Letters from our Students
dear david/rhoda,
how are you.hope everythings good your end.i just settled down at my home town from a long tour visiting family and friends.i had to explain everyone everything about what had happened for the past few years in sydney and what i had gone through and how i finally ended up at gostner aviation and came out victorious and happy. I promised you i would give my testimonial about gostner aviation and here it is. i am so sorry for the delay
I started my aviation career at AA bankstown which i never knew would be the biggest mistake of my life .It so went in to a stage where i had lost interest in aviation and wished i should have never come to sydney . The treatment i had at the school left me nothing else but dejection.In april 2010 i joined gostner aviation which i came to know from few of my friends who had already completed the course.I met david who is the CFI of gostner aviation and explained him what i wanted to do with my training and david suggested me few tips for completing the course on time and importantly with a limited budget.I was so very touched by david and rhodas willingness to help which itself was a great motivation for me and flying with david who is one amongst Australias most experienced instructors flooded me with so much of knowledge and interest that i never looked back.I have seen or heard very few schools who train the students to be good pilots and gostner is surely one among of them .David made me feel very comfortable in the cockpit that my performance increased day by day . Though the weather dragged my course by few months david and rhoda kept me in my spirits and did everything possible to finish my course as fast as possible. I had a dream to become a commercial pilot license holder and finally achieved it and i am very happy that i did it from gostner aviation who were the backbone in making me achieve my dreams . Thank you david and rhoda for everything and i shall never ever forget the help you have done .
dear rhoda,
i had called you the other day regarding my license .I have sorted out all the problems with casa and finally got the license in hand .I am looking forward to finish my conversion exams as fast as possible and come to camden again to finish my instrument rating and recency. I am looking forward for the day when you and david think of coming to india for a holiday i shall be there to recieve you .wishing you loads and loads of good health and happiness.
with regards
karthikeyan varman
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GOSTNER AVIATION- A Place where My dreams came True.
Hi My name is Kevin Abraham Kurian. I started my flying training in ********* Aviation Bankstown. Their training was really slow, stressful and de-motivating in all ways that I even lost all interest in flying. It took nearly 2 years and too many unnecessary dual hours for me to achieve my PPL. I was looking for a better flying school as this one was closing down.
Few months later I came to know about GOSTNER AVIATION in Camden Airport, through a friend of mine Nakul Saluja and was able to meet Capt. DAVID MADDOCK (CFI Gostner Aviation) and his beautiful wife RHODA MADDOCK (Operations Manager). They were so nice to me and their training program seemed very cost effective to me. I only had very limited funds, may be just to complete CPL alone. But David’s plan was different. IFR training + CPL combined which covers all in the same cost and in less hours.
I was able to get my CPL and IFR training + 55.00 PIC hours in just few months. If you are planning for a cost effective and Professional pilot training, Gostner Aviation is the Best.
Isaiah 40:31
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles”
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Ashraf Alungal to rhoda
Hi Rhoda
Below is my feedback for gostner Aviation college.
“When i write this people may think its just to impress the college,but the fact always remain as facts, I have been to many places to finish my course, have been in Australia for 4years never got anything done, my family gave me a final chance and i took one good decision in my life that is Gostner Aviation College,the atmosphere people around you always keeps you positive , especially two great people there Capt David Maddock and Rhoda maddock.
If you are looking for some serious training i recommend Gostner.”
Regards
Ashraf Alungal
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ArshadHello Rhoda Sorry for the late reply. I’d been traveling and just got ‘home’….
23 August 2011
Reply |Arshad to Rhoda
Hi Rhoda
David had asked if I could write two sentences for his website. Would appreciate if you could copy and paste this onto the comments page in the website. I know it got a bit lengthy, so you have full permission to edit or remove parts of it as you see fit.
Thanks
———
I met Rhoda and David quite by chance, when I returned to Australia for the purpose of a Multi Engine endorsement on my Indian licence. Having trained for my CPL at another flying school and then moving on to yet another institute for my Instrument Rating course, I was exposed to the many ways different flying schools and different instructors operate and I have to say there was something disctinctly different in good sort of way about the way training was conducted at Gostner.
I was lucky to have an accommodation arranged for me at very short notice(less than 24 hrs) by Rhoda, although I do not recommend anyone try this on them again! If you plan to come from overseas, I would strongly suggest you give Rhoda more time than that if you require Gostner to arrange accommmodation for you.
My training with David started with a pre-flight briefing way before we even got to the briefing room. Any conversation with David invariably revolved around plane-talk. The many snippets of information I had gathered from David- from while walking with him to the fuel bowser to chatting over a cup of tea to the conversations in the car- all added to my knowledge bank on avation related topics. Before the actual flying exercise, there would be a thourough briefing on aspects pertaining to the flight of the day, of course. This was followed by a de-brief that started in the cockpit after engine shutdown, and ended in the briefing room- sometimes at my doorstep as he dropped me off at the accommodation. After every flight and post de-brief David would ask me this like a mantra, “Knowng what you know now, what would you have done differently?” I was expected to give a satisfactory answer to this question as this was my opportunity to convince him of what I had learned from the flight and helped David assess whether I actually understood what remedial actions/corrective measures he was suggesting I take in future.
