Unlike the rest of the aircraft inventory the American Champ, 8KCAB or super decathlon is the only tailwheel configuration aircraft and is purpose built for specialist training. The aircraft mostly made of canvas covering with a metal truss fuselage structure, high wing with struts for high strength structure, is capable of aerobatics and can sustain up to 6 times the inertia force or ‘g’ forces in a positive direction and 5 negative ‘g’. The aircraft is great for students who wish to obtain an aerobatic rating or tailwheel design feature and is spin capable which is required to meet the criteria for an initial instructor rating. The cabin configuration only holds two in a tandem seat setup, front and back, typically an instructor and student with dual flight controls. It is powered by a Lycoming horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder piston engine producing 180 horsepower. Although no different in horsepower compared to the Piper Archer and Seminole the aircraft’s light weight design allows it to climb with ease, perform aerobatic manoeuvres and accelerate to 123 knots or 230 kph in straight and level flight. With less fuel than the Piper Archer or Warrior at 152 litres and reduced carry load due to the aerobatic manoeuvres it was intended to conduct – the Decathlon is not suited for long range navigation flight. It is preferred as an initial trainer for aerobatic and tailwheel flying at flight schools and widely used as an owner’s personal aircraft. Available at our Brisbane campus only.

Is the primary simulator available at Basair training school. It is a modern design simulator capable of simulating anywhere around the world, variable weather conditions and BASAIR aircraft inventory. The CASA certified simulator is used throughout the student training syllabus to expose the student to procedures for both normal and emergency operations in a controlled environment. It is here that a student builds the learning blocks to critical procedures in order to use them in a real-world scenario. The simulator is approved for and is extensively used for multi engine training procedures, instrument flying and night flying. Our simulator features multiple display screens to give a 160o field of view, a replica cockpit of which any aircraft can be simulated to provide realism, hydraulic jacks to simulate load forces and turbulence on the aircraft. The simulator room is a wide open area which allows other students to observe and gain experience, the instructors station also provides a birds eye view of the flight and a recording of the flight track – this is essential in providing direct feedback to the student so they can see what they can improve on and what they have accomplished.

The Piper Archer is one of two major pillars of the Piper Aircraft Company, the other being the Piper Warrior. Both aircraft have a long standing pedigree in the General Aviation (GA) community for their reliability, ease of maintenance, versatility and availability. The Piper Archer first model was introduced in 1972 and the production line has not stopped. At over 32,000 units built, the Piper Archer is popular amongst flight schools and private owners. For flight schools it provides a versatile training aircraft which can have equipment installed and certified to fly in syllabus training for recreational pilot license (RPL), private pilot license (PPL), Night visual flight rating (NVFR), private instrument flight rating (PIFR) and the single engine command instrument rating (SECIR). The aircrafts features a Lycoming built 180HP, four cylinder horizontally opposed carburettor engine and air cooled piston engine. The cabin seats four people, depending on loading limitations, including the pilot with baggage area behind the second row of seats which can hold 100kg worth of luggage. The aircraft has two fuel tanks, one in each wing, which holds 93 litres of aviation grade 100 Low lead fuel – this gives the aircraft the ability to switch tanks and extend its range compared to a single tank. Depending on variables such as wind, temperature and barometric pressure and the management of the engine – the aircraft is capable of 522 nautical miles of range or 967km. The cruising speed of the aircraft, in the right conditions, can reach 125 knots or 230 kph and can land in fields as short as 600 metres. The airframe is primarily made of metal, with a tricycle landing gear designed and features oleo or pneumatic pistons to cushion even the bumpiest of landings. The cockpit tools available to the pilot include modern autopilots capable of holding direction and altitude, electronic display, Australian instrument certified Global Positioning System (GPS) and Automatic Dependent Broadcasting Surveillance (ADS-B) modern transponder.

The second pillar of the Piper Aircraft Company and the older brother of the Piper Archer. This aircraft initially introduced in 1960 made privatised civilian flying affordable and competed directly with the Cessna 172. The Piper Warrior underwent revised designs and upgrades which culminated into the model dominantly featured at Basair Aviation College – the Piper Warrior III. Compared to early designs, the Piper Warrior III features, a four seat cabin layout, Lycoming 320, 4 cylinder horizontally opposed, carburettor engine – producing 160HP which on average produces a cruise speed of 115 knots or 212 kph. It features the same fuel amount and fuel tanks as the Piper Archer – although with its reduced engine power its range is slightly shorter with 480 nautical mile or 890km of range. It features the same baggage space of 100kg and modern avionics as the Piper Archer. If you are private or full time student pilot the Piper Warrior is a cost effective solution to the Piper Archer.

