Celebrating 50 Years of Flying

The History of Schofields Flying Club

1969-2019

A Passion for Flying

SFC History Timeline Introduction For most of its life Sydney Flying Club and Flight College was known as SchoÞelds Flying Club, the name that continues on as the organisationÕs company name: SchoÞelds Flying Club Limited. SchoÞelds Flying Club operated at SchoÞelds Aerodrome in western Sydney 9 NM from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Richmond. The aerodrome was constructed as a satellite aerodrome for RAAF Richmond and was operational with the RAAF between 1942 and 1944. In 1945 it was commissioned as a base for the Royal Navy (RN) Fleet Air ArmÕs British PaciÞc Fleet. Decommissioned by the RN in July 1946, control of the aerodrome returned to the RAAF. In 1951, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) opened an aircraft repair yard there. In 1952 the RAAF transferred control of the base to the RAN. In 1953 it was commissioned HMAS Nirimba by the RAN and operated as a joint aircraft repair yard and technical training establishment for the RAN Fleet Air Arm. It was decommissioned in 1994. As SchoÞelds Aerodrome was located in RAAF Richmond airspace, it was necessary for club members to get clearance from Richmond tower to operate, at, or in and out of SchoÞelds Aerodrome: ÒRichmond tower, request clearance for circuits at SchoÞeldsÓ. Training was conducted in the same training area so well known to Bankstown pilots. There were routes to transit to and from the training area from SchoÞelds Aerodrome: south out of Richmond airspace to the training area then back via Blacktown with clearances from Richmond tower. Operations were allowed at SchoÞelds Aerodrome only on Saturdays and Sundays. Some say this was because Richmond air traffic was less busy on the weekend, others say with the Vietnam War on, Richmond was busy seven days per week, so it was to limit wear and tear on the aerodrome. Circuit height was 800 ft to provide extra clearance from Richmond traffic manoeuvring overhead. For week-day ßying, one or more aircraft were ferried to Bankstown on Sunday evenings and ferried back on Friday evening or Saturday morning. One drawback with SchoÞelds Aerodrome was that it was prone to fog at certain times during the year.

SFC Historical Timeline 1966 In 1966 Illawarra Flying School had a satellite training school at SchoÞelds Aerodrome, the main school was at Bankstown Airport. Illawarra was training Qantas cadet pilots there but also offered training to the public. Aircraft would be ßown in fuelled from Bankstown, but there was a 44 gallon drum of AVGAS for topping up tanks. Available for training and ßying were an Illawarra Piper Cherokee, a cross-hired Cessna 172 and sometimes a Cessna 150. There was an operations hut with two small rooms, one for the instructor and one for general use. There was one available hangar. 1967 As the number of people learning to ßy grew, a camaraderie developed and 20Ð30 people would meet up at favourite waterholes Ð James Ruse Hotel and the Castle Hill RSL. The idea of starting an actual ßying club began to come up in conversations.

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The History of Schofields Flying Club Limited

1968 A Þrst attempt at an air show was held and spectators enjoyed displays by a Mustang, a Tiger Moth and an Auster, as well as a demonstration of ßour bombing.

