Kangawallafox Flight School
- Training Pilots -
- Creating Aviators -
Trial Flight Lesson $180
Fly a plane with an instructor and experience the joy of flight!
Complete Your Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC) with Kangawallafox Flight School
Flight Lessons
Some flight schools charge their students for ground briefing time before & after each flight lesson, plus the aircraft time for the flight. They may also charge students to sit theory exams. If you're comparing costs between different flight schools, ensure to ask if they charge for ground time and exams. Some flight schools also require their students to become financial members of a club, so ask about any additional fees to fly with them.
Our students only pay based on the aircraft engine hours for the lesson. We do not charge for ground time or theory exams. Our current prices are listed at the bottom of this page.
The minimum flight experience required to sit the RPC flight test is 20-hours. While some students have successfully completed their training in this time, the average student is generally ready for the flight test after 25-hours of flight training.
RAAus Membership
Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) allows student pilots to complete up to 3-hours of flight training in a 3-month period, before they are required to become a financial member. The current schedule of fees from RAAus can be found here. All students and pilots flying RAAus aircraft in Australia are subject to this membership, it's not specific to our school.
Theory Textbook
Student pilots need to study theory material during the process of learning to fly. Textbooks are available from various online retailers. A popular example is - GoFly Online
Pilot Logbook
Pilots are required to record all flight experience, including training. The most popular pilot logbook is the Standard Pilots Logbook by Aviation Theory Centre. This can be purchased online from FlightStore
There is no minimum age for a student pilot to start training, though solo flight is not permitted under age 15.
A student pilot can have free temporary membership with RAAus, which is valid for up to 3-hours of training in a 3-month period. RAAus membership is then required to continue training. To apply for membership with RAAus click here
Multiple-choice theory exams will be completed during the flight training process. These exams are required before a student can attempt the RPC flight test.
RPC holders can act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of a recreational aircraft within a 25NM radius of the departure field (46km). A passenger endorsement is required to carry a passenger. RPC holders can apply for a passenger endorsement once they have accrued 10hrs solo flight time.
A cross-country endorsement is required to fly further than 25NM from the departure field. Training time for this endorsement is additional to the initial RPC training time. The minimum flight training required for the endorsement is 12hrs. A cross-country flight test can then be completed, which is typically 2hrs.
There are no minimum hours that must be flown each year to hold an RPC. An RPC holder is required to complete a Biennial Flight Review (BFR) every 2 years, to continue to utilise the privileges of their RPC. A BFR is completed with a flight instructor, to ensure the pilot is continuing to fly safely.
VFR – Visual Flight Rules: Flight during daylight hours using the horizon and ground features as the primary reference.
NVFR – Night Visual Flight Rules: Flight at night using the horizon and ground features as the primary reference.
IFR – Instrument Flight Rules: Flight using the aircraft instruments as the primary reference.
*Endorsements/ratings require additional training ($) before they can be issued and used. Examples include NVFR, IFR, cross-country, controlled airspace, retractable undercarriage, manual propeller pitch control, tailwheel undercarriage, turbine engine, twin engine.
PPL automatically comes with cross-country and controlled airspace endorsements.
MTOW – Maximum Take-Off Weight: The maximum weight an aircraft can be loaded to for take-off, includes the weight of the empty aircraft + fuel + pilot + passengers + baggage.
A GA licence generally requires a medical to be completed with a GP or Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME). Different classes of medical allow different privileges. Example:
Class 5 self-declaration – VFR only, 1 passenger;
Basic Class 2 – VFR only, 5 passengers.
RAAus requires pilots to declare they have a health standard equivalent to that required for the issue of a private motor vehicle driver licence in Australia. Certain conditions may require a GP assessment e.g. Epilepsy; Diabetes (Type 1 or 2); A heart condition / disease or paralysis; Mental illness (medicated or otherwise); Becoming 75 years of age or older; Any other medically significant safety related condition.
A person who is colour-blind can still achieve an RPC/RPL/PPL, provided they are fit enough to hold a driver’s licence. Some limitations may apply to a PPL e.g. limited to day VFR flight.
An RPC pilot can apply for an RPL to be issued from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Click here to view the application form and requirements. Once an RPL is issued by CASA, the pilot can complete a Flight Review with a GA flight training school before it can be used.
“Persons undertaking flying training and other types of flying in recreational aeroplanes are advised that there are risks involved. These risks cannot be specifically quantified however; recreational aeroplanes used for pilot training are constructed, operated and maintained under exemptions from the regulations. These exemptions are from the regulations that apply to CASA registered aeroplanes. Whilst similar rule sets apply to our organisation and replace those that we are exempt from, it must be accepted that the overall safety of recreational flying is generally below the well-known commercial air transport standards in Australia.”
Frequently Asked Questions
The trial flight lesson is a 1-hour booking slot, which includes a 1/2-hour flight. This lesson is provided for people not sure if flying is for them but would like to experience being in a light aircraft.
Each flight training lesson is a 2-hour booking slot, which includes a 1-hour flight.
Yes, payment is not required in advance. Students are charged per lesson, with payment required at the completion of each lesson.
Some students complete 2 lessons per day and are ready for the RPC flight test in 2-weeks. Other students prefer to spread the training out over a longer period. There is no time limit, fly when it suits you. We find that students progress more efficiently through the training when it's completed in a shorter timeframe.
Yes, RAAus is entry level and many people that wish to fly larger aircraft convert over to RPL and their RPC makes the transition cheaper, as they don’t need to complete as many hours in a more expensive GA aircraft. Pilots that start in RAAus then convert over to an RPL generally save around $5,000 compared to an RPL pilot that started in GA.
The biggest cost in flight training is paying for aircraft hire. RAAus aircraft generally use premium unleaded fuel (MOGAS) and consume 18-20L/hr. GA training aircraft generally use AVGAS and consume 32-38L/hr. AVGAS is more expensive than MOGAS. The higher fuel price combined with the increased consumption makes the cost to operate GA aircraft higher.
The training plane used at Kangawallafox Flight School is available for private hire. Flight lessons take priority over private hire, but essentially if it’s not booked for a training flight then it may be hired for private use.
Pilots must be approved by KWF prior to any private hiring. An aircraft hire agreement is required before any solo flight can occur.
Yes, the training aircraft has a maximum take-off weight limit of 600kg. Adding the weight of the plane, plus fuel and instructor weight, this generally leaves around 120kg for the student.
Additional medical requirements are involved at age 75.
Controlled airspace surrounds large airports and military bases around Australia. An RAAus pilot is not currently permitted to enter this airspace (except for special situations), though this may change in the future. Majority of airports in Australia are not subject to controlled airspace. As an example, an RAAus pilot can land at Toowoomba; Caboolture; Redcliffe; Caloundra; Hervey Bay; Bundaberg; Gladstone; Proserpine - but is not currently able to land at Archerfield; Gold Coast; Maroochydore; Rockhampton; Mackay.
A cancellation fee may apply if a booking is cancelled with less than 24-hours notice. This fee covers the cost of instructor wages. If we can find another student to take the cancelled booking, then no cancellation fee will be payable.
LESSON BOOKINGS
New customers - please contact us to book a flight
Kangawallafox Flight School Pricing
Flight Training
Trial Flight Lesson - $180
RPC Flight Training - $360/hr
RPC Flight Test - $495
Aircraft Private Hire
Bristell NG5 - $245/hr
*All prices include GST
Downloads
Bristell NG5 Pilot Operating Handbook (pdf)
DownloadKangawallafox Flight School
Chinchilla Aerodrome, Chinchilla, Queensland, Australia