Pilot’s License FAQ

Recreational Aviation Australia. What is that all about?
Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus.) is an organisation authorised to self-administer sport and recreational flying activities on behalf of the Commonwealth Government’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). It has approval to issue a Pilot Certificate under an exemption from the Civil Air Regulations. RAAus is a not-for-profit organisation and is governed by an elected board of volunteer Directors, supported by a small team of staff.
(RAAus) flying is an option many people consider as they offer a cheaper flight training alternative while not compromising standards and may well be the ideal solution for you. Essentially, RAAus is a more self-regulated area of the industry using smaller aircraft, with lower fuel usage rates, which equates to cheaper pricing. For example, a package to first solo in RAAus Aircraft would cost significantly less than with GA training.
With a RAAus issued Pilots Certificate you can conduct similar flying to G A but it must be used exclusively for recreational flying. You are restricted to 1 or 2 seat aircraft having a total take-off weight limit of 600kgs. You can only fly during the day and you are cannot fly into controlled airspace and some airports. If your goal in learning to fly is purely recreational, this could be the best path to follow, along with the fact that RAAus have much more relaxed medical requirements and you can go solo at 15 years of age and also obtain your Pilot Certificate at that age.
RAAus could also be a viable option if you are precluded from a CASA required medical.
Latrobe Valley Aero Club conducts training up to and including a Recreational Pilots Certificate (RPC), flight radio endorsement, passenger endorsement and cross country endorsement.
To start your RAAus training you must become a member of RAAus and remain a member to maintain currency of your Pilots Certificate. A new student membership for an adult is $245.00 per annum + a $22.00 joining fee. Under 18 years of age the student membership is $176.00 per annum with a $22.00 joining fee.
RAAus offers a 30 day free membership which will allow you to do up to three flights before you make a commitment to your training.
In order to obtain a RAAus Pilot Certificate you will need to complete a minimum of 20 hours of training under the supervision of your instructor. He will determine when he believes to you are ready to fly solo and he will determine when you are ready to do your flight test to receive your Pilot Certificate.
You can’t get your pilots certificate without some theory. It’s not particularly hard, but you are going to have to do some study. Some people take classes, but you can do it all on your own and take the exams at Latrobe Valley Aero Club.
The first thing you need to study is “Basic Aeronautical Knowledge” (BAK) which teaches you about how aircraft operate, some aerodynamics and weather. You’ll also need to understand the most important part of flying – you – and pass a ‘human factors’ exam as part of your Pilot Certificate training.
Experience shows most candidates will require more than 20 hours. The main determinant will be the regularity of your flying. As with most learning experiences, the more regularly you train, the more cost effective it will be. Each of the lessons towards the RPC consists of a flight of approximately one hour’s duration. During the training you will learn the basics of aircraft handling, how to fly an aircraft and to handle Emergency and Non Normal Procedures.
Our policy at Latrobe Valley Aero Club is to realistically price all of our licences.
A summary of the costs for a RAAus Pilot Certificate (based on realistic hours and flying at least weekly)

Membership of LVAC –  $140.00
Membership of RAAus – $200.00 (under 18)/ $270.00 (Adult)
20 hours dual in our Technam – $276.00 per hour $5520.00
10 hours solo in our Technam P 92 – $238.00 per hour $2380.00

Importantly, there are a number of other items that will be required including

Headset – $200 to $800
Logbook – $30
Text Books etc. – $200
Therefore, you should allow approximately $8,750.00 for a RAAus Pilot Certificate.
Some students, particularly younger ones, may achieve solo status at, say 10 hours, if so, completion of the RAAus Pilot Certificate can be achieved in a total of 20 hours and the charges would be.
10 hrs dual – $276.00 per hour $2760.00
And 10 hrs solo – $238.00 per hour $2380.00
Which would reduce the total cost by $1570.00 to approx. $6,000.00 total

Please note, pricing is based on LVAC membership, Non-members incur an additional $30.00 per hour fee.

Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus.) is an organisation authorised to self-administer sport and recreational flying activities on behalf of the Commonwealth Government’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). It has approval to issue a Pilot Certificate under an exemption from the Civil Air Regulations. RAAus is a not-for-profit organisation and is governed by an elected board of volunteer Directors, supported by a small team of staff.
(RAAus) flying is an option many people consider as they offer a cheaper flight training alternative while not compromising standards and may well be the ideal solution for you. Essentially, RAAus is a more self-regulated area of the industry using smaller aircraft, with lower fuel usage rates, which equates to cheaper pricing. For example, a package to first solo in RAAus Aircraft would cost significantly less than with GA training.
With a RAAus issued Pilots Certificate you can conduct similar flying to G A but it must be used exclusively for recreational flying. You are restricted to 1 or 2 seat aircraft having a total take-off weight limit of 600kgs. You can only fly during the day and you are cannot fly into controlled airspace and some airports. If your goal in learning to fly is purely recreational, this could be the best path to follow, along with the fact that RAAus have much more relaxed medical requirements and you can go solo at 15 years of age and also obtain your Pilot Certificate at that age.
RAAus could also be a viable option if you are precluded from a CASA required medical.
Latrobe Valley Aero Club conducts training up to and including a Recreational Pilots Certificate (RPC), flight radio endorsement, passenger endorsement and cross country endorsement.
To start your RAAus training you must become a member of RAAus and remain a member to maintain currency of your Pilots Certificate. A new student membership for an adult is $245.00 per annum + a $22.00 joining fee. Under 18 years of age the student membership is $176.00 per annum with a $22.00 joining fee.
RAAus offers a 30 day free membership which will allow you to do up to three flights before you make a commitment to your training.
In order to obtain a RAAus Pilot Certificate you will need to complete a minimum of 20 hours of training under the supervision of your instructor. He will determine when he believes to you are ready to fly solo and he will determine when you are ready to do your flight test to receive your Pilot Certificate.
You can’t get your pilots certificate without some theory. It’s not particularly hard, but you are going to have to do some study. Some people take classes, but you can do it all on your own and take the exams at Latrobe Valley Aero Club.
The first thing you need to study is “Basic Aeronautical Knowledge” (BAK) which teaches you about how aircraft operate, some aerodynamics and weather. You’ll also need to understand the most important part of flying – you – and pass a ‘human factors’ exam as part of your Pilot Certificate training.
Experience shows most candidates will require more than 20 hours. The main determinant will be the regularity of your flying. As with most learning experiences, the more regularly you train, the more cost effective it will be. Each of the lessons towards the RPC consists of a flight of approximately one hour’s duration. During the training you will learn the basics of aircraft handling, how to fly an aircraft and to handle Emergency and Non Normal Procedures.
Our policy at Latrobe Valley Aero Club is to realistically price all of our licences.
A summary of the costs for a RAAus Pilot Certificate (based on realistic hours and flying at least weekly)
Membership of LVAC $140.00
Membership of RAAus $200.00 (under 18) $270.00 (Adult)
20 hours dual in our Technam @ $276.00 per hour $5520.00
10 hours solo in our Technam P 92 @ $238.00 per hour $2380.00
Importantly, there are a number of other items that will be required including
Headset $200 to $800
Logbook $30
Text Books etc. $200
Therefore, you should allow approximately $8,750.00 for a RAAus Pilot Certificate.
Some students, particularly younger ones, may achieve solo status at, say 10 hours, if so, completion of the RAAus Pilot Certificate can be achieved in a total of 20 hours and the charges would be.
10 hrs dual @ $276.00 per hour $2760.00
And 10 hrs solo @ $238.00 per hour $2380.00
Which would reduce the total cost by $1570.00 to approx. $6,000.00 total
Please note, pricing is based on LVAC membership, Non-members incur an additional $30.00 per hour fee.

After completion of the RAAus Recreational Pilot Certificate you will be permitted to fly within 25 nautical miles, (nm), (approximately 50km) of the airport. You can undertake additional training and add on endorsements such as Passenger Endorsement or a Navigation Endorsement which includes 5 or 6 navigation exercises and a written test before you’ll be ready for your flight test where you demonstrate all the required skills and knowledge to our Chief Flying Instructor.
It should be noted that RAAus is the fastest growing sector of Australian aviation and the RAAus Board are presently negotiating with the CASA to have the minimum weight of their fleet increased to at least 750kg and ultimately 1500kg. They are also negotiating for access to Controlled Air Space (with additional flying training).

