready for flight, and enjoys the thrill of seeing his work in action. Additionally, Ron loves the working environment the hangar provides. He appreciates the camaraderie among his colleagues and the feeling of being part of a team dedicated to aviation excellence.
Outside of work, Ron remains deeply involved in aviation. In his spare time, you’ll find him flying his RV7, which he helped build. The aircraft is based in Serpentine and Denmark, and
Ron takes great pleasure in the freedom of flying. His dedication to aviation is evident both on and off the job, and his passion for flying is contagious among his colleagues.
The Aviation Heritage Museum located at Bullcreek, is home to a plethora of aviation memorabilia that is not only for aviation nuts, such as ourselves, but a reminder to everyone of the spirit of those that went before us in conquering the skies. It’s displays are many and varied that represent the mechanical wonders of a bygone era leading up to the birth of modern aviation in both war and peacetime.
Among the many aircraft exhibits , which include a Spitfire, DC3, Machii and lots more (including an ex-RAF Tornado), there stands the majestic Lancaster Bomber NX622. This aircraft was manufactured in 1945 and was too late to see active service, but eventually sold to the French and operated as a Maritime Surveillance aircraft. In December 1962 it was acquired in Perth and was displayed in front of Perth Airport for many years before eventually moving to its cur-rent location at Bullcreek.
To mark its arrival in December RACWA have always carried out the Commemoration flight at this time of the year, so with the kind permission of Ian Craig and Trent Norris the Royal Aero Club of WA was granted permission to hold a briefing (carried out by Tim and Mick) under this magnificently restored (to static) displayed aircraft with the added bonus for the dedicated 16 members that attended, being allowed to spend time viewing all of the exhibits.
Thanks must go to Tim Berryman for coming down in his free time and carrying out the pilots brief for the Commemoration Flight and For Mick Harcourt for giving us a brief on the Lancaster.
Afterwards we all returned to Jandakot with a planned departure time set for the first aircraft at 16:00 hrs with a total of nine aircraft participating (including two C152 formations).
The route from Jandakot included Mundijong, North Dandalup, North Dandalup Dam, Serpentine Dam, Wungong Reservoir, and return home to Jandakot, a great day for all that attended.
For all the pilots and members that participated a big thank you but also the most important fact, your remembrance for those crews that gave up their lives in these aircraft, allowing us the freedom we have today.
Haydn Vernon & Mick HarcourtThe Young Eagles Holiday program recently ran in January for 21 kids with the help of instructors and volunteers. The program has been worked on tirelessly by all involved to create a fun and engaging experience for the participants, ranging from activities in and around the Club to offsite tours specialising in everything aviation related!
The participants with us in January were an enthusiastic and exciting group of kids ranging from 10 to 14 years old. The most rewarding part of the Young Eagles program for me is building relationships with the kids and seeing them create friendships within the program. On day one I always see the kids sitting alone, nervous and reserved, and by the second day they’re arriving in the morning instantly looking for the friend they made the day before. By the final day, genuine bonds have been made and it’s always rewarding to help facilitate this.
The program included activities such as visiting the Police Air Wing, which is always lots of fun. One of the ground officers gave us a tour of the facility, and threw the kids in lock-upwhich makes my job easier! We were also given a tour of the aircraft and the kids got to see the police equipment up close.
One of the days took us to the Aviation Heritage Museum, where there’s always lots to see and learn. I asked the kids beforehand what they were most excited for and the Lancaster or Catalina made the top of most lists. The volunteer’s at the museum are always phenomenal, very informative and friendly, and this time the kids were each treated to a handmade aircraft model. They were quizzed on each models name and if they got it right (or even got it wrong), they got to keep it. I tried to negotiate a trade for a spitfire and was woefully declined.
One of the other highlights of the program was visiting WA Model Aircraft Sports Centre where Club Instructor, Michael Sonneman donated his time and model aircraft for an exhibition! The kids are given a tour of his models and one by one he flew them around doing low passes, aerobatics and landings.
