Dan Maloney
Chief Flying Instructor
I was born in New Zealand and raised in the North-west of England so I am a Kiwi-Pom! I am married and have two sons (one of whom is already obsessed with aeroplanes). I enjoy flying the amazing Sling 2 aircraft as well as having experience with various Jabiru types and the Cessna 152. We decided to make the move from Sydney’s rat-race to the stunning Sunshine Coast after enjoying a few holidays here. Flying with GoFly Aviation at Caloundra Airport since 2018 has been the icing on the cake!
I became a Senior Instructor in 2019, then added Operations Manager and Safety Officer to my roles, and eventually became the CFI in 2022.
Childhood
Back in the UK I joined the Air Cadets as I always had a passion for aviation since a young age. My Dad was an aircraft technician for NAC (Air New Zealand) in the late 1970s. My first memory of aviation (when I was about three years old) came from the smell in the air of Jet A-1 fuel during a visit to the hangar.
1st Dan
In Sydney I enrolled with a Hapkido academy progressing to 1st Dan Black belt. I enjoyed helping out with instructing and observing the transformation of students from their first lesson to grading day.
Career
Prior to my appointment with GoFly Aviation I was a supervisor with a market leader in Aviation, Marine and Consumer Electronics based in Sydney. The most enjoyable part of my role was conducting one-on-one coaching sessions with my team, developing their product knowledge and improving customer service standards.
Diver dan
My wife and I dive - although not as often as we would like to, since our two little ones arrived. I have completed both Nitrox gas diving and Rescue Diver certifications. I am looking forward to exploring some dive sites around the spectacular Sunshine Coast.