Information for international students
We offer short fulltime courses. International students can opt to just do 10-12 hours of training so that you have a better chance of getting into the Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Program. Students would fly double lessons each morning on 5 or 6 days of the week. Students can purchase a log book from our office for $38 AUD. Applications to the 80-week Cathay Cadet Pilot Program are open year-round and you can find the requirements here. While the Cathay Pacific Cadet Program does not require prior experience, gaining some flight hours and understanding the concepts of flying, significantly improves your chances of passing the selection process.
You can also train long enough to reach your first solo flight. Training is competency-based and weather-dependent, and first solo will usually occur between the 18th to 20th hour of training. International students would fly double lessons each morning on 6 days of the week (12 hrs), then have a day of rest and fly another 3-4 days (up to a total of 18-20 hrs). Total duration 7-10 days. You would need to pass the pre-solo and radio exams before you can go solo. We provide a FREE log book and the theory books for you to study online plus a cap and certificate after your first solo.
An RPC is the first step to take on the journey to become a Private Pilot or Commercial Pilot. Flying in a light sport plane for as much of your flight training as possible, will save you thousands of dollars on the cost of your training.
Most international students obtain their Recreational Pilot Certificate in around 28-32 hours of flying, or in approximately 2.5 to 3 weeks. (We recommend allowing 3 weeks in case of bad weather and we recommend only flying on 6 days of the week, and having a break on one day when you feel tired.) Lessons can be taken either in the morning or in the afternoon on any day of the week. Our Recreational Pilot Certificate syllabus can be found here.
International students will receive:
Sample three week schedule:
Full-time students usually do two x 60 min flying lessons per day on 6 days of the week (can start any day of the week). There is a 2-day contingency for bad weather. Your schedule might look like this:
Days 1-6 (repeated x 3 weeks):
7.30-9am: pre-flight briefing and first flying lesson followed by a 30 min rest and snack break
9.30-11.30: second briefing and second flying lesson
11.30am onwards: leisure time or study time. We provide online video briefings, theory books and practice quizzes for you to study for your multiple choice exams. You can have access to this material before you arrive, so you can get a head start on understanding the concepts. You can use our quiet exam room for watching videos or studying if your accommodation is noisy or does not have internet.
Day 7 (or another day of your choosing): Rest day
The price for training as at June 2026 is $385/hr AUD. All theory briefing videos, exams and landing fees are included in the price. Each lesson is made up of one hour of flying and one hour on the ground (30 mins to preflight and fuel the plane before flying, then 30 mins after the flight to debrief and write lesson notes and log book entries). You do not have to pay for your training up front. You can pay after each individual lesson or after the 2nd lesson of the day. The cost of the dual lessons with an instructor is based on hobbs (you only pay when the engine is running). You can pay for lessons by cash, debit or credit card (or you can deposit a bulk amount into our account if you prefer). If you are doing double lessons, your daily payment will be 2 x currently hourly cost (around $770) AUD. If you would like a quote for anything, please email us.
For a full comparison of costs of learning to fly in Singapore versus in Australia, including travel, accommodation and food, click here.
You should have a current passport before you contact us. GoFly Aviation does not provide help for you to obtain a passport or your Visa. You need to apply for the visa yourself and you should only book your international flight to Australia AFTER you have obtained your Visa. New Zealand passport holders can apply for a visa upon arrival in the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visa before leaving their country.
Students from Hong Kong can fly into Brisbane International Airport on any airline and then travel 90km (1 hr) north to Caloundra.
Students from Singapore can fly out of SIN/Changi airport Terminal 2 at around 7.30pm and arrive at Sunshine Coast airport at around 7.30am the next morning (with a 2 hr stopover in Denpasar, Bali). Flights on Jetstar cost between $265-$600 AUD each way depending on how far in advance you book. It is a 10 hr flight. Then you can travel bus 40 mins south to Caloundra, or you can hire a car for your stay.
Sun Air Transport and Connexion buses provide pickups and drop offs at both the Brisbane International Airport (90kms and 1 hour south of Caloundra) and the Sunshine Coast Airport (40 minutes and 28 kms north of Caloundra), a few times each day and they will pick you up from your airport, or deliver you to either the Cali Backpacker’s Hostel in Omrah Street or the Caloundra Road Information Centre, near us, if you are staying at Jim or Leigh’s place.
