Sixteen future pilots are ready to start training next week as Sydney Flight College (SFC) officially opens it Tamworth facility.
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The arrival of the prominent Australian flight school has been in the works for six years, and on Friday, July 19, it came to fruition as the first cohort and staff were welcomed.
Aviation student Kirsten Wigren said she selected the Tamworth location for its learning environment and opportunities.
"It is boarding school-style learning, so there is nothing to distract me, and it is six days a week of schooling," she said.
Ms Wigren said over the next year her cohort would eat, drink, train, and live together at the academy while they complete their studies to become fully fledged pilots.
She has dreamt of being a pilot since she was in high school, and now her son is a teenager, she is able to take the time to fulfil her lifelong dream.
"I have been in the healthcare industry for 17 years, so I would like to end up with the flying doctor service," she said.
Up, up, and away
The college facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment, such as four flight simulators, a large flight-operation room, nine classrooms that can have 32 students per class, and seven onsite aircraft.
Chief executive officer of SFC Joseph Pilo said the college was only taking up a portion of the facility's total capacity, but would expand as required.
"The facility can take up to 500 students at its full capacity, but we will probably increase up to 200 students," he said.
"We have done a bit of work but the council has undertaken the majority of the work renovating the facility, as well as resealing the runway.
"Our job was to get the classroom established and get the IT up to 2024 standards. Now, we are setting out the workshop, and we plan to eventually have 40 aircraft out here."
Mr Pilo said SFC would continue to operate its Bankstown existing training facility, but the establishment opening of the Tamworth one opened up more aviation opportunities in the region.
He was also becoming clearer Sydney was perhaps not the best place to be operating a flight school anymore.
"We need to start building these academies out in the region," Mr Pilo said.
Flight school returns to Tamworth
It is expected the new flight college will provide an economic boost to the community, as for two years prior to 2024 the Tamworth Regional Airport was operating at an $803,849 loss to Tamworth council.
SFC's new academy will be the facility's first long-term tenant since 2018 when BAE departed Tamworth's airspace.
Tamworth mayor Russell Webb said the community would be the big winners from SFC.
"This flying college is going to grow, and with them growing our economy grows," he said.
The Leader is aware of talks between Tamworth Regional Counicl and an undisclosed international flight school to take up residency alongside SFC.
When Cr Webb was asked if other flying schools were coming to Tamworth, he said "that is always on the cards".
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said the airport's pilot training facility was the "jewel in Tamworth crown," and people would begin to see "the benefits it can bring to the aviation industry".
"Not only from regional passenger flights, but from the Royal Flying Doctor Service, charter flights, crop dusters, and agricultural aviation - the world is truly their oyster for what is open to them," he said.
"Aviation is booming, and Tamworth provides the perfect location; it has the accommodation, airspace, and training facilities to provide first-class training."
Classes begin on Monday, July 29, with half of the cohort up in the skies and the other completing theory work.