One of two commercial trainers available in the Basair aircraft inventory, the Cessna 206H/G model has a reputation in Australia as the most versatile bush aircraft. The aircraft boasts a powerful engine, impressive low speed performance, large carry load, ease of maintenance and modifications. In Australia the aircraft is used as, small passenger charter, skydiving, forestry survey aircraft, powerline survey, a medical supply plane for bush communities and scenic tour aircraft. With a six seat cabin design, baggage area limit of 90kg (seats can be removed to provide even more space), a powerful Lycoming(H Model)/Continental(G Model) 300HP six cylinder horizontally opposed fuel injected engine, fixed tricycle landing gear suspended on steel spring struts and a large wing planform – the aircraft can carry a lot more than both Pipers but can land on airfields of soft surfaces and at minimum distance of 500m. With the Cessna 206 more powerful engine, the range increases to 670 nautical miles or 1250kms. It has a total capacity fuel load of 350 litres split into two wing tanks. Under normal conditions the aircraft can maintain a cruise speed of 137 knots or 250 kph at altitude. At BASAIR the aircraft is predominantly used in the commercial training syllabus but on occasion is used for small passenger operations under Australia By Air. The aircraft is certified for night operations, instrument flight and day operations. Compared to the Piper Arrow, the Cessna 206 is widely used in the aviation industry for entry level commercial pilot jobs – therefore our students or alumni when they complete their course are competitive candidates as they search for employment.

The Piper Arrow, a derivative design of Piper Archer – the first model Arrow I was introduced in 1967 as a cost effective option for pilots who required a CPL but could not procure a Cessna 206 or Cessna 182 for the complex requirements of the issue of CPL license. The FAA and CASA deem that for an issue of a Commercial Pilot License the pilot must manage an aircraft with a complex design feature, in the case of the Piper Arrow it has a variable pitch propeller and retractable undercarriage. The aircraft must also be capable of 120KIAS cruise speed under normal conditions. If you are a private pilot or intending to be an instructor the Piper Arrow is a suitable choice to earn the design feature endorsements of retractable undercarriage and multiple pitch propeller control. The aircraft features a similar four cabin seating as the Piper Archer and Warrior, it is slightly upgraded with a 200HP Lycoming horizontally opposed fuel injected engine but is significantly heavier due to the addition of the components for the variable pitch propeller control and retractable undercarriage – therefore the aircraft has the same carry capacity as the other single engine Piper aircraft. The Piper Arrow will cruise at a modest 123 knots or 230kph and has a range of 680 nautical miles or 1260km – with two fuel tanks, one in each wing, that holds 273 litres total. The Piper Arrow at Basair is primarily used for commercial syllabus training and as an introduction to design feature training particularly as an affordable option to achieve retractable undercarriage compared to the hire rate for a multi engine aircraft. The aircraft features a modern cockpit, with instruments approved to fly at night and instrument flight conditions.

Included in Basair inventory is the final General Aviation company of the big three – Beechcraft Aviation. The Beechcraft Baron 55 is widely regarded as the premier twin engine small passenger charter aircraft, with a cabin seat configuration of 6 or 5 depending on club seating arrangement. The Baron, introduced in 1960 was marketed as a bridging option for private or commercial operators who wanted an aircraft which balanced the carrying capacity of the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza and the reliability and redundancy of a second engine which provided much higher cruise speed of 200 knots or 370kph. The aircraft also had a wing tank in each wing with a total capacity of 520 litres and options of additional fuel cells which increased the range to 942 nautical miles or 1744km. A pair of Continental engines with six cylinders each horizontally opposed, fuel injected and capable of producing 285BPH each, the Baron has impressive acceleration and can comfortably climb and cruise whilst still having reserves of power. In the internal cockpit features reliable vacuum air instruments with a modern GPS which meets instrument flying standards for small air transport operations. In Australia the Baron is widely used as small passenger charter and can be modified to conduct aerial survey for geological purposes, the wine industry, fire detection and powerline survey – it is a common aircraft used to charity organisations such as Little Wings which provide passenger transport for paediatric patients.

The other light twin on offer at Basair College is the twin engine version of the Piper Warrior – the Piper Seminole. From the outside the aircraft visually resembles the Beechcraft Duchess but unlike the Duchess, which was originally designed in 1976 and ceased production in 1983, the Seminole has had three production periods culminating in the most modern version available at the college with electronic display cockpit and new engines. It is an excellent option for multi engine, compared to the Baron 55, if your career path is to enter the flight instructor pathway. With a modern glass cockpit display it is an ideal pre cursor to airline operations due to the similar displays. The Piper Seminole features two 180HP, four cylinder, horizontally opposed pistons, carburetted engines which counter rotation – this makes the aircraft ideal for initial twin training because the opposing forces lessen the requirement of control from the pilot. The Seminole cabin has ideal space for private and flight training operations and sits 3 people, not including the pilot, comfortably with the option of up to 90kg of baggage in the rear compartment depending on weight limitations. Compared to the Beechcraft Baron 55, the Seminole cruises at a comfortable 150KTAS or 277 kph and with engine management can achieve a range of 700nm or 1296km. The Piper Seminole uses two fuel wing tanks or nacelle tanks which provides a total of 408 litres. The standard vacuum or air instruments have been replaced with air data computers which provide sensor data to the latest generation Garmin 1000 primary and multi function displays. The Garmin 1000 can provide real time traffic, terrain and weather data, meets the standard for instrument flying and can display detailed information to the pilot about the status of their flight. This includes items such as maximum range, endurance, time to descend, top of climb, required groundspeed for arrival time etc. In Australia, the Piper Seminole shares equal popularity with private and flying school operators – with some occasional survey work but it is a rare aircraft to find conducting small passenger transport due to the aircrafts speed and low maximum take off weight compared to the Baron 55.