PILOT PATHWAYS EXAMPLE 1: RPC>Navigation>Passenger Endorsement>RAAus Flight Instructor>Supervising Snr Instructor & Operations Manager

Tom completed his Recreational Pilot Certificate in 2022 while in year 11 and working part time to pay for his lessons. In 2023, he worked part-time at our front desk, flew in the afternoons and worked at Coles at night, and completed his Navigation and Passenger endorsements. By October he had completed the minimum required command hours to start his Instructor Training.

By December 2023, he completed his 20 hrs flight training and 30 hrs of ground training and became the youngest RAAus Instructor in the country at age 18. In 2024 he completed the Snr upgrade exam, the required teaching hours and solo recommendations and became a Senior Instructor and much-valued team member. Then came his Supervising Snr status, meaning he could supervise other instructors.

We also discovered he is talented with IT and graphic design, so on rainy days he is kept busy creating illustrations for GoFly Online. By mid-2025, school owner, Damien, was so confident in Tom’s multi-tasking abilities, that he bundled up all the tasks that no one else liked doing and created a new ‘Operations Manager’ role just for Tom. Computer won’t start? Headsets not working? Tyre looking a bit flat? Fuel tank getting low? Need a circuit diagram for the wall? Go and see Tom!

In 2026 – still aged only 20 – Operations Manager Tom was approved to teach the next generation of RAAus instructors.