Training locally at Seletar offers convenience and prestige. But for recreational pilots, the "Australian Detour" often delivers better proficiency at a fraction of the cost.
Read our guide →Short guide to the major aviation and flight sim events in 2026, grouped by region, with dates and links for pilots planning their year.
View 2026 Calendar →Strategic sequencing for APAC recreational pilots. Start your analysis here.
1. Where are you starting?
Converting your RAAus RPC to a CASA RPL opens up controlled airspace, heavier aircraft, and one-time endorsement transfers. Here's the paperwork, flight review requirements, and what you need to know.
Thailand offers structured ultralight training through CAAT-certified schools in Phuket and Pattaya. Here's what the Private Pilot Licence-Ultralight Aircraft pathway looks like, which schools offer training, and what to expect.
Head and eye tracking that reinforces the most critical habit in aviation — keeping your eyes outside the cockpit.
Struggling with ground school? You're not alone. Most students feel overwhelmed when they realize how much they don't know. This guide breaks down learning stages (rote to correlation), and gives you the practical techniques pilots use to retain information and pass their exams.
The Octavi IFR-1 delivers excellent build quality and satisfying tactile feedback, but ergonomic compromises and visibility issues in low light hold it back from being a complete training tool.
Informal fees to CAAP checkride examiners are common in the Philippines — an off-the-books cost that's culturally normalized, undermines training rigor, and erodes license credibility.
A 21-year-old trainee on his third solo flight bounced a touch-and-go at Parafield Airport, stalled the left wing, and escaped uninjured seconds before the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Garmin Autoland completed its first in-service activation after a King Air B200 lost pressurization at 23,000 feet. The pilots remained conscious but let the system fly the approach and landing in IMC with icing — a milestone for autonomous safety tech in GA.
Tecnam's new P2008JC NG brings CS-23 safety standards, Rotax 912 iSc fuel injection, and hybrid construction to the training market. Burns 58% less fuel than legacy trainers at 14L/h, bridging the gap between fragile composites and aging all-metal fleets.
