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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 16, 2017 20:46:34 GMT 12
Am I right in thinking that if you go along to an Aero Club to learn to fly, you do your your flying and theory lessons one to one with an assigned instructor at your own pace --- but if you go along to a Flying School you're in a group of trainees who all start at the same time, work to a schedule, do classroom work all together, and fly with your assigned instructor, like an Air Force course?
Or do I have the wrong impression?
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Post by thomarse on Dec 17, 2017 7:31:17 GMT 12
I could write an essay on this Dave but basically you're correct. Things have changed a lot over the years; fifty years ago flying schools and aero clubs both did the "one-on-one at your own pace" thing with the only approved CPL courses being Wanganui and Auckland Aero Clubs IIRC - these were the "group" type thing and had approval to complete CPLs at 150 hours in lieu of 200 (could write another essay about that alone!)
Subsequently the structured course started to appear everywhere and "flying schools" drifted towards doing mainly concentrated training courses towards professional licences/ratings, with some aero clubs doing the same. Many of them then formed "academies" or suchlike which ran in parallel with the aero club activities as they were; however, IMHO often the "club" activity took a back seat
There are still some aero clubs doing what they were doing 70 years ago although with very different equipment: I think of Wairarapa and Ruahine, Central Hawke's Bay etc.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 17, 2017 7:40:30 GMT 12
Thanks Tom.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 17, 2017 8:12:47 GMT 12
With the larger clubs (Auckland, North Shore, etc) they run the theory tuition as a classroom exercise, either on specified evenings or weekends. Generally the student can enroll for one, two or more theory topics at any one time.
The students own instructor can, of course, assist the student with any sticky points but that tends to add to costs - they charge for instructor ground time.
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 17, 2017 10:04:01 GMT 12
What's an aero club ?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Dec 17, 2017 14:43:51 GMT 12
And how many aero clubs actually OWN the airfield they operate from? Hawke's Bay & East Coast Aero Club comes to mind, but are there any others? |
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 17, 2017 17:24:18 GMT 12
Many here will recall the club scene of the '60's and 70's, even in to mid- 80's.
Simply a different life that many of the younger generation will never know. I think we should feel blessed that we could have that experience, a little like the music of the '60's.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 17, 2017 20:55:01 GMT 12
Marlborough Aero Club owns their own airfield and they're a vibrant and excellent club by all accounts I have heard.
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 17, 2017 23:18:10 GMT 12
The problem with that club though is if you ever buy more than 5 beers in the bar on any night you end up with shares in that little yellow aeroplane, the one mentioned here the other day. That scam has been going on for decades... Be warned.
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Post by starr on Dec 18, 2017 5:31:35 GMT 12
I did all my flying training at Auckland Aero Club in the 60s. Did not attend any lectures, but did all the theory myself with some help from the instructors. Flying schools started at Ardmore at that time. Auckland Flying School and Manukau Flying School. With the Aero Clubs a lot was learnt by having discussions with other pilots while having a drink in the bar. In my case I learnt more from the pilots I worked with namely Jack Humphries, Bill Peterson and Gerry Kluck when having a drink with them after work than I did during the day. It must have worked as I survived 31 years flying in the Agricultural Aviation business.
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Post by flyinkiwi on Dec 18, 2017 7:41:11 GMT 12
And how many aero clubs actually OWN the airfield they operate from? Hawke's Bay & East Coast Aero Club comes to mind, but are there any others? You can add Hawera to the list. |
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Post by Bruce on Dec 18, 2017 11:46:17 GMT 12
And how many aero clubs actually OWN the airfield they operate from? Hawke's Bay & East Coast Aero Club comes to mind, but are there any others? You can add Hawera to the list. North Shore? |
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Dec 18, 2017 18:20:19 GMT 12
North Shore definitely, Canterbury owns West Melton airfield
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Dec 18, 2017 19:29:16 GMT 12
Many here will recall the club scene of the '60's and 70's, even in to mid- 80's. Simply a different life that many of the younger generation will never know. I think we should feel blessed that we could have that experience, a little like the music of the '60's. The Sunday evening drinking sessions in the bar at Bridge Pa were legendary during the 1970s. At the end of a weekend of skydiving, all the jumpers (including those from out of town) used to invade the aero club's bar upstairs in the old club rooms (the building which features in the photograph of Kingsford-Simth's Southern Cross parked up at Bridge Pa aerodrome) and if it was summer, the party would move outside to the swimming pool in front of the building (is that pool still there?). The jump pilots used to do some spectacular beat-ups as they departed for home (CFI Peter Kidd used to make sure he was never around while that was going on), with lots of yahooing from the jumpers egging the jump pilots on. The aero club used to tolerate our drinking sessions, because we provided a lot of bar income. And you got to talk to some really interesting old-time aviators, such as Jim Frogley (senior) and a few others who had long since given up their pilot's licences (I cannot remember all of the names four decades or so later), but who still used to socialise at the club. Plus the amazing Mr Moth, otherwise known as Temple Martin. Those were the days. |
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