I belive I have also immensely benifitted from David’s policy of giving complete control of flight, right from engine start to shut down. The initial sense of overwhelming workload flying IFR, quickly gave way to confidence inspiring management of the cockpit as the idea that proficiency in flying comes from thorough ground preparation was hammered into my head for the first time. Soon I found myself actively involved with David in what is standard practise across the aviation industry in any multi-crew environment, in the form of CRM. I then realised that having me give a Take-off safety Brief, having me set up the Nav/Com Radio aids, talk to the controllers and flying the aircraft at the same time, was David’s way of preparing me for the real world environment of flying in Command of a Multi Engine aircraft under actual Instrument conditions following Instrument Flight procedures. He would encourage me to use all the resources in the aircraft at my disposal, including the GPS and the auto-pilot, as appropriate, just like you would in the actual avaition environment- be it charter operations or the airlines.
I am grateful to David for allowing me to back-seat training flights of other students where possible, as I got to learn by observing the mistakes and strengths of others who were at different stages of their training and comparing them with what I would have done under a similar situation.
I want to thank David and Rhoda for making my stay there a pleasant experience and wish the team at Gostner the very best for the future.
Arshad
(India)
Report on Introductory Flight– Saturday 22nd January 2005 By Paul Phibbs
My oldest daughter Rebecca, knowing my passion for flying (virtually anyway) gave me a special Christmas present – an Introductory Flight with Gostner Aviation Camden Airport.
My daughter Sarah considered that I would be too excited to concentrate on driving on the way to the airport, so she decided to drive me out there so I’d arrive there safely.
My appointment was booked for 9:30am with David Maddock (my flight instructor). David appeared to have cleared his whole morning for me, as I didn’t finish up until about 1:30pm – incredible. From the moment I walked in, David sat me down and gave me a cup of coffee while we chatted about what we would do. I brought a folder of documentation on the planes I fly on-line, along with examples of some of our on-line flights etc, to show him the grounding I had in flight principles (in a virtual sense).
He was most impressed with the material I had to show him. Off course I took my Flight Sim certification certificates along as well (so proud).
David showed me their simulator set up for IFR practice – very impressive. The simulator is tucked in a booth, complete with light and ventilation. The software is based on FS2002 (although it looked different – customized I guess). The yoke, pedals, ignition and lights etc, radio stack and throttle assembly were all faithfully laid out. Apparently it handles aircraft up to the King Air.
The Cessna 152
We then gathered up our supporting material, headsets and headed for the plane.
The Cessna 152 The aircraft for our flight was the venerable Cessna 152. This is an excellent aircraft to learn on, very forgiving for novice flyers like myself.
We started by doing the all-important walk around, to ensure nothing was going to “fall off” in flight.
David was very thorough and even had me up on the wing measuring the fuel level and testing fuel extracted for water and impurities.
Once we were satisfied that the plane was air worthy, we started on our startup checklist and received clearance to taxi out to the runway.
Here’s were David handed over control to me to taxi out and let me tell you, the pedals have a completely different feel to the CH Products Pro Pedals I use. After a “little” weaving I became accustomed to the pedals and toe breaks for steering.
We pulled over into a waiting bay, while another plane performed atouch and go and went through the power up to test the left and right magnetos. We ensured our control surfaces were operating OK and Nav lights operating then headed for the runway.
Once we were cleared for takeoff, David had control but asked me to get a feel for the control surface by following (by feeling) the process he was using. Once airborne, it wasn’t long before I had control again to continue the climb and then perform a turning climb out to our
cruising altitude of around 1600 feet initially.
Here is where I experienced my first taste of turbulence in a small aircraft. Now this is something that you don’t get in the simulator at home. Visions of that mechanical bull come to mind. Oh well, once you get a dose of these they become commonplace and you get on with the flying process.
Another frustration was hearing David’s instructions over the headsets with all the other noise going on. This also improved as the flight progressed. Little planes can be very noisy in flight.
David threw some curve balls at me by getting me to trim and re-trim the plane under various power settings, climbs and descents – what a blast. While we were aloft, we soaked up the great view out the windows. David reminded me to focus on what was going on outside the window and not become transfixed on the instruments – now that was a challenge.
Thoughts of soaring the heavens were all too soon replaced with returning to terra firma, so we headed back towards the airport, where David had me join the pattern for a downwind and base leg. David then took control for the final leg and once again had me get the feel of the control surfaces during the landing.
Back on the ground (nice landing David), I was given control to taxi back to the parking location.
We then returned to the office for another cuppa and discussed various aspects of the flight. David was very happy with my handling of the aircraft during the flight ( for a first time up).
I enjoyed the process so much that I’ve decided to start training for my Private Pilot’s license. I would highly recommend David to anyone interested in learning to fly. His patience and caring approach, along with allowing the prospective learner to decide where they wanted to go next (without being pushy), made the experience very enjoyable and comfortable.
