His Excellence the HonourableChris Dawson Governor of Western Australia
Gareth Lloyd
Hugh Rayment
Selwyn Bore
Tarak Elalkamy
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
Ethan Evans
Liam Woodward
Ken May
Toni Lovett
Geoffrey Zhang
Jerry Wong
Ben Craw
Farah Burah
Damian Garbowski
Anthony Roldan
Kohl Branch
Conor Flynn
Colin Bailey
Zubin Biviji
David Kelly
Spencer Broad
Liam Martin
Carlos Garcia
Jason Bonebreak
Liam Comer
Marcell Patzschke
Lawrence Adams
Chris Shiels
Kirsty Andrys
Simon Wilson
Daniel Rowe
Carl Ende
David Lee
Barrie Smith
Kayne Buik
Cooper Johnson
90 degree AoB turns in a Hawk Jet - no worriesHello Members, by the time you read this edition of Tarmac Topics 2023 will be upon us.
We had a very good finish to 2022. A relatively cool spring and start to summer delayed the usual onset of midday turbulence. To make the most of the longer daylight hours, training hours were extended from 0700 to 1800 on weekdays. Together, the great flying conditions and longer training days resulted in well-above-budget flying hours for both training and club flying.
A late highlight of 2022 for me was a fly-in visit to RAAF Peace at the invitation of Wing Commander Grant Taylor, Commanding Officer of 79 Squadron and long-term supporter of RACWA. I admit to pushing the boundaries of the invitation and politeness by asking to fly into Pearce in formation, which was actually agreed to. So, on 14 November my wife Sue and I in Vans RV14 VH-IFC flew up the coast in formation with Mooney VH-MWE piloted by Andrew Eldridge and Holly Thomas. After a delay near Burns Beach while a kangaroo was chased off the Pearce runway and the circuit was “sterilised” for our arrival, the formation was cleared direct to final on RWY 05 to land and park up in the lines of Hawk jets and PC21s, puffing out our chests and trying not to feel inferior. Each pilot had a flight in the (very realistic) Hawk simulator, finding that things happen pretty quick at 500kt and that however much of a pacifist you might be if you get into the cockpit of a fighter you WILL want to bomb or shoot something (the Perth CBD being a handy target). Leaving in formation was a well-timed event as the fast military aircraft were by this time doing circuits very quickly. Norm the Club Quokka came along for the ride and has submitted some expensive suggestions for RACWA fleet upgrades. Many thanks to Wing Commander Taylor for this opportunity.
Looking ahead to 2023, our Flying Committee has released an updated Events Calendar for the year. It is great to see that there is a flying event on almost every weekend of the year –either a RACWA competition or fly away, or events of regional flying clubs. So, lots of opportunity to get out for a fly.
An event on the calendar that I am particularly passionate about is an annual long-haul fly away in the nature of our 2021 flight to Derby and our 2022 flight to Kangaroo Island. These events allow us to see some fantastic places outside of the South West, with the benefits of safety and camaraderie of flying with a large group.
A further long-haul event is in the Events Calendar for the first two weeks of September 2023. So please mark this now in your diary if you are interested. Destinations and routes have not yet been decided but after having some cloudy, rainy and windy weather hamper some pilots and aircraft on the 2022 flight to Kangaroo Island we are contemplating a more northerly itinerary for 2023.
The multi-day fly aways can be quite time consuming to organise and we would love to have some volunteers to help out as part of an organising committee. As well as deciding a route, the organisational tasks are communications with participants; identifying accommodation; arranging en-route events; and preparing flight planning and briefing material. None of these tasks are particularly difficult or onerous if the workload is shared. If you are interested in participating in the event and would like to lend a hand with organisation, please contact either me or our Club Captain Haydn.
Whatever your preferred outing, I encourage you to get out for some summer flying.
Hi, Its Norm and Hayds back again to fill you all in with the current news on the club flying front and let’s say it’s been up to now a busy one. It all started back on the 3rd October where 11 aircraft participated in our club fly in to the wheat belt town of Koorda , a great trip with reasonably good flying weather. Through the preparation from RACWA Member Adam Bettles and his mother, the people of Koorda welcomed us into their community with a guided tour of the CBH Grain Terminal, a visit to the local museum, a film at the local drive in and the hospitality of the Koorda Pistol Club with breaky and a shoot.
The local pub prepared a wonderful lunch upon our arrival, of course the beer was nice and cold, and the hospitality was only what you could experience at a country pub.