Towards the end of the year, an initial meeting of about 30 pilots and other like-minded persons was held at SchoÞelds Aerodrome when it was resolved to form a club Ð to be known as the SchoÞelds Flying Club. A steering committee was then elected and a basic format agreed. At a subsequent meeting a draft constitution was adopted. A working fund was also established and a comprehensive set of rules agreed. 1969 Preliminaries were completed in the latter half of 1969 and at a meeting held in the auditorium at Australia Square, Sydney, office bearers and a committee were formally elected. The foundation president was David Godwin. The club had now become a fully operational entity. However, trustees were not appointed as it was not envisaged that assets, such as aircraft and real estate would be acquired. 1971 For both practical and legal reasons SFC members took the next step and incorporated the Club as a Company limited by guarantee. The Club was registered with ASIC on 16 December 1971. At this time SFC was operating with borrowed aircraft and instructors from NavAir. Barrie Spencer a B grade (Class 2) instructor working for NavAir at Bankstown ßew training ßights occasionally at SchoÞelds Aerodrome. Barrie Spencer soon became more involved with SFC. 1974 In 1974 another group calling themselves SchoÞelds Aero Club, came to SchoÞelds wishing to set up a Flying School, the principal members were Ian Honnery, John Leven, and their Chief Flying Instructor Neil Mac Donald. By this time instructor Barrie Spencer had joined the existing SFC and was active on its committee. Other committee members at the time included Dr Ross Winton from Castle Hill, his wife at the time Sylvia, Mick Guyma and Dr Morris Joseph who was President. Other club members included Max Day and Alex Calvin, a ßorist from Blacktown who owned a Mooney, d Collins, Ted Western and Brian Mealing. Aircraft at the time included Ross WintonÕs C172, a C150 and a number of other privately owned aircraft. It soon became clear that there was not enough room at SchoÞelds Aerodrome for two ßying schools and SFC decided to seek a merger of the two organisations. A meeting between the two organisations to discuss the merger was held at the home of Ross and Sylvia Winton (with Sylvia now president) and present were Neil Mac Donald, Ian Honnery, John Level and others from the SchoÞelds Aero Club, and the members of the existing Committee of SFC referred to in the preceding paragraph. At the meeting, the merged organisation decided to retain the name SchoÞelds Flying Club, its CFI would be Neil Mac Donald with President: Barrie Spencer Secretary: Ian Honnery Vice President: John Level and Treasurer: John Payne. The Þrst formal meeting of the new Board was at Barrie SpencerÕs home at 3 Forest Grove pping. SFC had a bank account with 1500 in it. No club house, other than a Gunya at the Aerodrome and no aircraft other than those borrowed from other organisations and John BoxÕs C150 DTR.

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Other aircraft available to the club were a Beechcraft Musketeer and an AirTruck which Neil Mac Donald used for banner towing. There was also an assortment of aircraft borrowed from various organisations and private owners from time to time.

1975 During the Clubs meetings, by now being held in the Gunya at SchoÞelds Aerodrome, the committee as concerned that there would never be enough money to purchase an aircraft. On one occasion Ian Honnery suggested that SFC run an airshow to raise funds for the Club. Initially the committee thought such a task beyond them. However after careful consideration the committee determined that the Club had sufficient experience and resources within its membership to mount such a program.

1976 In 1976 there were 60 enthusiastic club members but SFC still had no aircraft to call its own and no cash to buy one. The courageous decision was made to hold an airshow, with the aim of buying an aircraft or part thereof with the proÞt. The airshow was held on 26 September 1976, with mainly light aircraft of various vintages providing the entertainment; it lasted about two hours. The event was a great success and saw SFC well on the way to purchasing its Þrst Piper Warrior PA 28 151 VH-P C for 23,000.00. 1977 SFC took delivery of the Warrior on a Friday in February 1977. Barrie Spencer (as Pilot In Command), Ian Honnery, John Leven and possibly John Payne (treasurer) took the Warrior for a ßy. Also around this time SFC purchased a second aircraft a PA28 VH-SV Ð this was a second hand aircraft thought to have cost around 18,000.00. To build on the success of the previous year SFC decided to hold a second air show. It was a bigger and better event with the general aviation industry involved, a sponsor obtained (Thorn) and an expanded ßying display held over two days. It was a more interesting air show with light aircraft, RAAF aircraft and a few war birds involved.

1978 In1978 the SFC committee determined it needed to expand the clubhouse. The decision was made that rather than build it at the airÞeld under the nose of the then Department of Transport, it would be constructed on d Collins Farm and then, in one day, moved on to the airÞeld. The Department of Transport was not impressed and although taking a dim view of the construction, it did not take any action that threatened the new Clubhouse’s existence and so it continued in use until the club moved to Bankstown.

With two successful air shows under its belt, SFC proceeded to a third. nfortunately, in spite of the best planning, the weather was very uncooperative and not all aircraft were able get through to the show. However, 20,000 people turned up and the show went ahead with a modiÞed program that included the RAAF Roulettes aerobatic team and the Army Red Beret paratroopers.

It was also around this about this time that SFC constructed a railway station at SchoÞelds to serve the Airshow.