Last but not least the flights! Always the pinnacle moment of the program filled with nerves and excitement. Included in the programs costing is a 45 min scenic flight up the coast and around Rottnest. One of them convinced me he saw a Quokka from 1,500 ft, but not too sure about that.
I would highly recommend enrolling your child in a upcoming Young Eagles Program if they have a slight interest in aviation, they will not be disappointed.
For a year or two, my teenage daughter had been telling me that she wanted to learn to fly. As my favourite part of flying is when the aircraft has come to a complete standstill at the airport terminal, I couldn’t understand where she got this passion to learn to fly from!!
Just by chance, I came across an advertisement for the Young Eagles Program run by the Royal Aero Club, for children aged between 10-14 years. With my extensive fear of flying, I was reluctant to enrol her. However, I am glad I did!!
The moment I walked in to the Royal Aero Club and met the staff, I was instantly put at ease and felt confident my daughter was in safe hands with the aviation professionals running the course. This activity-based program allowed the students to become absorbed in, and learn about various areas of the aviation industry.
Every night my daughter enthusiastically told me about what they had been doing throughout their day.
The activities included touring; the Police Air Wing, RAC rescue, examining the Boeing training aircraft, touring the Jandakot airport grounds, as well as a trip to the Aviation Museum and Model Aircraft Centre.
In addition, the participants were given the opportunity to look in and around the aircraft fleet, learn about the safety procedures for aircraft related emergencies, plan a flight path, study radio procedures, undertake pre-flight checks and on the last day, the students were taken on a scenic flight over Perth and Rottnest Island.
As you can imagine, due to my extensive fear of flying, my anxiety levels were peaking and nausea had set in. The thought of my only child going up in a tiny little aircraft didn’t sit well with me!!! But again, I was put at ease by the reassuring staff and professional pilot who I was trusting with my daughter’s life!! The moment that little Cessna touched down I could finally breathe.
As the kids walked along the tarmac, with a spring in their steps and huge smiles on their faces, it was clear they’d had an amazing experience and some lifelong memories made!! What an incredible opportunity the Royal Aero Club provides for children who are interested in aviation, whether that be for a career or just for fun!
Since that moment my daughter touch down on the Jandakot tarmac, all she has wanted to do is learn to fly and study anything and everything about aviation. So now, every week, she puts on her Royal Aero Club Fluro vest and has a flying lesson with a remarkable and patient instructor. And every week I wait for the little Cessna to touch down on the tarmac so I can breathe!! But it’s worth every bit of anxiety I experience to see my teenage daughter happy and focused on something she loves!!
Thank you Royal Aero Club, for offering this outstanding program!
The Club’s annual fly-in to the South West was another successful RACWA event attracting 20 aircraft with a helicopter joining in too, and all flying in from Jandakot, Serpentine and even Esperance. Perfect flying conditions provided spectacular views along the coast enroute prior to landing at the busy Busselton Margaret River Airport. A valuable new experience for some pilots included mixing arrivals with a return Jetstar flight from Melbourne, Coachwatch Challenger jet aircraft and a host of helicopters and other fixed wing aircraft.
The majority chose accommodation at the Esplanade Hotel Busselton, conveniently only a short walk to the Shelter Brewery and its function floor- the stunning venue for the Pilots and Partners Dinner.
The function floor at Shelter with its spectacular views across Geographe Bay from its alfresco deck became the perfect setting for the pre-dinner drinks as the sun set across the Bay prior to sitting down to dinner.
The dinner menu served down long banquet tables “feasting style” was followed by selections of Millers Ice-cream from Cowaramup. Naturally a range of Shelter beers and Margaret River wines were the feature beverages included.
MC Vaughan Emery introduced RACWA President Ray Challen to welcome the 60 guests followed by Zeb Packard-Hair, President of the Busselton Aero Club - and coincidently, part owner of Shelter Brewery!