General Aviation is controlled by the Government Regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). If you are looking to make a career out of flying you must complete a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) which is issued by CASA. Although you can start your training with RAAus and the hours you fly in RAAus aircraft will count towards your CPL at some point you would need to transition from RAAus to GA.
The first G.A licence stipulated by CASA is the Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL). To obtain your RPL you will need to complete a minimum of 25 hours flight training of which 5 of those hours must be flown solo (without an instructor). You will also need to be at least 16 years of age at the time of the RPL flight test, however, you are able to fly solo at 15 years of age. Experience shows most candidates will require more than 25 hours. The main determinant will be the regularity of your flying. As with most learning experiences, the more regularly you train, the more cost effective it will be. Each of the lessons towards the RPL consists of a flight of approximately one hour’s duration. During this training you will learn the basics of aircraft handling, how to fly an aircraft and to handle Emergency and Non Normal Procedures.
Our policy at Latrobe Valley Aero Club is to realistically price all of our licences. The minimum 25 hours not always achieved.
A summary of the costs for an RPL (based on realistic hours and flying at least weekly)
Membership of LVAC $140.00
30 hours dual in C172@ $336 per hour $10,080.00
5 hours solo in C172 @ $298 per hour $1,490.00
Flight Test: approximately $1,150
Importantly, there are a number of other items that will be required including
Medical approximately $250
Headset $200 to $800
Aviation Security ID Card $256.50 (not mandatory, but recommended)
Logbook $30
Maps, Charts, Text Books app. $500
Therefore, you should allow approximately $14,000 for an RPL.
If a student achieved solo status at, 20 hours the charges would be:
20 hours @ $336.00 per hour $6720.00
And 5 hours @ 298.00 per hour $1490.00
Reducing the cost to approximately $10,500.00
Please note, pricing is based on LVAC membership, Non-members incur an additional $30.00 per hour fee.

After completion of the Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) training and the Flight Test you will be permitted to fly within 25 nautical miles, (nm), (approximately 50km) of the airport and carry passengers. You can undertake additional training and add on various endorsements such as the Controlled Aerodrome Endorsement, Controlled Airspace endorsement (if you intend to fly in and out of such Aerodromes) and the Flight Radio Endorsement. For those that don’t wish to proceed to the Private Pilot Licence (PPL), you can also add on a Recreational Navigation Endorsement.
Most candidates however, generally proceed on to the PPL. If you elect to navigate on the RPL by adding on the Navigation Endorsement and not continue to the PPL, you will have some limitations. For example, you cannot fly a multi engine aeroplane, you cannot fly at night and the RPL is not recognised overseas. For this reason, most people will proceed on to the full Private Pilot Licence rather than add the navigation endorsement to the RPL. If you proceed down the PPL route you will need to complete the CASA PPL theory exam. Although the RPL with the Navigation endorsement would avoid the requirement for the CASA PPL exam, Latrobe Valley Aero Clubs preference would be that you follow the path with the CASA exam, as a more thorough knowledge can only enhance Safety and make you a more competent Pilot.