There is a small chance that we will make a return journey back to Koorda in the not to distance future, thanks Koorda for a great weekend.
Well, what can we say about the Wings Dinner, it was a great evening during which all members that attended enjoyed themselves immensely. The venue was beautifully presented and congratulations to all the award winners and achievers. A big thank you must go to Coril for all of her hard work to ensure the evening went off without a hitch, thank you on behalf of all the members.
A thanks also to our MCs for the night, Merrilee and Jarod, you did a grand job.
A good mate of mine Martin Jones (Jonesy), was awarded his 25-year membership which was thoroughly deserved.
Martin has been a wonderful stalwart and contributor to the Club and it was fitting that he was recognised at the Wings Presentation.
On behalf of all the members well done Jonesy.
On the 23rd of September I took my son down to the annual SABC Fly-In held at the Serpentine Airfield. There were several club members attendance in their respective aircraft, it was a good day enjoyed by many aviation enthusiasts.
The only low point of the day was that the weather turned for the worst and a couple of our members had to return the following day to retrieve their air craft, I wonder who they were?
Our local flying competitions have been well supported especially in the lead up to W.A.L.A.C. which was held on the 11th and 12th November.
We had a total of 18 competitors which included the formation teams and individual competitors, it was a great two days with everyone that participated enjoying themselves. The formation competition was one by “A “Team which consisted of Gary Evans as leader, Bruce Rathbone and Michael Stenson with the individual event overall winner awarded to Rod Garnaut, congratulations and well-done guys.
W.A.L.A.C. requires a lot a pre planning, a big thanks must go to Mick Harcourt who not only did all the pre work but mentored the new Club Captain for the upcoming in later years, thanks Mick.
For the competition to be successful it also requires the services of air judges, ground judges, scorers and helpers, this was very well supported and a massive thank you must go out to each individual who gave up their time, thanks guys. Lunch was provided and prepared by the Aerobatic Competitors again thanks for your efforts.
The dinner and presentation were held at the Club on the Saturday night, we had 38 people in attendance, again a good evening to cap off what was a successful competition.
Special thanks must go to the caterers Muzz Buzz as they cooked up an enjoyable dinner which was appreciated by all that attended.
Well next to come along was the Greg Hill Memorial Trophy that was held on the 19th of November at YMUL in which it was a fun day with the three teams consisting of the Students, Members and Instructors participating in a PFL, spot landing and flower bombing.
Again, a big thankyou to all the helpers, judges and of course the competitors for giving up their time to as well as the support from David Currey.
Unfortunately, the result didn’t favour the members with the instructors coming first then the students coming second and the members coming third.
Oh well, I suppose there is next year.
As a closing note, may I on behalf of the flying committee, myself and Norm extend our sincere thanks to all the members that come along and support our activities and make it the Club of what it is.
Hope you enjoy a relaxing Christmas and great start to the New Year!
Catcha later, Hayds and Norm
With the upcoming holiday break, I’d firstly like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year for you and your families.
Some of you may be taking up the opportunity to take up some Christmas flying with your loved ones and maybe even a long trip or overnight trip planned, with that it’s a good point to recap some of the changes in the last twelve months that has occurred.
Air law wise, we’re now a year into the Part 91/135/138 regs and while the latter two won’t concern private flying it’s worth making sure you know the changes for part 91. For those of you who aren’t aware Google “CASA part 91 plain English guide” version 2.0 is out and will give you a crash course on changes, whilst there might as well grab another drink and Google “CASA VFRG” the visual flight rules guide is now up to version 7.0 and worth a recap if you haven’t seen one for a while. Both publications are available digitally via PDF so you can read them on your tablet or phone if you wish.
Air space wise, the south west has seen some huge changes with not only Bunbury/Busselton/Caple sharing the same CTAF frequency (127.0) but now the South-West Cape has its own broadcast area from surface to 5500ft on 132.25. If you’re not familiar with any of what I’ve just mentioned then now is the time to do some reading so you don’t get caught out.
Apart from that, I hope you have had the chance to get in some fair weather flying, I’m sure it won’t be long until we’re all complaining it’s 40+ and too hot for us to then be able to fly! In the meantime, enjoy your flying.
Congratulations to all of our achievers for the months of October and November. We are very proud to see so many people reaching new heights in their flight training with us.
FIRST SOLO
Cooper Johnson - First Solo - November
October and November were quite busy for Murrayfield.