Presentations of door prizes and surprise birthday gifts were followed by a special acknowledgment to member and private pilot Russell Philip, owner of twin Comanche VH-TXC who recently surpassed 1000 hours in his log book. Congratulations Russell!
Earlier Vaughan had surprised guests with breaking news that Ray Challen earlier that afternoon had been nominated by Qantas for the inaugural “ Alan Joyce Award” for carrying the biggest pax load (5 POB) to the Busselton fly-in - and all this achieved with Ray’s GA8 Airvan arriving on timewith no turn backs – and no lost luggage! Ray’s “award” all a hoax of course.
After breakfast some elected to stay on and enjoy Busselton, while other pilots and passengers departed at leisure across the morning to conclude a fabulous weekend of flying, fellowship and fun.
Event Credits;
• R ACWA event managers: Haydn Vernon, Louise Kemp, Vaughan Emery.
• Pre-flight pilot safety briefing: Jarod Rowe, Head of Operations.
• B usselton Aero Club members. Special thanks, John Brisco.
• B usselton Airports’s Ken Manton and Nicholas Cooper.
• E splanade Hotel Busselton.
• Shelter Brewery’s banquet team.
• Co ach transfers: Wayne and Jodie Thiel.
Sunday morning dawned, another perfect day with some opting for a swim, a stroll , or an early morning coffee on the beautiful Busselton foreshore. The coach transfers back to the airport arrived on time for all to join the Busselton Aero Club for their popular monthly cooked breakfast.
On 8th February 2023 the Social Club held its inaugural Social Event, which was a “Games Night”. Prizes were donated by RACWA, Swan River Adventures and an unnamed sponsor. 30 members, staff and students attended the evening and competed in Table Tennis, Scattergories, Uno, Darts and just for laughs a ‘who could blow a balloon up the fastest’ competition.
The evening started with pizzas and socialising before the games began. A draw of names was held to determine who would compete against whom. As the night progressed heats were held and fun was had by all.
Louis Martino was successful in beating his competitors at Table Tennis and not only won a trophy but the prize of a seaplane flight!
The winner of Scattergories was Jason Bonebreak who won a bottle of red wine donated by an unnamed sponsor. As the darts was so popular (and the games so long!), the semi-finals are continuing Friday evenings until all finals have been completed and the prize of a 30 min free hire of a Cessna 152 won.
The night was a great success with fun, laughter and socialising. It was great to see a mix of all ages and visitors from the Northam Aero Club too, all enjoying a great atmosphere and hopefully the start of some fantastic social gatherings. Keep an eye out for the next Social Club Event which will be a Music Quiz (name that tune) evening – watch this space –date to be advised.
The Aviation College has been making significant strides in recent months, and we’re excited to share some updates with you.
Firstly, we have scheduled an extensive range of ground school courses for the remainder of the year. This includes RPL weekend courses and PPL night courses in addition to our regular full-time courses. We know that sitting the CASA exams can be one of the hardest parts of obtaining a pilot’s licence so we want to ensure our students are wellequipped with the knowledge they need to succeed in their aviation goals.
Additionally, we have been slowly scaling the number of student intakes to meet the growing demand for pilots in the industry. It’s a rewarding feeling to see our aviation family expanding, and we’re committed to giving each student the best education possible to prepare them for success in the industry.
We’re thrilled to report that Class A23 recently completed their first solos within a day of each other. This is a major milestone for these students and a testament to their hard work and dedication. We’re proud to have played a role in their journey towards becoming competent and skilled pilots. Finally, we would also like to welcome class B23 who started in the last week of February.
I was introduced to the world of aviation at a very young age by my grandad, who used to fly gliders and remote-control aircraft as a hobby. Growing up, we used to build model aircraft together in his workshop, and that is where my love for aviation began. I went to university after high school and pursued private flight training at the same time. However, after two years, I realised that I wanted to commit to getting my CPL in a full-time course.
