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Whether you want to take family and friends up for a local flight, navigate around Australia or work as a pilot in the aviation industry, the Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) is the first step in your journey.
An RPL allows you to fly within a 25 nautical mile radius of your departure airport and carry passengers.
The RPL has a mixture of ground theory sessions and practical flying sessions with our experienced instructors.
This phase introduces you to flying by starting at the basic controls and working up to flying an aircraft by yourself. At the end of this phase you will complete your first solo flight, a circuit around the airport. Typically, your first solo flight is after 12-15 hours of flight instruction* (*based on average pilot competency, actual hours may vary)
During this phase you will apply for a licence number (ARN), a medical, provide general English proficiency and complete a short theory exam.
This phase introduces some more advanced techniques and emergency procedures. At the end of this phase you will conduct your first flight away from the airport by yourself, flying around the local training area.
During this phase you will complete a short theory exam.
This phase consolidates your flying skills and works towards preparing you for the RPL flight test. At the end of this phase you will sit the RPL(A) flight test with a flight examiner. This test involves both a ground theory and practical flight component.
During this phase you will sit the CASA RPL(A) theory exam, a radio exam, complete an Aviation English Language Assessment and apply for an aviation security clearance.
The legal minimum hours to be issued an RPL is 25 hours. However, this is never achieved. Realistically, the average hours of completion are 35-40 hours* (* based on average pilot competency, actual hours may vary)
You must be 16 years old to be issued an RPL. You can do your first solo flight at the age of 15. We recommend budding pilots to be at least 13-14 years of age to commence flight training – if you have a young one who is keen to fly before then, contact us to discuss other flight options!
As mentioned above, almost every pilot requires more training than the legal minimum. We quote our costs based on the average hours to give you a more realistic price estimate.
Our quoted all-inclusive price for the RPL is $16,960. You do not need to pay this upfront; you simply pay for each flight and/or theory session at the conclusion of each lesson.
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flying | $13,760 |
| Based on average hours of completion. Hours may be lower or higher depending on competency level. Costs are based on flying in a C150 which is a weight limited aircraft, if you are over 90kgs you will need to complete the training in a 4 seater aircraft with a slight price increase (additional $75/hour), contact us for details (note, completing the RPL in a 4 seater aircraft will reduce the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) cost) | |
| Ancillary Items | $3,200 |
| This covers the cost of textbooks, ground briefings to assist you with your theory study for the exams, combined cost of various exams required to complete the syllabus, medical, aviation security clearance (ASIC). This also includes the Flight Test Fee for the RPL. | |
Why choose CCAC? There are many reasons:
What can you do once you have your RPL?