Training Available
The Manning River Aero Club (MRAC) is a flying school and Club, located at Taree Airport on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales. We provide flight training for all licence levels from recreational to commercial and can arrange flying training to meet your personal requirements, from full-time to once or twice a week. We are also able to provide classroom or one-on-one assistance whilst you are studying for the theory exams.
The Club provides training for the following licences, ratings and endorsements:
- Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL)
- Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
- Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
- Night VFR Rating (NVFR)
- Design Feature Endorsements
The Club can also conduct your Flight Review, including for a PIFR, and provide recency check flights and aircraft type transition training in your own aircraft.
If you are seeking an operational rating such as a Flight Instructor Rating or an Instrument Rating (single or multi-engine), our training base at Cessnock can assist you. Contact us for further information.
Your Training
Your training will be conducted in the Cessna 172 where you will learn all the basic flying skills you will need for your future career or hobby of flying.
After covering the basic sequences of flying the aircraft and take off and landing practice, you will be approaching the time for your first solo flight.
Your first solo flight is one of the most memorable moments in learning to fly and will probably take place at around 15 hours of flying. However this varies with each student.
The next 10 – 15 hours includes more advanced training sequences and more solo flights for practice. This leads to your first licence test.
Your first licence test is for the the RPL (Recreational Pilot License) where you will demonstrate your newly learnt skills. After this you will be able to take passengers in the training area, within 25nm of Taree Aerodrome.
Many students are satisfied with this level of skill but you may wish to advance to a PPL (Private Pilots Licence). The PPL is a new exciting stage of navigation training which commences by flying to places such as Walcha, Tamworth, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Bankstown. During these lessons you will learn how to navigate while in the air, get exposure to different types of airspace and communicate with air traffic control towers.
At the completion of your navigation training you will undertake your test to obtain your PPL and being a fully qualified private pilot, you will be able to fly anywhere in Australia with family and friends.
Should you be looking at a career as a pilot, you can then proceed to your CPL (Commerical Pilots Licence). A CPL is a requirement to be employed as a pilot. The CPL syllabus includes a lot of ‘hour building’ to increase your time flying as pilot in command. There are also more advanced and challenging navigation lessons. By the time you complete your CPL, you will have a minimum of 200 hours of flying time in total.
Getting Started
What you need to Start
There is no limit on when you can start learning to fly when accompanied by a Flight Instructor, however you must be at least 15 years of age before you can fly solo and 16 years of age before you can attempt you first flight test.
There are no legislative requirement relating to prior formal education qualifications however basic numeracy and literacy is required.
The CASA website provides detailed information on licence and rating requirements – find out more here.
Trial Introduction Flight
Our Trial Introductory Flights (TIF) will introduce you to the world of aviation. You will be given the opportunity to take control of the aircraft under the supervision of a qualified flight instructor who will guide you from take-off to touchdown. This is your first step towards obtaining a pilot licence.
Flying Lessons
The Manning River Aero Club can arrange flying training to meet your personal requirements from full-time to once or twice a week. Students can also elect to structure their training over extended periods in accordance with their budget.
Aircraft Hire
Manning River Aero Club owns and operates a Cessna 172. By joining the Aero Club, you will be able to take advantage of a $30 per hour discount on the dual and solo rates.