1979 Rain threatened this years air show, but the show went ahead with proceedings stop start during the day as rain showers passed across the aerodrome. The highlight was a British Airways Boeing

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747 ßying down the runway at 200 ft with ßaps and undercarriage down. If the CAA were less than impressed, the passengers and crowd were

1980 As the airshow had become so big, it was decided to hold them biennially, so the next one was held in 1981. It was quite remarkable that SFC, a little ßying club in western Sydney, was organising the biggest air shows ever seen in Australia. 1981 This yearÕs airshow was spectacular, as it was jointly a celebration of the RAAFÕs Diamond Jubilee (60 years), the RAAF turned out most of the aircraft in its catalogue. There was also a massive display of general aviation and war birds and the guest of honour was Sir Douglas ÒTin LegsÓ Bader. Furthermore, it all played out in perfect weather conditions. The duration of the air show was extended to better accommodate aviation trade and the press. 1983 This yearÕs air show had good weather on the Saturday, but on the Sunday the rain came down and the aerodrome was covered by solid low cloud. However, aviation enthusiasts from around the country braved the weather to see the guest of honour, Chuck eager. A highlight of the show was an enormous black Boeing B-52 bomber emerging out of the mist to ßy along the runway at low level. 1985 SchoÞelds Flying Club had been commissioned by the Australian Bicentennial Authority to run the Australian Bicentennial Air Show in 1988, so the 1985 airshow was a test for the big one in 1988. The thousands who attended enjoyed good weather throughout. The guest of honour was Astronaut Pete Conrad and the RAAFÕs new FA-18 Hornet was put through its paces. A highlight at the end of the show was a formation ßypast led by a WW1 Sopwith Pup biplane with the F A18 in trail, almost standing on its tail at 75kts straight and level. The Club purchased an Òas newÓ 300 hour TT Piper Warrior VH- HQR through Allan Bligh Aviation. The deal was negotiated by Ian Honnery on behalf of SFC and left the proprietor of Allan Bligh Aviation with about enough proÞt to buy one ticket to the next SchoÞelds Air Show 1988 Australian Bicentennial Air Show (ABAS) The ABAS was built on SchoÞelds Flying ClubÕs experience of running airshows. ey to its organisation was Ian Honnery of SFC, the ABAS xecutive Chairman of Air Show Organisation. Supporting him were the Airshow Coordinating Committee, Military Organisation Committee, Air Show Secretariat, Administrative Support and many others. The role required the coordination of input from the RAAF, local and national government, utilities, aerospace industry corporations, foreign governments and their airforces and more. The event was also an international aerospace trade expo as well as air show. The Aviation xpo ran from 12 to 14 October 1988. On 15 and 16 October, the event was open to the public for the air show. Several hundred thousand attended over those two days. The air show ran continuously each day and featured high performance military jet aircraft from the RAAF and airforces from around the world.

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The success of this Airshow resulted in the establishment of the Aerospace Foundation of Australia and the end to SFC Airshow Promotions. This role now fell to the ASF of A later to become the Aerospace Maritime and Defense Foundation of Australia.

1989 Having acquired the increase in the aircraft ßeet, the club focus was back on ßight training, weekend ßyaways and social club activities. This was a time when Volunteers would occupy the front desks, refuel planes, taxi aircraft to from the Blimp hanger (established by Alan Bond), and transfer aircraft late Friday and Sunday between B and SFC. 1990 to 1994 This was predominantly maintaining the club activities of weekend ßying and PPL training. Social events and gatherings were a mainstay of the club at that time. Volunteers presided over all functions, with the CFI managing instructors. These were the days of minimal paperwork. The club ran its own ßeet of Piper Warriors and Arrows with the Citabria Super Decathlon. The only privately cross hired aircraft were a C150 and a C152 that were used for basic training. Some members were able to store their aircraft in the Blimp hanger for a minimal charge. With Richmond airspace restrictions limiting operations between Friday afternoon to last light Sunday, development of the club stagnated. However, the club continued to exist. The demise of SchoÞeld Aerodrome was evolving during this period. The Club endeavoured to muster support to keep it open, but the local community could not see the beneÞt of retaining the aerodrome. Developers were also eager, encroaching onto the overshoots at the boundaries. 1995 Alas, vale SchoÞelds Aerodrome This was the year the last plane was to depart SchoÞelds. With the closure of the Naval training base (HMAS Nirimba) at Doonside and sale to the NSW Government, the establishment Nirimba

