Ballarat just got busy
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AN INTERNATIONAL pilot training academy will be established at Ballarat's airport, bringing millions of dollars into the city each year. Up to 600 pilots will be trained annually at the academy in a deal between a subsidiary of the Singapore Government and a Singaporean aviation training company.
Blader - no, they're just kidding around. I'm at a similar altitude than Ballarat and not that far away, and don't have too many days I couldn't fly. But yes, it can snow there occasionally in winter.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Now who loves BLT's WX in winter?......only a polar bear I'd say.
...........hey "TB5" I'm like you not that far away at a similar alt to BLT also & the wx here is RS during winter most of the time !Cloud on the deck, fog & just a few K's down the rd?...............Cavok sometimes! The ranges have a huge influence on the Wx around here. So maybe I ought to move to yr area seeing as you say there ain't too many days you can't fly
Some of the most awful unflyable VFR WX i've found at BLT, at least the students will learn what it's like to fly in marginal WX almost from day one !
, providing they can find the AD upon returning from their first solo NAV
Great to see more work for the instructors, LG (lifes Good)
CW
...........hey "TB5" I'm like you not that far away at a similar alt to BLT also & the wx here is RS during winter most of the time !Cloud on the deck, fog & just a few K's down the rd?...............Cavok sometimes! The ranges have a huge influence on the Wx around here. So maybe I ought to move to yr area seeing as you say there ain't too many days you can't fly
Some of the most awful unflyable VFR WX i've found at BLT, at least the students will learn what it's like to fly in marginal WX almost from day one !, providing they can find the AD upon returning from their first solo NAVGreat to see more work for the instructors, LG (lifes Good)
CW
Ballarat has some of the worst winter weather in Australia. Fog, Rain, sleet, endless days of low cloud etc etc
Before putting a VFR flying school there I would be spending some money on BoM statistical data seeing how much time you could potentially lose. You could easily find yourself grounded for 3-4 days at a time.
Before putting a VFR flying school there I would be spending some money on BoM statistical data seeing how much time you could potentially lose. You could easily find yourself grounded for 3-4 days at a time.
Join Date: Apr 2006
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I did my Ag. Rating in Ballarat, have to check the book but I reakon it was June. 40hr course took 5 weeks in two seperate blocks. Used to wake up in the morning and it was foggy. Great I thought, this will be a great day once the fog burns off. Not fog.... cloud.... didn't burn off all day.
I am sure I read somewhere that the globe is warming, trust me when I say, Ballarat will benefit from this.
I am sure I read somewhere that the globe is warming, trust me when I say, Ballarat will benefit from this.
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..........hey great to read I ain't the only one that believes BLt is the end of the earth wx wise:-). They'll be thinking twice weather (spelt deliberately) it was smart to base the ops there when the training planes have ice hanging off the props !
..........."plucka" I would have thought doing an Ag rating at BLT would be perfect !......cloud almost on the deck, how high do ya wanna go anyway ??
CW
..........."plucka" I would have thought doing an Ag rating at BLT would be perfect !......cloud almost on the deck, how high do ya wanna go anyway ??
CW
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You are right Captain,
at the very mature age of 23 when I did my Ag. Rating I was very keen to do battle with the cloud, but my 'chicken' 70+ year old instructor (career Ag. pilot) was too scared.....
What was that about old and bold pilots... I forget?
The things we learn....
at the very mature age of 23 when I did my Ag. Rating I was very keen to do battle with the cloud, but my 'chicken' 70+ year old instructor (career Ag. pilot) was too scared.....
What was that about old and bold pilots... I forget?
The things we learn....
When does the new school start operating. I sent off an email a couple of weeks ago with no reply sofar.
This is the email address
[email protected]
This is the email address
[email protected]
Be afraid of the little oriental gentleman. Very afraid.
Join Date: Jun 2003
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G'day folks,
A bit of a thread drift here, but hopefully I have captured the right group reading hear to ask a favour.
To all the guys who instruct IFR around Mel (and I admire you all for your patience),airwaves can get pretty busy with processing crossing inbound and outbound RPT and dealing with all the rest at the same time. Long spiels by your students can often cause delayed passing of traffic (particularly VFR which are usually the last to be spotted) and sometimes jets to have to level off (especially on descent which they spew about).
By all means get the students talking on the air, a lot certainly need the practice, but my request is this: On first contact get them to say " ML Center, ABC maintaining XXX with airwork details". If we're ready, we'll grab them, if not you may have to wait for a minute, but we'll get to you. Daily we hear "ML Centre, ABC maintaing A050 Xnm north of xxx inbound for airwork, top of descent in 3 minutes airwork levels on arrival between A026 and A050, call ops normal at XX (or established overhead) request traffic?". Now that took awhile to type and it takes some of these guys as long to get the words out. I'm sure the last thing the student wants to hear is "standby" and then ABC "say again!" Hopefully someone here will get the word out.
Thanks in advance. Rant over!
A bit of a thread drift here, but hopefully I have captured the right group reading hear to ask a favour.
To all the guys who instruct IFR around Mel (and I admire you all for your patience
),airwaves can get pretty busy with processing crossing inbound and outbound RPT and dealing with all the rest at the same time. Long spiels by your students can often cause delayed passing of traffic (particularly VFR which are usually the last to be spotted) and sometimes jets to have to level off (especially on descent which they spew about). By all means get the students talking on the air, a lot certainly need the practice, but my request is this: On first contact get them to say " ML Center, ABC maintaining XXX with airwork details". If we're ready, we'll grab them, if not you may have to wait for a minute, but we'll get to you. Daily we hear "ML Centre, ABC maintaing A050 Xnm north of xxx inbound for airwork, top of descent in 3 minutes airwork levels on arrival between A026 and A050, call ops normal at XX (or established overhead) request traffic?". Now that took awhile to type and it takes some of these guys as long to get the words out. I'm sure the last thing the student wants to hear is "standby" and then ABC "say again!" Hopefully someone here will get the word out.
Thanks in advance. Rant over!
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hey thanks for the replies folks...it seems that there are conflicting views from the pple ehre in the forum abt the weather in ballarat...neville_nobody thinks its ****e while thunderbird_five thinks its ok...
care to clarify? how suitable is it for flying training? will there be lotsa delays due to poor weather conditions?
care to clarify? how suitable is it for flying training? will there be lotsa delays due to poor weather conditions?
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Hey 'blader' BLT is well known for it's lousy weather a good deal of the time over winter with a lot of it due to it's high elevation, in fact during any season, anyone telling you it's not is dreamin' ! Great training envinronment tho, providing you have an out !
cw
Great training envinronment tho, providing you have an out !cw
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......oh sorry 'blader' I didn't realise that my words might have been missleading there. Having an 'out' so to speak means having another option (place to divert to just in case) should you not be able to land after say an isntrument approach or are unable to even get near the area/field after perhaps an earlier departed navex when upon arrival back at base the weather has closed in. That's why in some ways BLT is a great training environment (for IFR flights) because a lot of instrument approaches will be for real, IE in actual cloud!
Don't get me completly wrong here, BLT can have the nicest of days, but bring yr gloves & ice pick first during winter!
Hope that explains that!
CW
Don't get me completly wrong here, BLT can have the nicest of days, but bring yr gloves & ice pick first during winter!
Hope that explains that!
CW
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