A pilot training academy at Caloundra has teamed up with the Longreach Pastoral College to offer students a unique course that blends station skills with flying.
From the start of 2016, the college will offer the year-long Livestock and Station Skills Aviation program and its organisers are delighted to have it on the course schedule.
“This is unique,” Airways Aviation spokesman Stewart Ford said. “It’s such a great combination, and students that do it will find the world is their oyster.”
Students completing the course will finish with a certificate three in Rural Operations and a recreational pilot’s licence.
The idea came about when Stewart and Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges marketing manager Gordon Van der Est, both aviation nuts, were talking about the skill of pilots in the bush and training opportunities.
After researching the idea of adding a flying option to the regular course offering, it was agreed it would help the employment prospects of young people to offer this extra qualification.
It is for fixed-wing training only, with seven out of nine pastoral companies saying that was more valuable as a starting point.
Everyone involved saw the suggestion as a logical combination.
“Anyone can fly, but if you don’t know what cattle might do, you can cause havoc,” QATC’s Brent Kinnane said. “Pilots with the knowledge of both flying and stock will be of much more assistance.”
Stewart added that the west possessed some incredible commercial pilots and if they could develop a pool of them, that would be great for industry.
The proponents describe the course as a “niche market”, saying if 8-10 pilots were trained from the first intake next year, that would be ideal.
“It’s an intimate platform, which will deliver a positive outcome for students,” Stewart said.
While the rural skills part of the course will be delivered at Longreach, the majority of the eight-week flying block will take place at Caloundra, where all support infrastructure is available.
According to Mr Van der Est, as soon as Airways Aviation obtains registration for Longreach Airport as a training facility with CASA, it is the college’s intention to offer the full course out of Longreach in 2017.
“Most people don’t realise the facilities and aviation systems located at Longreach Airport are world class,” he said. “Other key factors are that Longreach has all the facilities for training – NDB, VOR, a weather station and a wide commercial airstrip.”
Stewart paid tribute to the team that designed the new program, saying it was no mean feat to find a platform that fitted within the 33 week course.
“We haven’t had a training opportunity like this before – this is thinking outside the box,” he said.
Mr Kinnane said it was a sign of the college listening to potential employers.