We kicked off October with the Murrayfield Open Day featuring FlyOnE’s electric Pipistrel. It was quite the site seeing this new futuristic electric aircraft alongside RACWA’s DH-82A Tiger Moth. It was amazing to see how far aviation development has come in only 80 years. The day was busy with trial, scenic and vintage flights as well as some formation fly-overs and aerobatic routines.
Moving into the first week of November, we had a Murrayfield competition day covering practiced forced landings and spot landings. This was mostly to give members and opportunity to practice these sequences before WALAC, which was held the following weekend.
Murrayfield hosted the West Australian Light Aircraft Championships (WALAC) on the 12th of November and it saw a great turnout this year. Rod Garnaut took out the overall win again this year, however it was nice to see some new faces giving the regular competitors a run for their money. Will Taylor took out the top spot in the practiced forced landing and Jonathan Pinardi took home the honours in the spot landing.
Moving onto the 19th of November we had the Greg Hill Memorial Trophy. The competition was close, only 5 points between first and second, however the instructor team proved to be the best. Well done to Daniel Gardner, Roneesha James and Mathew Sollart for their efforts.
We finished off the month with the WA Chapter of Australian Aerobatics Club’s state championship. Some very skilled aerobatic pilots in high-powered aerobatic aircraft made for an interesting day.
I will leave you with a reminder about Murrayfield Vintage flying days. We will have the Tiger Moth at Murrayfield at the end of each month, if we get enough bookings. So, if you’d like to experience the wind in your hair from a vintage 1940’s de Havilland Tiger Moth get in quick, bookings are essential!
Summer is here, bringing with it clear skies and hot days. But summer is also the peak season for an often overlooked but serious flight hazard: dehydration. Unfortunately, many pilots are unaware of the symptoms of dehydration and the dangers this condition can pose during flight.
Contrary to popular belief, the feeling of thirst is not the best indicator of dehydration. Health experts say that by the time you feel thirsty, you might already be in the throes of dehydration. Left untreated, dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea, and disorientation. Each of these symptoms can significantly impede one’s mental and physical performance. For pilots, this can lead to poor decision-making, putting them at an increased risk of dangerous incidents or accidents. So, what can you do to prevent dehydration when flying during the hot summer months?
Some of the warning signs of mild dehydration to look out for include headache, fatigue, dizziness, dry or sticky mouth, and of course, the sensation of thirst. If you notice any of these signs in yourself or one of your passengers, rehydrate right away and move to a cooler area, if possible. Do not hesitate to cancel or delay your plans until you feel up for flying.
It’s a good idea to keep a bottle of water (or a sports drink) to your flight bag to maintain hydration. Keep some water bottles on board for your passengers as well. The amount of water you need each day depends on individual factors. Please click on the link below to read more on the real world effects dehydration can have on decision making: https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4785906/ao-2014-013_ final.pdf
Fly safely this summer and remember to stay hydrated!
The Royal Aero Club’s Flying Committee is responsible for creating and organising all the Club fly-away events plus the regular programme of flying competitions held at either Jandakot or Murrayfield airports. Regular participation enables our pilot members to keep their licenses current, while creating the perfect aviation inspired environment to experience the camaraderie and fun of flying.
RACWA’s Flying Committee is chaired by our newly elected Club Captain Haydn Vernon who together with his experi -
enced committee carefully plan, organise and manage every event.
Club competitions are not “competitive’ - in fact you don’t even have to hold a license as there is always a Club instructor in the right-hand seat!
Fly-away events enable Club pilots to confidentially fly together within a group to places of interest on either one day, weekend overnights or distant destinations. In the last 12 months the Club has organised significant fly aways to Kangaroo Island in South Australia and to Derby to commemorate the centenary of WA Airways, the first air service established in Australia. The centenary flight included social occasions with local communities each night in Geraldton, Onslow and Broome enroute to Derby.
Upcoming club events are announced in Tarmac Topics, the Clubs digital magazine emailed to members every Friday, plus you can check out the year ahead in the Event Calendar on notice boards located around the Club.
There is always something happening at RACWA and regardless of your flying experience we encourage you to just come along and join in - you’ll always be made welcome!