The Private Pilot Licence (PPL) is the next stage after the RPL. To hold the RPL you need to be 16 years of age, and to hold the PPL you need to be 17 years of age. The legal requirement is an additional 10 hours of training. Please note that this is the legal minimum and is highly unrealistic. In fact, most candidates will require approximately 30 hours. All of our pricing is based on realistic hours and not the more frequently quoted but highly unrealistic, minimum hours. This additional 30 hours of training consists of approximately 10 X 3 hour flights, with two of those navigation exercises being flown solo (without an Instructor).
This training is the component which teaches you to navigate the aircraft, it consists of a combination of dual (with an Instructor) exercises and solo exercises. The flights are typically of about three hour’s duration flight time. During this training you learn how to prepare a flight, interpret weather, learn how to navigate, conduct diversions, land on a variety of different surfaces and learn lost procedures and emergency procedures as well as how to get yourself into and out of a range of airports.
The PPL has a written exam as part of the training. The PPL exam examination is a 3 ½ hour exam covering seven subjects. Most questions are delivered via a multi choice exam with a required pass mark of 70%. In the unlikely event you fail the exam, you are able to reattempt but waiting periods between re-sits may apply. The subjects studied cover the following seven subjects: Flight Rules and Air Law, Aerodynamics, Meteorology, Navigation, Flight Planning, Human Factors and Engines and Systems. The PPL exam is relatively straightforward and designed for the Pilot intending to fly for recreational purposes only.
The Private Pilot Licence requires you to hold at least a Class 2 Medical. This Medical is a fairly straightforward process. The most frequently asked question is, Can I wear glasses? Yes you can, provided they can correct your vision to near perfect.
As an estimate of the additional costs for the Private Pilot Licence, the following is very realistic.
28 hours Cessna 172 @ $336 per hour dual $9,408
5 hours Cessna 172 @ $298 per hour solo $1,490
Flight Test approximately $1,525
Text Books, Maps, Charts, Equipment app. $500
Headset (if you wish to purchase your own) $200 to $800
Therefore, you should allow approximately $13,000 to $14,000 for the PPL component.
Self-study is a realistic option for the PPL theory exam with significant amounts of supporting texts available, if you are self-studying it would be prudent to allow 160 to 240 hours of time for this component. For those that would prefer to attend a more formal classroom delivery for the PPL theory exam they should plan for approximately 80 hours of contact time at a cost of approximately $1800.

Maintaining your licence is a fairly straightforward procedure.
You will be required to hold a medical. The Class 2 Medical will cost approximately $250 and is valid for up to four years.
Every two years you will be required to conduct a Flight Review. This is a dual check conducted by the school and would typically vary in duration depending on the frequency of your flying. I suggest that this Flight Review would rarely cost more than $1,000 and should be substantially less.
The other requirement being that you have completed three take-offs and landings in the last 90 days if you intend to carry passengers. For most pilots this requirement will usually be met as part of their normal flying activities.
If any of the above expire they need a fairly simple reactivation process, which generally involves a brief flight with an Instructor.
Effectively, your licence lasts forever but there are “recency of use” requirements.

Some of our students wish to complete a CPL to enable them to pursue a career as an Airline Pilot, Flight Instructor or Testing Officer etc. These candidates will continue on with their training which requires a total of 200 hours (100 dual/100 solo). All your previous flying hours (including RAAus hours) are counted. Minimum age: 18 years for the CPL flight test
As with the PPL there is a theory component. The theory consists of the same seven subjects as in the PPL but this time they have individual subject courses and exams. As with the PPL they are multi choice exams but this time the exams are sat at a CASA approved testing centre. Once again, these seven subjects can be completed via formal classes or self-studied. Typically, each subject takes approximately 40 hours of contact time. It would be realistic to allow two to three times that amount if you elect to self-study. All exams must be completed within a two year time frame.
An indication of the costs required towards the CPL would be
40 hours solo C172 @ $298 $11,920
20 hours solo C172RG @ $360 $ 7,200
25 hours dual C172RG @ $398 $ 9,950
CPL Flight Test approximately $ 1,880
CASA exam fees for 7 subject’s approx $ 1,115
Therefore, the additional CPL requirements will cost approximately $32,000. When combined with the $13,000 for RPL and $13,700 for the PPL, it would be prudent to allow up to $60,000 for the full Commercial Pilot Licence Course from start to finish. An additional allowance of $4,000 should be made if you intend to join formal classroom delivery of the 7 CPL theory subjects rather than self-study. I emphasise all pricing we are providing is very realistic.

This is a challenging question to answer as there are so many variables. These variables include: student motivation, availability to attend class, weather, ability to fund training etc.
As an estimate, a well-motivated student should have no trouble achieving the following milestones in the following time frames:

• 3 Months – You will have achieved your Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL)
• 6 Months – You will have achieved your Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
• 9 Months– You will have completed your 7 Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Examinations
• 12 Months – You will have achieved your Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
• 15 Months – You will have achieved your Instrument Rating

Many students do not undertake fulltime training so their training may be extended over a longer period.