Real-world flying adventure stretches MAF students

A 5000 km flying safari across the vast skies of the northern Australian outback is the centrepiece learning adventure for students of the MAF Training Centre in Mareeba.

Confidence rises sky-high for trainee pilots after they spread their wings on the epic expedition, which is the culmination of training for the students who are working toward their commercial licences.

Flight Instructor Ian Purdey said, “That compressed training, combined with real operational needs, over a remote and unfamiliar area, leads to great development of the students, as pilots. It really develops their captaincy.”

Students are responsible for planning all aspects of the trip, including fuel stops, accommodation, payload and distance calculations, and emergency landing sites.

“Safari really provides the opportunity for the students to test the skills they've learned to this point in the course,” said Ian. “They're all privately licensed pilots already, but they've learned their skills in the local area.”

The planes head northwest of Mareeba to the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria before cutting inland across the outback, in conditions similar to the environments in which mission pilots fly around the world.

"But the most challenging thing on Safari is being the one in charge of all the things that could go wrong." Gavin Cochrane

“This is where they start to be introduced to the essence of remote area navigation, and I guess that’s one of the real benefits of this Safari trip,” Ian said. “The feedback we've had over the years has been overwhelmingly positive, and most students will say that this is the highlight of the course.” 

Training Centre student Abigail Duff describes her experience of Safari.

“There’s a real feeling of accomplishment after Safari,” Abigail said. “I really gained a lot of confidence, and I feel I jumped forward a huge amount in those 10 days.”

The Safari flies to Nhulunbuy, Arnhem Land, where students have the opportunity of flying with mission pilots.

“Being in the MAF programme in Arnhem Land gave me real insight into what the line pilots do there,” said Abigail. “I was especially impressed by the amazing airstrips they land on and the relationships they’ve built with the Yolngu students and teachers and other regular passengers.”

Swiss student Timothée Berger commenced his studies with the goal of becoming a MAF pilot, and observing firsthand the operations of a MAF programme was a Safari highlight.

“It was important to me to be able to discover and experience a MAF programme in Arnhem Land,” Timothée said.

“I had the impression, for a day, of being in a dream that I had been trying to imagine for 10 years, and at the same time I had this awareness of what it is to experience it in real life.”

Gavin Cochrane recalls the excitement of his own Safari experience.

“On my Safari, I got to fly into Darwin, which is a military airport, and that was a very cool experience,” said Gavin.

“But the most challenging thing on Safari is being the one in charge of all the things that could go wrong. It's the first time you're stepping up to be the responsible pilot yourself, outside the training environment.”

It’s this responsibility that stretches and builds the students’ skills and confidence.

“The students come back with a much more professional attitude, and ready to build towards their commercial flight test and then onwards into the industry,” said Ian.