During the September school holidays, I participated in a Powered Elementary Flying Training Course (EFTC) with the Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC). I was very happy to be awarded Dux of the course out of 12 participants.
The course was marked on two aspects. The first was the time it took the student to take a solo flight. The second part concerned the student’s theory mark. The course lasted nine days, which included both practical flying skills and ground theory, which included a pre-solo examination and a radio examination. The pre-solo examination consisted of 30 multiple-choice questions about the requirements of students taking a solo flight. The radio examination consisted of 20 multiple-choice questions regarding certain radio procedures and radio calls.
The aim of the course was to enable a student to take a solo flight in a Cessna 152.
The days were long, starting at 6 o’clock in the morning and ending at 10 o’clock at night. For the duration of the course, we were housed at Stirling Barracks on Garden Island. Each day consisted of an 80 minute round trip to Murrayfield Airport, just outside of Mandurah. We then had two to three one-hour flights, ending with a two-hour theory lesson at Stirling Barracks. The course was one of the most challenging and rewarding courses in which I have participated.
Written by Joshua Bateson (Year 11)