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reduction program. Holland said he
believed Flight Options will be the
only private company in the country
“offering from zero to the right hand
seat of a jet while working for an
airline.”
The initial intention is for Flight
Options to take batches of 10 students
every six months.
“The first 10 will come through on
their RPL then PPL, and within six
months will be starting on their CPL
in the 182. That will then free up the
other aircraft to start the RPLs again,”
Holland said.
“So at any one time we will have
about 15 to 20 in the facility. First we
will offer a 15-hour package to see
how they feel, assess their potential
and think about what airline we can
put them up to, whether it’s a small
regional, or a major. Then the airline
will conduct an interview to its own of charter work he undertakes.
criteria. So, finally, back to those instructors
“My key thing is to try to get every and the capacity of Flight Options to
student a placement.” retain them in the face of the airline
Laffer, meanwhile, said Flight flightdeck shortage drawcard. Laffer
Options has latched on to something said it’s reasonably straightforward.
special: “One of the things that’s “The difference between us
unique for us is to take someone from and other operations is that our
scratch, from ab initio training to instructors have generally ‘been there
advanced training, along two different and done that’. They are a good
avenues – the turboprop route into the bunch from various experience levels,
King Air or the Mustang route ready airlines operating overseas, Qantas,
for an airline. instructors with up to 30,000 hours
“Once they finish with Tim’s of experience.
side of things they come over here “We make a point of looking for
(the simulators) and do their MCC the older, more mature instructor who
training, jet or turbo, depending on doesn’t need to fly any more. And this
where they want to go.” “What’s unique about our operation The King Air sim is by Ansett is the Sunshine Coast after all. A lot of
Laffer said the academy idea is is that we train to their SOPs. So they Aviation Training. flight options retired airline pilots live up here.”
underpinned by current success, are not coming here to have the same Plus, he said, Flight Options has a
particularly over the past six training they would experience with distinct advantage when it comes to
months, of already trained pilots every other organisation. They are workplace quality and outlook.
requesting use of the King Air and getting training specific to them. “I have been to a lot of sim centres
Citation simulators to meet ATPL “For example, the Royal New around the world and this has got to
requirements. Zealand Air Force is getting be the best.
“Quite a few airline pilots based King Air 350s and is sending pilots “A lot of sim centres these days are
overseas, say with Cathay or in the over here for differences training. in industrial parks far from the airport
Middle East, are coming back and Ahead of coming here they issued us and you can’t get motivated to want
doing their Australian ATPL because with their SOPs. We will read them to fly.
they want jobs back in Australia,” over and make sure our training “Here we have an apron out the
he said. accords.” front and an FBO facility with jets and
“They obviously see this pilot If training is not enough to keep turbos coming and going from time to
shortage as a way of getting back into staff occupied, Flight Options also time. Our people are surrounded by
the Australian airline scene.” operates a charter business and Laffer aviation.”
The delivery of cadet training to himself frequently finds himself in the Holland said his initiative for
specific operator SOPs is a natural air at the controls of a Citation. younger instructors will be to pitch
extension of what Laffer sees as a key “We have a charter business based ‘My key thing a position with a regional or major
component of attracting new and in Sydney operating three Citation airline if they stay with him for a
returning customers. Business has 650s, a couple of Mustangs, a Bravo is to try to get minimum 18 months to two years.
grown to the extent that a Monday to and an Encore. So we are not just a “It’s a real incentive,” he said.
Friday working week has now been training organisation but also actually every student The first official advertising for
extended to weekends. operate aircraft,” he said. Flight Options academy cadets was
“We are starting to get a broad He cited a recent Citation trip a placement.’ due to go out at the time of writing
group of organisations coming here to to a property deep in the Gulf of in conjunction with the launch of an
do their recurrent training,” he said. Carpentaria as an example of the type TIM HOLLAND academy instructors’ course.
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