A beautiful sunny day with a light breeze and I think most kids would choose the beach or a local park to hang out… except if you’re an aviation enthusiast like me and your dream aircraft is arriving at Jandakot Airport! Not one, but two Cirrus SR22 G6 2022 models! These aircraft are amazing. In striking colours of burnt orange and aqua blue (Zanibar & Baja) they drew quite a crowd, filled with enthusiasts, pilots and potential customers.
The Cirrus team had the aircraft presented very professionally and their genuine enthusiasm for the new G6 was infectious. Graham Horne, Regional Director of Cirrus Australia, NZ & SE Asia gave a short introduction on the features and threw out the challenge of a quick Q & A (during which I won a Cirrus cap!).
We all looked over the aircraft and got excellent cockpit tours. The avionics are amazing and the seats are so comfy. The safety features of the Cirrus SR22 G6 go way beyond just the CAPS (Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System).
I was quite interested to learn about the honeycomb seats and YAW Dampner.
Usually with displays people (especially kids) are told to ‘not touch’ but we were allowed to touch screens and I scrolled through weather and flights. Graham even did a demo on how his plane communicates with his phone to check fuel and log flights.
It is super easy to fall in love with the Cirrus SR series aircraft but not just because they look great but the features make it so much easier to concentrate and then enjoy flying. The ground roll (330m), cruise speed (183KTAS), max altitude (17,500ft) and climb rate (6.5m/s) make this a great aircraft, but I also liked the comfort features. The UV tinted windows, air conditioning, interior and exterior spectra lighting are just a few things on a very long list of features. After asking heaps of questions and taking heaps of photos, I had the best finish to the Cirrus visit when I got to be a part of a demo flight and we cruised the G6 easily over Rottnest Island. It was a wonderful visit and a lovely day organised by Cirrus and The Royal Aero Club of WA.
For longer than I can remember, the SAAA & SABC have had a celebration of aviation at their Serpentine Airfield base in Hopelands, not too far south of Jandakot. In years gone by this “fly-in” was preceded by a Langley Park, Perth City flying event that saw up to 130 aircraft land at that historic venue, but alas, in more recent times this has not been possible and so the focus is on a Flying Event of a grand scale.
Sunday 23rd September was set for the date and the members at Serpentine made ready their airfield to accept not only aircraft arriving, but also a plethora of diverse attendees – these included vintage car clubs featuring MGTCs, MGBs, MGAs, and a steam engine club with many of their working models. There was a coffee van onsite, raffles, representation from the RAAFA Museum selling models, books and a whole variety of sandwiches and cool drinks available inside the Clubhouse. Altogether set for a great day!
I elected to fly Tiger Moth VH-FAS from Jandakot to Serpentine with a passenger and in quite calm conditions arrived for not only a full stop landing on RWY 05, but was marshalled into a “prime” parking spot, alongside some much more modern aircraft, in full view of the general public. No sooner had we vacated the aircraft when people were showing lots of interest in the old girl with lots of questions about her history etcetera, the most common one being “How fast does it go?”. I left my PAX, an ex-RAAF officer, to extoll the virtues of wind in the wires flying!
From a flying point of view, there were aircraft coming and going all morning. I couldn’t tell the numbers but they seemed a little down on previous years, possibly due to the forecast for later in the day, which came into play, but more of that later. Walking up and down the strip, however, there were a variety of aircraft that probably would not been seen anywhere else in WA. A quick visit to the Clubhouse and $5 bought a sandwich with another dollar for a cup of tea – excellent value and all prepared by members and their partners to show just how a club like this functions in these modern times of rules, regulations and restrictions.
There were several pilots expecting to do some local flying and they were briefed about what was expected of them,
what safety protocols were in place and every conceivable scenario concerning aviation and flying. Then followed the Formation Flying, Aerobatics, Circuits and demonstrations of various aircraft and their pilot’s ability to perform many maneuvers.
Just after midday a few spots of rain were felt and though there were a few clouds around, nothing ominous was expected. We continued to enjoy the day until someone played the Jandakot ATIS and it almost sounded as though YPJT would be closing soon due to incoming weather, so a few aircraft started up and taxied for take-off, for a return to YPJT. “Hmmm maybe”, I thought to myself, “I should do the same” so I gathered my passenger, got a prop swing and started to taxi for departure. One of the YPJT bound aircraft was returning saying (on the radio) that there was just a wall of rain across the entries to Jandakot, decision made - I taxied back and parked up!
Unfortunately, the rain increased at our location also and knowing that I wouldn’t be able to fly out that day, I asked around to see if there was any hangar space available to park the aircraft overnight and luckily, I was offered space by one of the members, who’s second aircraft was at Jandakot!
