Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) Course

On successful completion of the full course, students will attain a Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

The licence allows you to fly as pilot in Command carrying passengers. You are generally limited to flying within 25 nautical miles of your departure aerodrome or flight training area.

Flight lessons are scheduled at a pace and time to suit your needs, and to support your learning and general progress.

Each flight lesson will focus on specific areas of skills, including general handling of the aircraft, take-off, landing, and emergency procedures.

Lessons include a pre-flight and post-flight briefing and your instructor will review your progress with you after each lesson.

There are three theory exams for your RPL, which are taken during your training. These are the Pre-Solo, Pre-Area Solo Exam and the Basic Aeronautical Knowledge Exam.

A theory training kit is included and provided at the beginning of your course. The kit includes the necessary textbooks that cover the information required to pass the exams in an easy to read and understandable format. There are substantial practice questions throughout the textbooks to help you to gauge your progress. You’ll be able to complete the material through guided self-study, plus you can ask our instructors for help with any concept that you find challenging. You’ll find that the topics you are studying will be used practically in your flight training.

To attain the RPL, you will need to :

• pass the three RPL theory exams
• pass the RPL flight test
• have at least 25 hours flying time including a minimum of 20 hours dual and five hours solo as pilot in command.

NOTE: You need to be at least 16 years of age to attain a RPL. You can fly solo at age 15 provided you hold a valid medical certificate

This course is flexible and can be taken at your pace. It is the equivalent of 6 weeks of full-time training and study (all inclusive). Many students take the course part-time and at a pace that suits them. Our instructors work with you to develop a training plan that is best suited to your needs, schedule and budget.

The amount of training actually required can be influenced by a student’s existing skills and knowledge and the Chief Flying Instructor (or a delegated instructor) will provide appropriate information and study advice on an individual basis.

• Flight training including up to ¹:
  • 20 dual hours – Cessna 172
  • 5 solo hours – Cessna 172
• Pre and post-flight briefings
• Landing fees
• Study materials
• CASA license and flight testing fees ¹

FEES

NOTES ABOUT FEES:

• TUITION FEES are indicative and cover the inclusions – see above ^[1,2] 
• EXTERNAL FEES are approximate costs for the CASA theory test, ASIC, and aviation medical examination (payable separately to external providers).
• GST applies to this course and is included where applicable.

• Pay-as-you-go
  
• Interest-free-payment-plan

Find out more about our payment options

To apply for the course you must

• You need to be at least 15 years of age to get a RPL (you can fly solo at age 15 provided you hold a valid medical certificate).
• Undertake a General English Language Assessment with us

To commence the course you must:

• obtain an Aviation Reference Number (ARN)
• obtain a Class 1 or 2 Aviation Medical.

After passing your RPL you may be content to simply enjoy the freedom of flight in your local area, or, you may choose to go to the next stage and gain the full Private Pilot Licence (PPL). This removes the local area restriction that applies to your RPL and greatly expands your flying horizons.

1 Indicative fees are based on average requirements for attainment. Where a student requires additional flying time, or more than one attempt at a theory test or flight test to achieve the required standard, additional fees will apply.

2 Fees are valid for the stated year-intake only. Fees for future years displayed on this page and in our applications system are provisional and subject to change.