ducation Precinct, meant the aerodrome was re oned by Blacktown Council. The big move was for SFC to establish itself at Bankstown as a viable training centre as well as the social ßying hub of Sydney. Our new home was to be at the Henry Lawson Dr end of Tower Rd. 1996 & 1998 These were years when SchoÞelds Flying Club was Þnding itself in a market of established ßying schools at B that were also on hard times. The beneÞts it had were the reduced overheads due to volunteers (only a CFI and accountant were being paid) Þlling the operational duties to keep the club running in an organised fashion. Managing bookings, greeting new members, a bit of marketing to enquiring persons, and general daily management of ßight operations were most common. Working bees were also great social events to get things done. Mowing lawns, laying concrete parking pads, painting of the club house all contributed the social club atmosphere, something the other training organisations lacked. 1998 was also one of the Þrst major ßyaways where members could utilise their skills for proper travel. luru was the objective via Broken Hill and Coober Pedy, returning via ings Canyon, Alice Springs, Birdsville, Inaminka and Cobar, all over a 2 week period. The Club took delivery of a brand new Piper Archer III Ð VH SFR shipped ex-factory in Florida. This aircraft was the Þrst in the Club to have an IFR GPS Ð a ing LN94. A basic GPS ground course was introduced to familiari e members with GPS operation. The funding of the Archer

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deal was ingenious and a Þrst time for our side of general aviation. Firstly the aircraft was funded by an Australian Þnance institution at the factory not waiting for it to get here. Secondly, it was in

S with a provision that SFC could convert the loan to A , at their choosing. It was repeated for the new Warrior in 2001. This was cutting edge GA dealing. Also this year the Club entered into a crosshire arrangement with NSW to balance the utili ation of our respective ßeets in periods of high demand. We mainly crosshired Warriors but the Club s two Arrows JR and JR were also in demand. 1999 CFI Pat Watson introduced a syllabus for the Private Instrument Flight Rating (PIFR) using the standard ßight syllabus and competencies for basic instrument ßight along with optional ßight procedure authorisations (instrument approaches etc). The ground course was modelled on that provided by NSW TAF , delivered by a TAF instructor. Arrow JR was reÞtted with the new Garmin GNS 430 GPS Nav Comm which would become the industry standard in years ahead. Ground courses and ßight familiari ation options were offered to members, and this aircraft became the steed of choice for Club ßyaways, especially by those with instrument ratings. At this time Warrior HQR, Archer SFR and Arrows JR and JR were all in IFR category, but only JR and SFR had GPS equipment. By now members were looking for challenging ßyaways. Weekend ßights to Mudgee, and Dubbo were common. The 1999 ßyaway was to Darwin via lightning Ridge, Longreach, scott Lodge, Mataranka, and atherine, with the return ßight via Cooinda, Jabiru, arumba, Cains, ndara and Fraser Island 2000 The development of the club as a social ßying centre as well as the increase in commercial pilot training, meant some key initiative were needed. The club became a Registered Training Organisation with V TAB accreditation. This meant that SFC could provide GST free commercial training and provide Visas to international students for the purpose of gaining their Commercial licences. With the establishment of the RTO, ÒSydney Flight CollegeÓ and ÒSydney Flying ClubÓ were registered as future operational names to reßect the new location and purpose. The idea was to have a logo of SFC for all functions. However, it would take some years to change as membership were afraid of losing the history and notoriety of ÒSchoÞelds Flying ClubÓ. SFC was also able to obtain a liquor licence for the sale of alcohol within the club. A great boost for social event and last light drinks. 2000 was a group ßyaway over 3 weeks to angaroo Island via the southern coast of Victoria, Ballarat and Portland, returning via Adelaide, Wilpena Pound (Rawnsley Park) Mildura and Mungo National Park. 2001 The Club took delivery of another new aircraft, Piper Warrior III VH SF . This was Þtted with a Garmin GNS430 ex-factory and was also in IFR category. This aircraft became particularly popular with private hire members due to modern presentation, familiarity in operation and reasonable hire rates.