By the time I got the aircraft bedded down most of the public had vacated and aircraft were put away. I was lucky RACWA members Mark and Louise Kemp kindly offered to drive me back to Jandakot to pick up my car! The next day, Vaughan Emery and myself got a lift to Serpentine to pick up both of our aircraft and return to Jandakot that afternoon.
Serpentine Flying Day, always worth a visit to network with other people as much as to enjoy the spectacle of the day!
There was a palpable sign of relief from the instructor team when Club Captain Haydn Vernon announced that they had won the 2022 Greg Hill Memorial Trophy. The pressure on the instructor team to win the competition is immense, as failure would have subject them to ridicule from their peers.
The students missed on out on winning by just 5 points, with William Taylor and Hayden Rogers achieving the top two scores. John Ridley from the members’ team was the best bomb aimer, with his flour bomb just 6.8 metres from the target.
The competition comprises a practised forced landing, flour bombing and a spot landing. The instructors now have a clear lead with 4 wins on the trophy compared to students (2) and members (3).
Many thanks to the air judges and those that helped organise the event.
As many of you know WALAC is the Western Australian Light Aircraft Championships, hosted by the Club it is an annual event open to all Western Australian pilots of RPL and above. This year’s competition was conducted at Murrayfield and attracted some high calibre entrants across all of the categories – formation, aerobatics, streamer cutting, PFL and spot landing.
After a fierce day of enjoyable competition, we headed back to Jandakot and enjoyed a meal and some music and a few drinks.
Congratulations to everyone who competed, especially to our winners in each category and the overall winner Rod Garnaut. We look forward to seeing you all, and hopefully some new entrants, next year.
Formation
• 1st ‘The A Team’ Gary Evans, Bruce Rathbone & Mike Stenson
• 2nd ‘The Z Team’ Rob Burns, Mick Harcourt & Haydn Vernon
Aerobatics (Sportsman)
• 1st Kevin Ridderhof
• 2nd Gary Evans
• 3rd Anthony Barbaro
Streamer Cutting
• 1st Michael Stenson
• 2nd Rod Garnaut
• 3rd Rob Burns
PFL
• 1st Will Taylor
• 2nd Rod Garnaut
• 3rd Jonathan Pinardi
Spot Landing
• 1st Jonathan Pinardi
• 2nd Rod Garnaut & Michael Stenson
Overall Winner
• Rod Garnaut
“The aviation industry is definitely on the move’” stated survey pilot Trish Curry at the October industry presentation. “The industry is hiring pilots, but newly qualified commercial pilots need to ensure that they meet the criteria that employers require.”
“If you want to head up North, get some Cessna 200 series experience before you go”, she advised. “Quite often, pilots get jobs because they are in the right place at the right time, but make sure you tick as many of the employer’s requirements as possible”.
Trish completed her nursing degree before a trial flight convinced her that she had aviation in her blood. She completed her CPL over East, obtaining valuable work experience in Alice Springs. She highly recommended CPL students undertake a significant away trip during the solo consolidation phase of their training.
Her first job was in Darwin, flying to remote communities on a very strict schedule. “Flying in the wet season is not to be taken lightly. Know your limitations and do not allow yourself to be persuaded to undertake a flight that you are not comfortable with. Stick to your guns at all times”, she recommended.
Flying up North certainly teaches a pilot a lot of lessons and presents a pilot with interesting challenges. Dealing with customers who have too much luggage or who are not on time, poor runways, a strict schedule with minimum time for paperwork all present challenges that teaches a pilot the importance of being professional at all times.
During the COVID downturn in the industry, Trish worked in Alice Springs as a technical assistant, looking after the aircraft that were parked at Alice Springs for the duration. As the industry recovered, Trish returned to being a pilot.
Trish’s advice to students is:
1. Treat training seriously from the very start. It will make you a better pilot.
2. Always be prepared for your flight. Use fellow class members to help you if necessary.
3. Be professional, punctual and presentable at all times.
4. Employers want a pilot with a good attitude that is always willing to help.
5. Aviation is not a race to the top. Every pilot has their own unique journey.
6. Try to network and maintain good relationships, especially when leaving an employer. Aviation is a very small industry.
7. Complete you MEIR and ATPLs as soon as possible.
8. Know the Pilots’ Award and what you are entitled to.
9. Get loss of licence insurance.
10. Instil good habits from the start and maintain the self-discipline required to maintain these standards.
Trish ended her presentation with the words “Network, network, network”.