1. JIM’S HOUSE
Our graduate pilot, Jim, and his wife, have 2 rooms available for rent (one with an ensuite, and another with access to its own dedicated bathroom) for $42.80/day, in his lovely Pelican Waters home. There is a separate entrance and your own kitchenette. Jim can provide a continental breakfast and an evening meal for you if you wish for an extra $20/day. The home is about 8km (12 mins by car or 20 mins by bike along flat cycling paths), from the aerodrome. The home is 500 metres from the Pelican Waters Resort which has a gym that can be used for $15/week. The resort has a sports bar and a restaurant, cafe. The home is just 2.5kms from the Pelican Waters Shopping Centre (Coles & Woolworths). There is wifi available for studying. Bookings can be made directly with Jim by email at jim455388 @ gmail.com after you have touched base with us and made sure we can fit you into our calendar.
Jim can provide you with a helmet and electric bike with lock. GoFly also has 1 female and 1 male bike, with locks and helmets available to borrow.
Jim’s room with ensuite
Jim’s room with own bathroom
Jim’s rear deck
Distance from Jim’s home to aerodrome.
2. LEIGH’S HOUSE
Alternatively you could email Leigh at leighjel @ outlook.com who rents out rooms in her home (2.5kms up a slight hill from the airport) with ensuites or shared bathrooms, for around $360/wk. We can lend you a bike, lock and helmet or you can arrange for Ecco Tekk to deliver an electric bike to you. You can see the brochure here: Leigh Lampitt rooms for rent short term.
Rent a room in a hotel or lodge
3. CALI BACKPACKER’S HOSTEL – SHARED ROOM
Another option if you don’t mind sharing a room, and wish to meet people and go to restaurants and the beach after training, is Cali Backpacker Hostel at 84 Omrah Avenue in Caloundra. It has shared air conditioned dorm rooms with bunk beds to sleep up to 4 people and shared bathrooms and kitchen, from $49/night (or $350/wk). It is close to the main street and beaches and is within walking or cycling distance to the Aerodrome for lessons. As the hostel might be noisy, you can use our exam room or kitchen during the day for quiet studying and viewing your briefing videos. Our friends at Eco Tekk can also deliver an electric bike to you at your accommodation or our school and will collect it after your stay, for around $26/day. They are solar-powered and have a 100 km range and make it easier to get up hills. Use this link to receive a discount. Promo code: GoFlyStudent
4. THE NIGHTCAP AT GOLDEN BEACH TAVERN
The Nightcap Hotel provides studio rooms for around $160/night or a discounted rate of around $820 for a week, and has free wifi, pool, ATM, tavern and playground on site. It is situated between the beach and the aerodrome and within walking distance of both (2 km flat walk to the school).
5. One bedroom in Shannon’s house at Tooloona Place, available from Air B’n’ B. Own bed, access to shared living and kitchen. Just 15 min walk to aerodrome. Borrow a GoFly bike.
6. One bedroom in Phong’s house at 7 Mallee Close Caloundra West. Email him. Own bedroom, living area, kitchen and courtyard. 20 min walk/ride to aerodrome. Borrow a GoFly bike.
6. If you are bringing your family or friends with you, this reasonably priced 3 bedroom house at Moffat Beach sleeps up to 7 people. There’s wifi, two TVs, Apple TV, Chromecast, blue tooth speakers and push bikes. Search for other rooms here Air B’n’B homes.
All food will be paid for by the student by buying their own at the supermarket or restaurant (or making arrangements with Jim if staying with him). We have a water cooler for cold water and a vending machine at the school for chips, chocolates, biscuits, noodles, drinks. We provide tea and coffee and hot water; a fridge and microwave in the air-conditioned kitchen. A food van delivers sandwiches and hot food to the maintenance facility next door at 10am each weekday. A short drive across the road there is also a service station with sandwiches and Hungry Jack’ s hot food.
We are located at 20 Pathfinder Drive, at Caloundra Airport. Our air-conditioned office and waiting room has a receptionist, an area with 3 Apple computers for checking in and out planes, debriefing after lessons, writing in logbooks and taking payments; a quiet exam room; a nav training classroom with whiteboard; an outdoor eating area; and toilets. Students can take advantage of our free wifi.
STEP 1: Please email us at fly @ goflyaviation.com.au to ask us whether we have room in our calendar for your proposed dates. The maximum number of overseas students that we can manage to train simultaneously, is three.
STEP 2: Obtain your visa
STEP 3: Email your preferred accommodation provider using the email addresses above, and ask about your preferred dates. Tentatively book dates if available.