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Sir Douglas Bader Lady Bader

Guests of Honour at the 1981 Air Show at Schofields Aerodrome – RAAF Jubilee

Ian Honnery announcing trophy winners at 1977/8 Air Show at Schofields Aerodrome Instructors of Schofields Flying Club receiving their night ratings, 1978/79

British Airways low pass at 1979 Air Show, Schofields Aerodrome SFC Aircraft in Formation Promoting 1976 Airshow

All club presidents from 1976 to 1991

Bruce Curtis Ian Honnery

John Leven John Moore Barrie Spencer

Ian Honnery announcing trophy winners at 1977/8 Air Show at Schofields Aerodrome

Ian Honnery announcing trophy winners at 1977/8 Air Show at Schofields Aerodrome

Volunteers’ Meeting for Bicentennial Air Show Organisers’ Dias – Volunteers’ Meeting for Bicentennial Air Show

Echuca Flyaway Oct 2003

Echuca Flyaway Oct 2003

Tasmania Flyaway Dec 2006/Jan 2007 Tasmania Flyaway Dec 2006/ Jan 2007

Outback Flyaway Sep 2007

Tasmania Flyaway Dec 2006/Jan 2007

Outback Flyaway Sep 2007

The Club used 3 or 4 different Be76 Duchess aircraft on crosshire for multi-engine training and for much of the IFR training for commercial students. It was notable at the time that none of these twins were equipped with GPS, and the commercial students would not graduate with GPS authorisations on their instrument ratings unless they did time in the Arrow.

2001 was a ßyaway to luru over 2 weeks. Broken Hill, Arkaroola, Coober Pedy, with a return trip through ings Canyon, Alice Springs, Ross River, Birdsville, and Lightning Ridge.

2002 The SFC ßeet in 2002 was a good mix of older and newer aircraft, with several on crosshire. The Club owned C150 JGJ with C152 JNB on crosshire. Warriors FT , IJ , HQR and SF , with SV on crosshire, Arrows JR and JR with LSG on crosshire, Decathlon SS (owned) and C182 MIG on crosshire. There were 3 Duchesses online plus a PA23 Aztec for multi-engine IFR.

PIFR training and NVFR training were major focal points. Cape ork ßyaway, including Hervey Bay, Townsville, Cairns, Bamaga, then back via ndarra Lava Tubes and St George.

2003 The year was capped off on Dec 17th by a formation of 5 instructors led by Rodney Hyde in JR to celebrate 100 years since the Wright Bros Þrst ßight. The formation came down from Manly and was cleared over the Harbour Bridge direct to Bankstown via Ryde Bridge. 2004 Sold Decathlon SSX – low utilization and uneconomic in our circumstances. The dwindling number of instructors able or interested in offering aerobatics and tailwheel training was a key factor in declining interest by members in these activities and therefore in utili ation of the aircraft. Also having a fabric covered aircraft left in the open was not at all desirable. 2005 Arrow JRX was written off after a landing incident. Funds quarantined for future refurbishments.

2006 Jabiru J160 VH-LSN brought online Ð one year lease. Despite being a well presented, modern and economical aircraft, it had poor acceptance by instructors as being too unfamiliar, and so members were not encouraged to even try it out. The trial concluded at the end of the lease. Avionics reÞts for ßeet Ð standardi ing on GNS430 for all IFR, along with second comm. Professional management structure introduced Ð deÞned GM duties to provide greater service and less load on the CFI and admin staff. PW re-appointed.

Formal strategy and business analytics introduced. Provided some of the best metrics in the industry.

Flyaway to Darwin via Mt Isa, Tennant Creek and atherine Changes in CFI, CASA induced delays in training approvals, twins scarcer, IFR outsourced. Downturn in hours made trading conditions difficult.

Roulette visit for aviation night at clubhouse.

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We were approached by Bankstown Airport Limited (our landlord) with a request to relocate our operations away from the SW corner of the airÞeld to permit the consolidation of land on the southern side after the closure of runway 18/36 L&R. In negotiation we were able to secure the present site with the same land area as the old site so that our site lease costs would not vary. We designed the current clubhouse to meet our requirements as a ßying club with the ability to expand upwards if required to increase our ßoorspace in future. 2007 Flyaway to Tasmania (departed after Xmas 2006) with 22 participating aircraft. Largest ever for SFC. Routing via NSW/Vic coast, Flinders Is, Launceston, Hobart, Strahan and King Is. Return either direct or extra week via Aldinga, Kangaroo Is and Lake Mungo.

Work on the new clubhouse building commenced early in the year and progressed smoothly with close supervision by members of the Board. This work was funded partly out of a relocation allowance provided by BAL.