The recent spell of good weather has seen students catching up with their flying training, which was delayed by the prolonged rainy weather experienced in Perth this year. Operating hours have been extended to assist students to make the most of the good weather. Starting early will be a very popular option in the summer months. Our students continue to record above average pass rates. Congratulations to Evan Brown for obtaining 100% for the CPL performance exam. I am not sure who was more elated, Evan or Herman, his lecturer!
2023 promises to be a very busy year for the College. Due to increased demand, the College will be scheduling 6 classes next year. The first two classes are already full.
Congratulations to William Taylor and Hayden Rogers for being the top two pilots during the recent Greg Hill Memorial Trophy. Unfortunately, the student team was narrowly beaten by the instructor team. Hopefully next year will see the students winning this trophy again.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a hotter than average summer. Pilot performance, especially decision making, can be negatively affected by insufficient hydration prior or during the flight. All students are encouraged to ensure that they take water for the flight, and possibly a reserve bottle for their instructor.
Make the most of the good weather and good luck for all students who have a flight test in the next couple of weeks.
I was bitten by the ‘aviation bug’ at a young age. Looking back, it’s hard to pin point when my passion for everything aviation begun. Ever since I can remember, I have been glancing up towards the sky, mesmerised by these machines that seem to cut through the air so elegantly. It goes without saying that achieving a career in aviation was my goal. Growing up as an aviation enthusiast - I flew simulators, collected model aircraft and learned the ins and outs of how planes fly. At the time I did this out of pure passion, however I later learned that all this enthusiasm would one day help me. When I was 16 I began flying down at the Bunbury Aero Club. Paying hour-by-hour, I was only able to fly once every fortnight or so. However it kept my passion alive. After graduating high school, I went to university to study nursing, and though this was an exciting adventure, I quickly realised this wasn’t what I wanted to do. I left university and worked on a gold mine near Laverton known as Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, I got a job as an Aerodrome Reporting Officer. I did training for this role and quickly began working an 8 days on, 6 days off roster.
My job involved the management of the onsite airport. My duties were widespread and exciting; everything from passenger movements (check in), runway and lighting inspections, wildlife management, baggage, refuelling and much more. I worked closely with the airlines that flew to site and became good friends with the crew and operations teams. I also was able to learn so much more about aviation and ground operations.
Though I did love my job, after two years of watching planes come in and out every day, I simply couldn’t stay on the ground any longer – I wanted to be one of the pilots who I saw every day.
I knew that the journey to becoming a pilot was going to be intense and difficult. Thanks to FIFO, I had sufficient savings so that I could live comfortably while studying. I researched a few aviation colleges around Perth, and beyond. I stumbled upon WAAC, and after a quick phone call, I was sold.
I began my training in April and was stunned by how quickly I progressed. I was one of a few students in my class who had a little prior flying experience, though there were some who had never flown before.
Roughly 6 weeks in, all my class mates and I had earned our Recreational Pilot License, and were quickly onto our PPL training.
Fast forward to now, I can’t believe how far we all have come. If someone had said to me a year ago that in December, 2022, that I would be ¾ way though commercial pilot training and that I am currently a licensed pilot who can fly with friends and family, I would’ve laughed.
WAAC has made this dream possible for me. I’ve spoken to many pilots about my training; I’m yet to meet one that hasn’t met a pilot that has come from the college. The Royal Aero Club has a reputation that vibrates through the aviation community of Australia, a reputation of producing quality, professional and safe pilots. These are all reasons why I wear my uniform with pride, and strive to become one of those quality pilots.
When asked where I want to take my aviation career, I’m still undecided. Everything from instructing to fire spotting is appealing. One thing is for sure though, I want to go back to Sunrise Dam, this time however - I won’t be wearing high vis!
Written by Will Evans
I have always had a keen interest in aviation. It is well entrenched in my family’s history and I have always endeavoured to align myself with the industry. From joining the Royal Australian Air Force Cadets in my early teens, to completing a Certificate IV in Aeronautics during the later years of high school, the desire has always been there. Ultimately, that passion is what made me make the jump from my job with the State Government late last year, after 5 ½ years. I also owe it to my friend Travis Schofield who took me on a flight to Rottnest in a C172 in early 2021 – that is what planted the seed for me to get out of the daily 9-5 grind! I am so pleased to see Travis progressing through his Private Pilot Licence training in recent months. Back in March, I was over the moon to hear I had been selected to be part of the College’s April intake and I haven’t looked back since. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed my training and am delighted to have recently attained my Private Pilot Licence. I’m now working my way towards a Commercial Pilot Licence, flying the Mooney M20J.