In February 2022, I applied to WA Aviation College and was delighted to be accepted into the April intake. While the course has not been without its challenges, the excitement of flying and the satisfaction of completing a good flight always outweighs them. The guidance of the instructors and support of my classmates has been instrumental to my success, making the journey so enjoyable.
After obtaining my CPL in the coming months I plan to pursue my Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings to further add to my flying skillset. Following the completion of these qualifications I hope to fly up north with a charter company as it will present the opportunity to fly in a new region and experience the challenges of flying in a remote environment. As my CPL journey nears the end, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful for the solid foundation the College has provided.
Written by Marcus BunnAs a student pilot, I have found that flying has been a completely unique and fulfilling experience. During high school and my previous university studies in physics and engineering, I have always been fascinated with the idea of flying and the mechanics behind it. It was during COVID whilst I was living in London that I made the decision to chase this dream. It was a challenge to leave behind my life in the UK but it only drives me more to succeed.
The transition from a traditional university environment to a flight school was a significant change. Instead of pouring over textbooks and sitting in lectures, I was now spending my days in the cockpit of a small plane, learning how to control it through the air. I had to develop a new set of skills, such as learning how to read aviation charts and communicate with air traffic control, while also honing my hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
I have found the experience to be incredibly rewarding, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being up in the air, with nothing but the sky and your own skills to guide you. My favourite moment so far was a +600nm trip to Augusta and Albany shared with my classmate Will. I am excited to continue my training and see where this journey takes me.
This was our first meeting for 2023. The 196th meeting in the 19th year that the OFG have been operating. More than 80 guests enjoyed talks by two good presenters. Twelve new members signed up.
Our first presenter was Brian Johnson. Brian gained his PPL in 1972 under an Air Training Corps Flying Scholarship. He was selected for RAAF pilot training in 1973 and flew as a fighter pilot in Mirage III, F-15 eagle and F/A-18 Hornet. He joined Qantas Airways, retiring with 22,000 hours. Brian explored the “Swiss Cheese” model that applied to the B737 Max aircraft which led to the deaths of 346 people. When all the holes in Swiss Cheese line up, it leads to failure. Our second speaker was Eric Hibbett. Eric has recently learnt to fly at the Club. His spoke of a career at the U.K.
Met. Office where he was a technician servicing weather stations in exotic locations such as the Maldives. He came with photos of aircraft such as the Avro Vulcan Mk2, Percival Pembroke, Hawker Siddeley Andover, DC3, Argosy, Short Skyvan and Hercules. His posting to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands just after the conflict came with hazards such as unexploded land mines. Walking to collect weather data was done very carefully.
Richard Ewing and Des Byfield will present the February OFG.
I thank everyone for their continued interest in our wonderful group of Old Fliers.
https://www.youtube.com/@OldFliersGroup/videos
Dear All – I am pleased to announce the appointment of John Snare in the position of Safety Manager with effect 1 February 2023.
John has a wealth of experience and has previously held roles as SFI, CFI and Manager of VFR training and has extensive training/experience in Audit. John has previous worked at the Club many years ago, so knows our culture, values and should be a great fit back into team.
Please join me in welcoming John back into the Club. From the 1 Feb, we will also launch our new approach to Safety via the formation a ”Safety / Risk Committee”. The Safety /Risk Committee will to support the Safety Manager to look at the bigger, systemic risks we face and how to mitigate them as well as building a learning, “just safety” culture into our DNA. This is independent to our weekly safety meeting which is focused on managing the immediate incidents, breakdown and flight safety matters.
I am very pleased to announce the Safety Risk Committee will be:
Part Time members (attending as & when available)
• Kevin Lathbury
• Pia Durk
• Rebecca Bethell
• Palak Aghera
Full Time Members;
• A lan Wilson & John Snare
I am very grateful to Kevin, Becca, Pia & Palak whom have volunteered to get involved and share their considerable collective experiences to help make our business safer.
