Students that have no prior flying experience start with the General Flying Progress Test (GFPT) stage.  This stage takes 8 weeks for full time students.

Flying Lessons during GFPT

All of the flying training for this stage is conducted in a Cessna 152 and training is limited to the local aerodrome (either Bankstown or Cessnock.)

Flying lessons during the GFPT focus on teaching the student how to handle the aircraft.  The lessons start with simple sequences such as climbing, turning and flying straight and level.

Students then progress to the circuit area where they practice their take-offs and landings.

Lastly, students return to the training area to learn more complex sequences such as advanced stalling, precautionary search and landing and instrument flying.

During this stage, students are scheduled for a flight every day, although flights are subject to weather conditions.

Follow the link to the flying curriculum to learn more about this part of the course and each flying lesson you will do.

Theory Lessons during GFPT

The theory component of the GFPT stage prepares students to pass the Basic Aeronautical Knowledge (BAK) test.

Theory is scheduled every day from Monday to Friday, and is delivered as a 3 hour lecture.

Students cover areas such as engine systems, aerodynamics, meteorology, human factors, air law and aircraft performance.

The core text used for this part of the theory course is Dyson-Holland's "The Complete Student Pilot."  The Dyson-Holland texts are perceived to be the most comprehensive text books in Australia, and deliver a thorough briefing on each part of CASA's Day VFR syllabus.

The Dyson-Holland text is supplemented with numerous case studies, assignments and classroom exercises.

Follow the link to the theory curriculum to learn more about each lecture that you will do.

Completing a GFPT

Once students have passed their BAK and GFPT flight tests, they progress on to the Private Pilot License (PPL) part of the course.

Course Costs

Below is an estmiate of the costs to complete a GFPT - at around $13,530.  Because every pilot learns at a different rate, the actual number of hours flown varies between students.  Students are chaged for the actual flight times.

Completing the course as a full time student is very efficient.  Students benefit from the extensive theory component of Basair's courses - and this makes the flying lessons more effective and helps to reduce the overall cost.  It also makes students better, more informed and safer pilots.

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