Private Pilot Licence in Melbourne
The Private Pilot Licence will allow you to fly almost anywhere in Australia. Imagine hiring and aeroplane and taking your family and friends on your next holiday, flying instead of driving. Flying is quicker than driving and you can visit some wonderful locations for a weekend within 3 hours flying distance (that’s approximately 550km) from Melbourne.
As a Private Pilot you can cost share your flight up to 6 passengers. So, if you hired four seat aircraft for example a Cessna 172 flew to Swan Hill for the weekend and back with 3 friends. You would have logged approximately 4 hours flight time. You can cost share an equal amount of the flight so you would each be paying a quarter of the cost of the flight. Weekend adventures away have never been more affordable and fun.
The Private Pilot Licence training is also a step towards your Commercial Pilot Licence if you wish to pursue a career as a professional pilot.
The Private Pilot Licence allows a pilot to fly from one location to another say for example Melbourne to Adelaide. The conditions on the licence allow the pilot to fly in the day only and also in weather conditions that are clear of cloud.
Once a person has a Private Pilot Licence they can upgrade their skills by adding various ratings to the licence. These rating include a Night VFR Rating allowing them to fly and aircraft at night under fine weather conditions clear of cloud, or an Instrument Rating that allows the pilot to fly in cloud and weather conditions not so fine.
A private pilot can also add a multi engine class rating to their Licence to allow them to fly and aircraft with two engines.
Prerequisites
There are two stages to gaining the freedom a Private Pilot Licence gives you. The first stage is the Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL). This first stage you will learn how to fly the aircraft but will be restricted to flying in the local area. For further information about the recreational Pilot Licence, please go to "Recreational Pilot Licence" page
The second stage of your training that we call the navigation training is perhaps the most enjoyable. It involves eight navigation exercises that will take you North, East and West of Melbourne. Two of these navigation exercises you will pilot the aircraft solo to consolidate your skills.
Before you start navigation training it is important that you understand how to read a forecast, complete a flight plan and know the rules for operating at different aerodromes. The Private Pilot Licence theory course will assist in you gaining this knowledge and consists of four subjects followed by one examination. The subjects are Navigation (How do I flight plant from one place to another and what equipment do I use), Air Law (What are the rules that relate to my flying and why these keep me safe), Human Factors (How as a pilot I can maximise safety by understanding my limitations and those of my surroundings) and Meteorology (How do I interpret the weather forecast and plan my flight accordingly). These courses are offered on a regular basis and conducted by flight instructors.
Further More
You can start flying at any age, however there are some minimum age requirements to fly solo or hold a licence. You must be at least 15 years old before you can fly solo. You must be 16 years old before you can complete the Recreational Pilot Licence flight test and you must be 17 years old to undertake the Private Pilot Licence flight test.
The next Licence on your learn to fly journey after your Private Pilot Licence is the Commercial Pilot Licence. This is only if you wish to make flying your career or upgrade your knowledge and flying skills to the professional level of qualification. For more about the “Commercial Pilot Licence”
Once a person has a Private Pilot Licence they are required to undertake an Aircraft Flight Review (AFR) with a qualified flight instructor every 2 years to keep the licence valid.
Private Pilot Licence Cost Summary
(based on minimum hours and the pilot has already completed a Recreational Pilot Licence)
| PPL Cost Summary | |
|---|---|
| 15 hours dual in Cessna 172 | $6,975 |
| 5 hours solo in Cessna 172 | $1,725 |
| PPL Theory and Exam | $1,495 |
| PPL flight test (Approx 2.5hrs) | $862.50 |
| Examiner Fee | $660 |
| CASA PPL Licence Issue | $60 |
| Navigational Equipment, Charts, etc | $150 |
| Total: | $11,927.50 |
| Total including RPL training: | $24,122.50 |
Please note: the above cost is based on the CASA minimum hour requirement; however, the amount of training time varies on the individual. You will require a minimum of a class 2 aviation medical for the Private Pilot Licence. The cost of the medical can vary depending on the medical examiner. For your convenience, Tristar Aviation has a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) who conducts aviation medicals regularly on site at Tristar Aviation.
*Prices are subject to change without notice. This estimate is based on prices commenced July 2023 and does not constitute a quote.