With the new facility came the need to update our branding, leaving behind the old red white and blue strips and Piper Cherokee image. We introduced a styli ed wings image reßecting our industry and began work on a new website with several new features, including access to the booking system by members with a "lookup" feature to see what aircraft were available when.

Cooper Pedy ßyaway including Broken Hill, Leigh Creek, Oodnadatta Acquired C152 JNB – previously crosshired

Acquired low time Archer II SFA, fully refurbed at purchase, IFR category with GNS430.

Difficulties with mid week instructors and scarcity of Grade 1 ME CIR

Re-wrote Operations Manual (in house) to reßect all training approvals Unable to meet demand for twin engine operations – shortage of suitable a/c at YSBK.

We relocated to our new premises in October, with the official opening by Ian Honnery (very early board member) in Nov.

This was a transformative year for the Club, and laid the foundation for our future growth in services to members.

2008 Brought Seminoles PIE and TEA on crosshire for ME operations. Delays in getting instructor approvals held back operations with these aircraft.

Commenced plan of SF.. based registration of club owned aircraft to reßect our identity. JR was re-registered as SFJ after full refurbishment.

Re-introduced FIR course

Strong turnaround in hours ßown, proÞtability, but still short on M CIR instructor capacity. The Club became a participant in the annual Funßight event to provide a ßight experience to children with disability or severe medical conditions, and their families. We ßew 180 pax on the day with great success. Funßight continued until 2012 when the target charities re-organised their priorities.

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2009 Sold C150 JGJ, acquired more crosshired C152s for FIR course and basic training.

Refurbed Warrior HQR and re-registered as SFM. Maintained in IFR category with GNS430.

Moved to a 2 CFI model to cover off all training approvals. Much higher cost base, management challenges. Full time GM.

Strong growth in hours, revenue and proÞtability in light of trading conditions at SB Ð several smaller ßying schools out of business with high costs of premises and CASA compliance. Private hire declining, looking for ways to encourage ßying members to increase activity. Hard sell as discretionary spend in a challenging economy.

Online survey to gauge member interests and intentions.

A 2 week ßyaway to Horn Island via Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach Cains, returning via urumba, AdelÕs Grove, Longreach and Lightning Ridge. Good weather and great comradery was experienced by all.

2010 Difficulties with two CFI model, distractions from training to meet CASA oversight requirements. In excess of 11,000 hours, a club record. 65% training related.

SFC increased its proÞle in aviation industry forums, contributing to the RFACA and participating in conferences with CASA and Air Services. Re-commenced participation in RFACA Light Aircraft Championships, held by various clubs around the country from year to year.

2011 Fleet updated with glass panel Warriors sourced from ni of North Dakota. F and F . Premium product line introduced with crosshired Diamond aircraft. Two seat DA20 DI with Aspen avionics and 4 seat DA40 DIV with Garmin 1000 avionics. While these aircraft were very well presented, they were not popular with instructors, dampening demand from members. Also while their hourly hire rate was competitive with late model aircraft elsewhere, they were seen by many members as being out of reach.

Lake yre ßyaway, including Broken Hill, Andamooka and Woomera, back via Arkaroola. FM simulator Ð 6 month delay in CASA approval process 2012 Continued CASA distractions, new compliance regime. V TAB compliance costs for commercial students. Increasing overheads due to compliance demands severely damaged proÞtability, exacerbated by reduction in ßying hours. Training services dominated our hours Ð over 70 training related. Warrior OM bought by club as a low cost VFR trainer. Second Lake yre ßyaway, via Innaminka and Birdsville and on to Maree and Arkaroola. At an industry level, supported by AOPA, SFC became a prime respondent in CASA Part 61 and Part 141 142 design consultations. Strong feedback via the SFC Board led to the amendment of

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several poorly thought-out features of the legislation. ngagement with other ßying schools and ßying clubs, plus presentations at industry events saw SFC considered a thought leader in the industry when it came to regulatory matters. The ALAC competition for 2012 was hosted by SFC using RNAC facilities at Maitland. Over 60 club members and partners or friends travelled to Maitland to help stage the event under the auspices of RFACA. This was a highlight of club participation and camaraderie amongst members.

2013 Brand update under SFC umbrella Ð Sydney Flying Club, Sydney Flight College, Sydney Flight Charter. V TAB business declined, reducing hours. Several events for private pilots Ð ßyouts, nav challenges, re-introduction of Club competitions etc. Flinders Ranges ßyaway including Lake Mungo, Wilpena Pound, Arkaroola and White Cliffs.