STEP 4: Compare airline costs and book your return flights to either Brisbane or Maroochydore (Sunshine Coast), Australia. Confirm your dates with you accommodation provider. Allow one day to get over any jetlag before starting training.
STEP 5: To confirm your enrolment at GoFly Aviation, purchase an annual subscription to GoFly Online ($199 AUD) and let us know you have done so. We will add that $199 to your training account then book your lessons into our Flight Schedule Pro booking system for you and send you your enrolment email.
STEP 6: Book your bus or car transfer from your arrival airport to your accommodation in Caloundra. Provide us with your Whatsapp number and we will provide ours, so we can ensure your safe arrival.
Once you have purchased an annual subscription for GoFly Online, we will add $199 AUD to your account towards paying for your first lesson.
After the 3rd flying lesson it is also compulsory to join Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) for one year, to cover your insurance, at a cost of around $368 (follow the prompts in the link you receive after signing up for temporary membership). All training at GoFly is based on competency of the pilot and not on hours of tuition. A student will only receive their certificate or licence if they have passed all exams, flight tests and the CFI deems their flying to be satisfactory. Your RPC never ‘expires’. Your log book can be taken to any other school and count towards future licences.
Please be aware that we have a wet season from Dec-April and sometimes you will need to wait while a shower passes before being able to fly again. If we are expecting a run of good days, we fly as much as possible. If we are expecting a couple of wet days, you can study your online books and attempt 1-2 exams so the time isn’t wasted. We will always prioritise your bookings over other bookings, to get your training completed in the 3 week period.
All travel, visa costs. accommodation and food will be paid for by the student.
If you arrive and begin your training then withdraw before completing your booked course, and you cancel all your future bookings, you will forfeit your $199 deposit. [Overseas students are not eligible to purchase our Intro Package (first 3 lessons at a discounted rate) unless they intend to complete their entire RPC training with us.]
Caloundra is on the eastern side of Australia in a part of the state of Queensland called the ‘Sunshine Coast’. The Sunshine Coast is one of the most popular places for Australian tourists to holiday. There are spectacular and clean beaches to walk on and swim in, and islands and mountains to fly over. Caloundra has a wet season (from about November-March) and a dry season (from about April to October). From November to March (wet season), you should allow three weeks in which to do your 28-32 hours of flying to obtain your Recreational Pilot Certificate, as some lessons might need to be cancelled due to rain showers.
Temperatures in the Sunshine Coast are generally warm year round with summer temperatures averaging 17 – 32 degrees Celsius from December to February and autumn temperatures falling to between 13 – 25 degrees Celsius from March to May. Winter temperatures range from 11 overnight to 20 degrees by day.
Uber – download the app to your phone to order an Uber driver.
Taxi – SunCoast cabs can be booked on 1300 008.
The Cathay Pacific application process does not require previous training, so is therefore very competitive. However, having 6-18 hours of prior training proves that you are passionate about aviation and determined to succeed. It also gives you a taste of the information you will be required to learn, and the fast pace of the learning. If you do some basic training before you apply, you will be less overwhelmed if you do get selected. You will also have 2 years of access to all the training videos and theory books provided by GoFly, which will greatly assist you in retaining knowledge between the end of your basic training in Australia and the start of your CPL training, if selected.
If you do well in your application and in the interview process, and get selected, training for the Cathay Cadet Pilot Program will take around 60 weeks to complete. Here’s how it works:
1. Induction Session
2. Ground School
3. Ground School Exam Passed
4. Flying Phase (CPL+MECIR+ATPL)
5. Flying Phase Passed
6. Contract Offered
7. Multi Crew Co-operation & Airline Transition Training
8. Type Rating (B777 / A350 / B747)
9. Line Training
Ground school takes place at Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong. After this, you choose from 2 providers for the flight training phase. These are currently Flight Training Adelaide based in Adelaide, Australia; and AeroGuard based in Phoenix, USA. Following the flying phases, the remaining training takes place in Hong Kong.
Cathay Cadet Pilot Program trainees can take out a loan from Cathay to pay for their training. Students then pay this back over a minimum service period once they start working for them. There are living allowances provided at various stages of the training phases. For the phases that take place in Hong Kong, students will be based on campus with meals along with accommodation.
Before or after your navigation training, if you wish to, you can do your passenger endorsement. You must have a minimum of 10 hours of solo command time (you will already have 5 hours as part of your RPC). It consists of watching a video, a passenger briefing with a senior instructor, and a minimum 30 min flight check. Further info can be found here.
