Training towards your future in Aviation…

The Redcliffe Aero Club has been training both professional and recreational pilots for almost 40 years, helping people broaden their experiences and achieve a high level of personal satisfaction by making dreams and goals a reality.

Unlike most flying schools, our core instructional team are employed as full time professional Flight Instructors (not casual), meaning your training team is consistent and regular.  Our Instructors are highly experienced and motivated to help you quickly succeed.

To ensure you are comfortable during your theory exams, RAC holds approval to administer the necessary CASA PEXO exams on the premises. For flying tests, RAC maintains close relationships with preferred CASA approved testing officers. This way, students can feel confident that test expectations accurately reflect our training standards

The Redcliffe Aero Club trains people with all goals.  Whether you’re intending to fly for recreation, or whether you are seeking a career as a pilot, we can take you from your very first flight right through to job-ready as a General Aviation Pilot or Airline Cadet.

Flying with Redcliffe Aero Club will be one of the best choices you will make.

For Private Pilots

RAC prides itself on finding the balance between the social and recreational aspects of aviation for members and professional training operations for aspiring career pilots.

As a student pilot working towards a licence for recreational purposes, you’ll experience a relaxed and enjoyable approach to training requirements without compromising on safety and our high standards. You’ll be on a first name basis with the entire RAC team and welcomed to participate in our social events such as BBQs and flyaways.

We believe that the experience of gaining your licence should be as enjoyable as using it afterwards, therefore Redcliffe Aero Club actively promotes a friendly and positive atmosphere and avoids the ‘mass produced’ feeling of airline academy type schools.

For Commercial Pilots

Members who aspire to become a career pilot will find Redcliffe Aero Club offers an excellent approach to commercial licence training. We know that every student has individual strengths and weaknesses, so our Instructors will work with you one-on-one to help develop your personal skill set to be the best pilot you can be. We believe this is an important factor when choosing a training provider, so RAC actively avoids the ‘mass produced’ impersonal feeling of airline academy type schools.

Many of our former students and instructors are now flying for Qantas, Virgin, Cathay Pacific, Qantas Link and in the general aviation sector, reflecting the high standard of training they have received, and the Redcliffe Aero Club’s highly regarded reputation within the industry.

RAC is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) offering Diploma Courses for Commercial Licence and Instrument Rating students. We are also a VET Student Loan approved provider, allowing candidates to access government funding for their training costs.

Experience

Back in the 1960’s Redcliffe Aero Club was the initiating force behind the the Redcliffe Aerodrome – our founding Members effectively built the Aerodrome. We have been training pilots to a professional and safe standard for over 45 years. Other training organisations come and go, but RAC has stood the test of time.

The majority of our team are fully qualified Grade 1, multi-engine IFR Instructors with thousands of hours flying experience. This means we can offer a stable and consistent training environment, with tried and trusted methods to help you best achieve your goals.

Resources

The Aero Club has an excellent club house and briefing facilities, along with a fleet of modern aircraft.

Redcliffe Aero Club has a fleet of over 15 aircraft, ranging from entry-level trainers, to multi-engine IFR machines, ready for charter and advanced training courses. The popular Cessna 172S aircraft, of which we have 5, feature the latest avionics, comfortable leather seats and other safety features such as airbags.

Redcliffe Aero Club takes safety very seriously and utilises a CASA approved safety management system to ensure our focus is always on safety outcomes. Aircraft are maintained by highly trained, licensed and CASA approved Maintenance Engineers.

Technology

At RAC, we embrace the use of new technologies in aviation. Our electronic booking system allows members to view aircraft and instructor availability online, prior to reservation.

We have a great flight simulation training device, allowing our Instrument Rating students to practice with the most immersive and realistic training simulations.

Student briefings are conducted with electronic projected presentations and incorporate the use of other modern aviation tools such as iPads.

OUR COURSES

Call us or visit the Club today, to discuss your training goals and needs.

The path to become a pilot is as exciting and challenging as the destination.  Students of the Redcliffe Aero Club enjoy a rewarding series of progress milestones, such as their first solo flight and gaining their first licence (the RPL).

Whatever your licence goal, RAC’s training fosters a professional and safe standard of piloting, which allows our graduates to stand out as competent and confident among their peers.

  • Trial Instructional Flight

    Our 40-60 minute trial flights allow a prospective pilot to ‘have a go’ and size up learning to fly.  After meeting your qualified R.A.C. Instructor, you’ll get an opportunity to assist with ‘pre-flighting’ the aircraft and preparing it for your flight.  Then, it’s time for you to settle into the pilot seat and take to the air! The Instructor will take off and land, but for the majority of what’s in between, you‘ll fly the aircraft under direction and assistance.

  • Recreational Pilot Licence

    A Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) is the cornerstone privilege available to candidates who seek to pursue an interest in aviation.  Candidates undertaking this course will learn the fundamentals of handling an aircraft along with aeronautical knowledge theory, providing the skills to safely operate an aircraft, carrying passengers throughout the local area.

  • Private Pilot Licence

    On completion of an RPL, most pilots pursue the Private Pilots Licence (PPL) to extend their flying privileges.  The PPL training course is centered around the theory and practice of navigation, navigation aids, and controlled airspace operations.  PPL holders can fly anywhere within Australia, including through controlled airspace and into controlled airports.

  • Commercial Pilot Licence

    After gaining a PPL, candidates who aspire to a career as a pilot will complete the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).  The PPL holder will already possess the skills and knowledge to safely operate an aircraft in a private setting, so the CPL course focus is on development of existing skills to satisfy the higher demands of operations in the commercial environment.

  • Instrument Rating

    After achieving the Private or Commercial Licence, pilots often seek to improve their skills or better their employment prospects by adding an Instrument Rating.  The instrument rated pilot can conduct flying operations in a single or multi engine aircraft under the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), in conditions that would make visual flying (VFR) impractical.

  • Instructor Rating

    After gaining a Commercial Licence, pilots often seek to improve their skill set or employment prospects by adding a Flight Instructor Rating. It takes a special kind of person to guide an eager new pilot towards their first solo flight. Teaching a student to focus their skills, experience and passion for flying to attain a Recreational Pilot Licence is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a Flight Instructor. Just as you never forget your first solo flight, you’ll never forget watching your first student take off on theirs.