But further decline in hours and increasing compliance costs saw proÞtability eroded, such that it even threatened the ability of SFC to remain in its recently constructed club facility. A period at Bankstown that saw closures of several ßying training organisations.

2014 Commenced initial JV operations with NSW TAF for FIR and M CIR under V T F H LP, but with low student numbers. Continued discussions re future extension of relationship. Continued decline in ßying hours, down to 2006 levels. Decline in private ßying operations was quite pronounced as affordability became an issue. Over 80 of Club revenue was attributable to training operations.

Several industry participants now defunct, suffering from both decline in demand through reduced affordability, and increased costs of operation through premises, compliance and general business costs. Many students switching out of these defunct schools had initially, swelled our hours. When that cohort completed their training, student self-funded hours declined at SFC. Opal Tour ßyaway including White Cliffs and Lightning Ridge Considerable thought had to go in to ßeet structure, so as to handle TAF ßying growth without acquiring signiÞcant debt, as the TAF arrangement was year to year.

2015 Growth in hours came from TAF involvement, albeit with education compliance costs increasing. The automation of many club services allowed it to handle the more complex operational and educational compliance scene but also increased costs, delaying return to proÞt. Balancing part time consultant costs with full time employee salaries and switching from predominantly casual instructors to full time employed instructors weighed heavily on management.

This was further complicated when all funding was arbitrarily withdrawn for Vet Fee Help courses rendering SFC at one time liable for the payment of staff and maintaining premises and ßeet for a large operation but with no cash ßow.

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90% of recognizable revenue was attributable to training operations, the majority of which was through NSW TAF , although cash ßow was severely hampered through contractual arrangements.

Instructors at SFC gained formal teaching qualiÞcations. Fleet enhancements through cross hired Archers contributed to increased capacity in advance of future TAF demand. The club set a reference mark of 2 hired aircraft to one owned aircraft so as to accommodate albeit with disruption of private ßying, the contract terms. Longreach ßyaway, including Moree, Carnarvon Gorge, Charleville, Lightning Ridge. The looming threat of access to Sydney airspace to GA was observed, as being a future problem. This information came from the increased participation by SFC, in national aviation meetings and forums. SFC reached out to CASA, Air Services and industry bodies to be part of the discussion and decisions on our future, particularly as we were now one of the fastest growing businesses in aviation.

2016 Increasing twin access became important as the IFR training requirements increased. This highlighted the future difficulties of not only funding modern twins but also the steeply increasing cost of becoming a twin IFR pilot. At the same time SFC pushed lower priced Private ßying and PVT-IFR participation at club level. Neither of these initiatives reached the success that the club would have hoped, as an Industry became obsessed with airline ßying training and the subsequent job opportunities. Stresses in available space at the club were noted and investigation as to whether growth was feasible on BK or off it, were assessed. Management made its Þrst visit to a recogni ed international GA event (Oshkosh) with tasks to assess developments in engines and airframe design and availability. The emphasis then was in diesel aviation power plants but within 2 years, there was a major transfer of investment into electric propulsion development. Increasingly the TAFE partnership was seen as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to cement SFC into the aviation industry. However, it was clearly evident that it would require skilled management to avoid the perils that lead to the demise of Royal Queensland Aero Club who had been operating in a commercial framework, not too dissimilar from ours at SFC.

2017 Increased electronic compliance methods gave SFC more mastery over the complex interface of Commonwealth and State requirements that impacted both aviation and education. Managing growth without signiÞcant debt impacted on our end proÞt, hampered by the short term, year to year arrangements with TAF . A longer term relationship was sought that would allow better handling of the dynamics of aviation, to deliver proÞt in the future.

2018 Finally a long term contract was settled with TAF and with this the hope of stabili ing costs especially in compliance and overheads so as to return proÞt to SFC as a reward for its efforts. Cross hired Cessna 206 aircraft were engaged for CPL training and to afford opportunity to emerging commercial pilots to get their Þrst jobs in remote area Charter.

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Acknowledgement to Contributors Without the assistance of the following people, this project could not have been completed:

David Godwin

Barrie Spencer

Glenn Hughes

Michael Allsop

Allan Bligh

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A Passion for Flying