GoFly Aviation

Senior Instructor Tom’s day didn’t start too well this morning*, but at least it ended on a high for him and Ben with a lovely sunset.

*More rain! Unexpected maintenance issues! Competing demands! Student deadlines! Scarce supplies of oil due to stupid wars! Limited time to get to Heck Field and back before last light! More rain clouds to dodge! None of his favourite biscuits in the biscuit jar! 

In breaking news, another solo flight has taken place this morning. After 12 hours of overnight rain, the skies cleared just in time for Senior Instructor Ben to send Enzo solo.

Enzo had worked his way through the new GoFly Online RPC course, successfully completed his pre-solo and radio exams and had around around 21 hours of training. Well done Enzo!

At the end of yesterday’s lessons, our full-time student, Noor, was deemed ready to attempt his first solo. With the date of his trip home fast approaching, and a forecast of rain today, we had to cross all our fingers and toes this morning. There were low clouds and heavy rain at 7.30 but he waited until it cleared, and got airborne after 9.30 to do a few circuits with Senior Instructor Tom. He then took his first solo!

Tom says, ‘Noor has an awesome attitude, engages in the lessons and asks great questions. He studies hard and it was a great pleasure to be able to fly with him and kickstart his journey in aviation’.

It then rained all the rest of the day, so the weather gods were smiling on him.

Scott enjoyed his trial flight out to Moreton Island and back yesterday. It was meant to rain yesterday but was clear all day, though winds were too strong for private hirers.

Corneliu from Camden had his Sling TSi in with AMS this week. All week we were admiring his orange, black and white Sling. All week he was admiring our orange, black and white caps. We gifted him a cap.

Alas, he did not give us his plane.

Between them, these two have 30 years of instructing experience at GoFly. That’s a lot of early morning starts. One instructor is smiling because he gets to fly all day and the other is smiling because he’s going home at 9.30 to work on GoFly Online projects in an empty house….

It’s been a lovely run of sunny days so we have been making the most of it. Eric, Enzo, Jennitha and Noor have done all the preliminary straight and level; climbing and descending; turning; and stalling lessons; and are now learning all about circuits and landings.

It was a Sling aircraft family reunion today. Three GAP Aero engineers flew two Slings up from Heck Field so they could replace Sling 8515’s engine; our four Slings were flying dual flights and trial flights; and SCAC flew a Sling in this afternoon to collect another Sling.

Did you know that around 5 flight schools in the region have permanently closed their doors in the last six years? For a variety of reasons, three schools at Caloundra Aerodrome and a couple of schools at Gympie have closed. It’s been a tough time for schools with COVID, rising maintenance and fuel costs, and people having less discretionary income.

Fortunately, Sunshine Coast teens who wish to learn to fly for a living; others who wish to learn to fly for fun or for business; plus visitors to the region who wish to take a trial flight; still have a few options to choose from at the southern and northern ends of the coast, without having to travel to all the way to Caboolture or Brisbane for a one hour lesson.

How important do you think it is for our region to have local flying schools?

Welcome to Caloundra, Noor and Enzo from Hong Kong, and Jennitha from PNG. All three are boarding locally and training with us full-time this week. Fingers crossed that this great weather continues.