I will integrate the FS Simulator and Training Flights to spread the cost out without becoming stale, which David felt would work well.
My daughter picked me up to return home and had to giggle at the beaming smile I wore on the way back home in the car.
If you want to know more about David’s company, check out the following websites.
http://www.gostneraviation.com.au
Report on Lesson 1: Straight and Level Flight – 5th February 2005 By Paul Phibbs
After experiencing the Introductory Flight and making the decision to venture forth towards my Private
Pilot’s License, I booked my first lesson with Gostner Aviation and eagerly counted down the days.
To pick the best time of the day, I booked for 9:30 on a Saturday morning. Usually the mornings are calmer, before the heat of the day stirs up atmospheric conditions.
The Classroom
Soon after arriving, David had me complete the necessary paperwork for the flight and we headed for the classroom for some theory. David mentioned that this part of the course is where we lay the important foundations that are relied upon later.
Soon after arriving, David had me complete the necessary paperwork for the flight and we headed for the classroom for some theory. David mentioned that this part of the course is where we lay the important foundations that are relied upon later.
Here’s where my flight simulation certification training paid off, as much of what we covered is addressed in the simulation environment. It got interesting when we sat down and identified that one of us was too heavy
for our flight, based on the fuel loaded on the Cessna 152. David had assessed me to be about 76 kilos, which would have worked out perfectly.
Here are the calculations:
| Zero Fuel Weight: |
540.8 kilos
|
| My Weight: |
80 kilos
|
| David’s Weight: |
86 kilos
|
| Fuel Loaded: |
57.6 kilos |
| Total Weight: |
764.4 kilos
|
| Allowed Ramp Weight: |
759.8 kilos
|
This meant we were over by 4.6 kilos.
So after running around the paddock for an hour (only kidding) we decided to let the plane work off the weight – and I could practice my taxiing.
Now, back to the classroom. Did you know that Lift = CL½PV²S. Well now that I know that important piece of information, I can focus on how to fly the plane. Seriously though, David was merely pointing out the factors associated with lift and that altering one factor impacts on another.
TheWalk around
David allowed me to follow through the external checklist, which went without a hitch. Except for the time I was examining the front wheel assembly and placed my head in the arc of the prop blades (they weren’t active and the key wasn’t in the ignition) however, David suggested it’s a good idea to KEEP CLEAR of that area.
The Flight
We climbed aboard, did our pre-takeoff checks, I called the tower for clearance and taxied to the run-up bay. After running up the engines and checking the magnetos and gauges I called for clearance to take off. Before I knew it, David had me applying full throttle and we were racing down the runway. I was so intent on keeping my track true that I didn’t even think to watch the airspeed. Fortunately David suggested it was time to ease back on the stick and once the front wheel was off the ground the plane simply floated on its way skyward. It was an interesting takeoff as there was a crosswind to allow for. Looking back at the runway as we climbed away, had me drifting as I wasn’t allowing for the wind and P-Factor with my rudder. Now why don’t they put rear vision mirrors in these things?
We made a climbing turn and leveled off at 2,000 feet. We then headed out towards Warragamba Dam and then headed east towards Bankstown. During this time we checked for traffic monitored speed, heading and altitude. David had me aiming for “bumps” on the horizon, as a visual check on heading.
David then demonstrated the use of ailerons with rudder for turning on the axis for direction of flight – without the rudder, the nose of the plane moves from side to side. More on that in future lessons.
We eventually turned for home and descended to 1,500 feet and leveled off. We then climbed to 1,700 feet and leveled off. This allowed me to consider another classroom discussion on the sequence of Power, Attitude and Trim, i.e.,
Climb: Power, Attitude, Trim
Level out from a Climb: Attitude, Power, Trim
Descend: Power, Attitude, Trim
Level out from a Descent: Power, Attitude, Trim
Finally, I called the Tower when we were over Oran Park Raceway, to land and before we knew it we were on final for runway 24. The approach was great, nicely lined up and I was waiting for David to say “I have control” but to my surprise, I flew the approach and landed. HOW EXCITING! The plane virtually floated down for a soft landing. I even managed to keep the centerline and braked for an early taxiway.
The Wrap Up
After taxiing back to the parking area, David discussed various aspects of the flight. I strayed a little from my assigned altitude but was able to address this easily. At the end of the day, I felt elated to have performed a take off and landing in addition to the identified goals for straight and level flight. I left David at about 1:00pm. Another morning packed with amazing experiences.
Tower Visit
The next day, we paid a visit to the Tower and met the controllers on duty. They pointed out the system they use for keeping track of aircraft in various stages of approach or departure and we watched as one of the
Controllers looked after the traffic that was coming and going. What a great view of the surrounding area. The Controllers don’t have radar to watch traffic and rely on the view out the window and the radio, to manage all traffic.
We chatted for some time about radio procedures and some of the equipment they use, like the hand held signaling device. It was great to see this all too important service from their perspective.
Well, I’m now off to practice my techniques on the Cessna152 I purchased for Flight Simulator
2004 and eagerly await the next lesson.
