More costs in getting started in this program have emerged - this post is the second of what will no doubt become a series of updates on the price tag of the Graduate Diploma in Aviation.
Owners Manual & Checklists for Cessna 172S: $25.00
These are very necessary reading for the prospective pilot - it is a good idea to know about the aircraft you are going to be flying! Additionally, in order to get an endorsement on the aircraft type, you have to complete a questionnaire (issued by CASA) about the aircraft, which pretty much forces you to read the manual. It would have been nice to have the option to purchase them; I was handed them with the words, "we'll bill you later," softly spoken. Still, I probably would have bought them anyway - these booklets constitute good reading for anybody interested in the sort of stuff contained within.
Pilot logbook: $22.95
This is one of those necessary things - it becomes a legal document and record of all hours flown. We were warned not to get 'the cheapest one' as it doesn't have the right layout. The one I chose was the same one I saw our lecturer holding - the thinner ATC logbook. I found it at downunderpilotshop.com.au for the above price.
VTC and VNC: $18.40
I haven't purchased these yet - charts covering the area around Adelaide at two different scales. The VTC of Adelaide/Melbourne and VNC-8 are the ones required: these can be found at Airservices Australia and various other places. A subscription is available if purchasing through Airservices, but the shipping is about $10 on top of the basic price; downunderpilotshop has free shipping but the charts cost an extra dollar apiece.
License Wallet: $34.95
This is a nice way of keeping the Pilot License and Medical Certificates in one easily accessible and safe place. The only one I could find is a leather job produced by Airservices Australia - it may last a long time so I am happy to fork out just this once - well, when I have some money again at least.
Flight Computer: $25.00
This is a circular slide-rule kind of doohickey that is very useful for typical flight planning calculations. It can be used to convert units, calculate Calibrated Air Speed (CAS) to True Air Speed (TAS), work out wind corrections, density altitudes and much more. The only calculation so far that it can do that I haven't been able to do by hand is conversion between CAS & TAS for a given density altitude...the flight computer is about as fast for the other calculations. I think if I had one of these, I would end up checking by hand - or calculating by hand and checking using the computer. I may get one just for this extra reassurance. There are numerous online versions that perform the same calculations - look for online E-6B and CR-3 calculators.
The extra wad of cash required to cover all of this is around the $130 mark, bringing the total so far to approximately $2030!
Still, there is no cheap way to fly; I'd have to front with most of these costs if I were learning privately anyway. At least I won't have to immediately pay for the lessons when the flying begins in two weeks!
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