Learning to fly is both easy and inexpensive when you come to the Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Club, For between just $1600 & $2400  most people can learn to fly solo in our 80 hp aircraft ( RGA & RGC ) and with a bit of study achieve the RAANZ Advanced Microlight Pilot Certificate to allow them to fly all over the country.
 

What You Need

The first thing you need to do is to arrange a trial instructional flight. Contact one of the instructors listed below and arrange a flight where you will get to fly the aircraft.

Once you have decided that you want to learn to fly, you will need to have your GP complete a Medical Certificate for you, and you will also need to complete a Fit & Proper Person Declaration (both on the Resources page) Take the completed forms to your instructor (at your next lesson) Your Instructor will then arrange for a Microlight Pilots License to be issued by RAANZ (Recreational Aircraft Association of New Zealand). At this stage you will need to join the club (an annual subscription and joining fee, see the Prices page) and also RAANZ (annual subscription). You will also need to purchase both a Pilots Logbook and a Pilots Training Manual.

Scheduling lesson

Instruction should be arranged with your chosen Instructor. Please be aware that our Instructors have busy lives too, and may not always be available. Weather will also be a factor - we do not normally fly in strong nor-westers! Your Instructor will record your progress in your logbook which you should bring to each lesson.

What it costs

You will pay for time in the aircrarft, plus ground instruction (a donation for your instructor's time of $50 per session or $60 for cross countries and BFRs). The current hourly charge is displayed on the Prices page. On average a student may take 10 -15 hours to go solo, the likely total cost is around $1600 - $2400, based upon the 80HP Tecnams & $1800 - $2700 for the 100HP Tecnam

Please note that the Annual Membership Fee is $120 per annum. A one-off Joining Fee of $30.00 is also applicable 

For those people joining throughout the year after April , the Annual Membership will be charged on a reducing Pro-Rata basis

It is expected that your payment for the hire of the club aircraft be paid immediately after the flight and is Direct Credited to the Club Account:

Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Club     03 1594 0061058 000

Instructors

Microlights are governed principally by two organisations, RAANZ  & Flying NZ (formerly the RNZAC) also has some microlight operations.

Listed below are our currently active instructors and their affiliations to a Part 149 organisation as above

 

Colin MacDonald - 3 Axis Tuition  -   Chief Flying Instructor    
021 047 5270

 
Scott James - 3 Axis Tuition
021 525 561
 

Lionel Green - 3 Axis & Gyrocopter Tuition
027 359 5849

Peter Chadwick - 3 Axis Tuition
021 860 363

Benjamin Dodd - 3 Axis Tuition
021 237 4649

Mike Burke - 3 Axis Tuition
021 0297 3744

Tony den Haan - Savannah
027 480 8259

Authorised Testing Officers

Doug Anderson - Weight-shift (Flex-wing/Trike) Tuition
021 510 548

Glenn Martin
021 109 1851