Jabiru J230
One aeroplane, maintained properly, that every student learns in from first lesson to flight test.
Why we fly it
The J230 is Australian-designed and built, which matters when you need a part on a Thursday. It's a high-wing, side-by-side tourer with a genuinely roomy cabin — a tall student and an instructor aren't fighting for elbow room, and nobody is distracted by discomfort in their first hour of flying.
It's forgiving where you want an aeroplane to be forgiving, and honest everywhere else. Fly it sloppily and it lets you know; fly it well and it rewards you. That's exactly what you want in a trainer.
Because there's only one aircraft in the school, there are no surprises. You never turn up to find yourself in a type you've never flown, and every hour you log is on the machine you'll be tested in.
Figures are indicative for the type — send me the exact numbers from your flight manual and I'll drop them in before this goes live.
A closer look
Composite, high wing, fixed tricycle
Composite construction with a high wing and fixed tricycle undercarriage. Large doors and a wide cabin make getting in and out easy, and the view from both seats is excellent for circuit work — you can actually see the runway you're aiming at.
The latest glass cockpit
A modern EFIS panel carrying flight instruments, engine monitoring and moving-map navigation on one screen — plus ADS-B traffic and collision avoidance. You learn on the sort of panel you'll actually go on to fly, with radio and intercom throughout.
Six-cylinder Jabiru 3300
Direct drive to a fixed-pitch propeller. Simple, well understood, and maintained on schedule by people we trust — which is exactly what you want in the aircraft you're learning to fly in.
One aircraft, known inside out
Because there's only one aeroplane in the school, nothing about it is a mystery. Every student learns in it from first lesson to flight test, both instructors know its habits, and you're never handed keys to a type you've never flown.
Glass cockpit and ADS-B, standard.
Our aircraft is fitted with the latest glass cockpit, and with ADS-B traffic and collision avoidance. You see other aircraft on the screen long before you'd see them out the window — and they see you. Learning with it from day one means good scanning habits and situational awareness become second nature rather than something bolted on later.
Glass cockpit
A modern EFIS display for flight instruments, engine monitoring and moving-map navigation — the same style of panel you'll find in current production aircraft.
ADS-B traffic
Nearby aircraft shown live on the display with their position, altitude and track, so you always know who else is in the circuit or transiting the area.
Collision avoidance
Audible and visual alerts for converging traffic. A genuine safety layer on top of a good lookout — never a replacement for one.
Want to fly it yourself?
Private hire is $200 per hour for certificate holders, after a check ride with one of our instructors.