If you wish to, at the completion of your RPC, you can then choose to go on to do your cross country navigation endorsement. Syllabus information here. This takes around 16 hours (12 hours of dual training, 2 hrs of solo flying, plus a 2 hr flight test). We provide all video briefings and theory books on GoFly Online.
GoFly does not currently offer RPL/PPL training. You can transfer to another school to complete that training in a Cessna aircraft. We can help you with advise about obtaining medicals and ASIC cards. Please see the RPL/PPL information on this page for further details.
My name is Kinen and I’m from Hong Kong and I came to Caloundra to do my first solo. The instructors were great, the planes were great, the online materials were helpful and I enjoyed staying at Jim’s place.
June 2026
‘I studied the content on GoFly Online before I arrived. A very nice website and online course for students. Training videos are clear and informative, books and notes are easy to read, user-friendly. Overall, I recommend the subscription to anyone who wants to start their aviation life.’
Anson, May 2026.
‘I had long wanted to learn some flying as a retiree-hobbyist and GoFly presented me the opportunity that met my needs. I was attracted by GoFly’s online study resources which enabled me to do some self-study before arriving in Caloundra. Their flexible flying program was ideal for someone like me, and knowing that I was on a limited stay, they prioritised my lesson slots to ensure I got to fly as much as I could while there. ‘
Glenn, April 2026
Gary, international student from Singapore, talks about his experience in receiving the online materials before he arrived and being able to complete his RPC training in just 2.5 weeks during 2024.
I chose GoFly because the aircraft are modern, safe and really easy to fly and because of the online resources, which meant I could save costs and was only paying for my flight hours; and lastly, because it had two runways and was easier for landing without cross winds.
Dominick, international student from Singapore, September 2022
‘I loved everything about learning to fly with GoFly.’
Reuben, international student from Singapore, September 2022
‘I travelled to Australia from Hong Kong in May 2018. I searched online for a flying school which could improve my flying skills in the shortest period of time. A few members of an online flying forum gave very positive feedback about the flying lessons they had taken with GoFly.
There are a few reasons leading to my decision to train at Gofly. 1. It was a tailor-made course. 2. They were not too pushy for newbies 3. The airstrip was surrounded by Class G airspace that saved me a lot of time 4. They had professional instructors and a friendly environment. 5. The cost of training cost was competitive. 6. Recreational Pilot Certificate training is easily accessible and extendable and it is possible to get my certificate during a couple of short vacations.
I applied online for a visitor visa. Hotels in Caloundra are a 20-30 min walk from the aerodrome. There are also AirBnB houses in suburbs nearby. I took a bus the first day but I found that I could walk there the next few days. I would like to accumulate my hours whenever I have vacations. My short term goal is to get a PPL.’
Alan, international student, 2018
‘I took my first step towards my dream of flying at GoFly and it was superb to say the least. As a Singaporean, learning to fly in Singapore can be a hefty investment, however, GoFly offered a range of competitive pricing without compromising the quality of the school, its instructors and more importantly its Sling planes!
GoFly cultivates a learner-friendly environment and builds confidence in aspiring pilots who are chasing their dreams. I highly recommend GoFly and I look forward to returning to get my nav endorsement! 🙂
Mikhail, international student, 2018
international student, Leo, from Hong Kong found out about our flight school in Australia while looking at Instagram. He was able to find out everything he needed to know about the best time of the year to visit, visas, the location, the cost of training and nearby accommodation on the GoFly Aviation website. He also used his time in Caloundra to visit a few places around the spectacular Sunshine Coast.
international student, Judite, from Hong Kong talks about the GoFly Online videos and her training with GoFly Aviation.
In this video, international student Andy from Singapore talks about his training at GoFly and how much he loves flying the Sling planes.
I searched flying schools close to Brisbane and found GoFly. The location, the all-inclusive fee, the on-line video lessons provided and the new license category (RAAus) are the reasons I chose GoFly.
I just used a tourist visa. It was easy to obtain online through the Australian Immigration ETA service. I stayed in an AirBnB house and I rented a car to commute between Brisbane and Caloundra.
The GoFly Instructors are all superb. You can feel their passion for flying and teaching students. The Sling 2 is an excellent aircraft for beginners, better than a Cessna 152/172 in my own opinion. I’m back in Australia to finish working on my pilot certificate and I plan to continue on to get my PPL.
Dr Cary, Hong Kong ( international student and repeat visitor 2022, ’23, ’24, ’25, ’26)