The integrated course presents many challenges. It is fast paced and at times can have quite a hefty workload – indeed, a good introduction to the aviation industry! One thing that has made it easy for me are the people I am surrounded by. My classmates in B22 are awesome – I am forever grateful for the friendships I have formed with those guys and my other peers at the College. My ground and flying instructors are fantastic, and everyone else that keeps the WAAC & RACWA ‘engine’ running are all a great support. I am thankful for everyone I am surrounded by at the College, whom I interact with daily.
Put simply, I love the Club and the College. I love the flying, the theory classes, and the prospect of a very exciting career ahead of me. Looking over the cowling of an aircraft from the cockpit certainly beats looking at a computer screen all day!
Our last meeting for 2022. I was delighted with the turn out. 2022 has been a successful year for the OFG with 15 presenters giving 18 interesting talks, all available on our YouTube Channel. That Channel has earned the OFG $710 for the year which rewards our speakers for their work.
Today it was Peter Yates who told us about the P-51 Mustang. His first part was how the Mustang evolved in a time of global conflict. The haste to deliver a fighter was real. During the interval our guests were invited to the desserts trolley. Muzz Buzz delighted with their selections.
Peter resumed his talk, this time reflecting on his aviation journey that led to the Mustang and how it operated. This aircraft will bite if you don’t follow its unique procedures. For instance, on take-off, as the tail rises, the gyroscopic effect of the large propeller will swing the nose strongly to port.
Peter then spoke of the “gathering of the Mustangs and legends” held at Rickenbacker airfield in Columbus, Ohio in 2007.
Peter is an accomplished speaker who knows his subject well. The next time the OFG gather will be on Friday, January 27. The yearly 2023 membership of $25 can be paid at any luncheon. A safe and prosperous 2023 to all.
https://www.youtube.com/@OldFliersGroup/videos
Just let me tell you that I am proud to be a member of the Royal Aero Club of WA because of your commitment to flight safety and your superb flight training staff.
I am an 84-year-old American pilot with a 45 year, 20,000+ flying hour accident-free career behind me. My nephew Shawn Taylor told me he was going to learn how to fly, and asked me for advice on how to be a safe pilot. I was in the process of writing a pre-flight primer on just that subject, and I sent Shawn a draft copy of the book. Shawn read the draft shortly after becoming a member of the Royal Aero Club of WA and soloed on April 19th this year, and sent me an email describing how my advice had almost mirrored what CFI Dave Schneiker had taught him. The way Shawn described the excellence of the Royal Aero Club of WA not only made me want to become a member, but it turned out to be the last chapter of my book FLY THE AIRPLANE!
Fly safe, Charlie Wood
Written by Sharon WilliamsI did my first solo. That means I flew a plane. All by myself. After doing a few routine circuits, my instructor got out. Just like that.
There may have been a swear word. I may have grabbed his arm in a brief flurry of nerves. I may have asked him if he was sure, really sure?
Apparent he was.
So I took off alone. No one to say, “How fast are you going?”
Or “Have you seen that plane at 11 o’clock?”
Or to save you from crashing to the ground when landing after you cut the power 100 feet in the air!
And I did it. I took off. I landed. And a few bits and bobs in between. After 10 months of blood, sweat and a LOT of tears - I flew a bloody plane.
Reasons not to fly:
1. Flying is expensive - I could feed a whole town of homeless people for months with the money I’ve spent.
2. I see my instructor more than I see my family and friends put together. He’s nice, but I do like my family and friends too!
3. Setting goals to go solo by your birthday means rescheduling many clients, sometimes at short notice. Luckily my clients are all uber high achievers and totally got behind me sending texts like, “Happy to reschedule this one, you need to go solo by your birthday!”
And we did it, with 5 days to spare in case you’re wondering…
Reasons to fly:
Just one. It makes me feel alive. No matter what is going on in my life I can escape when I take to the skies. It’s intoxicating. It’s exhilarating. The cockpit is my happy place. A massive thank you to everyone who has helped me get here. A special thanks to my incredibly patient, perceptive and unshakeable instructor.
