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Geoff Smith
Chief Pilot
Chief Flying Instructor
Operations Manager
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Geoff has been with the Rockhampton Aero Club for a number of years, and during his time as Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor he has been responsible for the rapid growth and development of the company. He has many years of instructing experience with time spent in Sydney and Brisbane as well as training for Air Force Cadets at Amberley. His charter experience includes extensive operations servicing the Torres Straight Islands, as well as work at various other locations across the country including Victoria and New South Wales.
Geoff acts as the Aero Club's primary multi-engine charter pilot and also conducts multi-engine and IFR training. On top of this, he is also the only CASA Approved Testing Officer between Mackay and Maroochydore, servicing all areas in between and as far west as Birdsville. Geoff can issue students with a GFPT, Private Pilot Licence or Night VFR Rating (for both single and multi-engine aeroplanes). He holds an Air Transport Pilot Licence, Grade 1 Instructor Rating, Multi-engine Command Instrument Rating, Private IFR Rating, Night VFR Ratings on Single and Multi-engine, Licence Testing Approvals, Aerobatic Rating, Banner Towing Endorsement, Formation Flight Endorsement, numerous aircraft and design feature endorsements, has over 2000 hours of instructional experience and almost 2000 hours of charter experience.
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Daniel Ribarovski
Grade 1 Flying Instructor
Charter Pilot
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Previously based in Sydney, Dan comes from an airline training background. He has years of experience training professional airline cadets and many of his former students are now flying jet and turboprop aircraft with major airlines including Thai Airways, Air India, Batavia Airlines and QantasLink. He has also been involved with the creation and implementation of training courses for airport ground personel and has conducted training workshops across the country for several major Australian carriers.
Since joining the Aero Club in 2008, he has been responsible for training students right up to the issue of a Commercial Pilots Licence and Night VFR ratings, as well as conducting both single and multi-engine charter. Dan has a Commercial Pilot Licence, Grade 1 Instructor Rating, Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating, Night VFR Rating, Spinning Approval, Formation Flight Endorsement, Banner Towing Endorsement, numerous aircraft and design feature endorsements and has over 1500 hours of instructional experience as well as almost 750 hours of charter experience.
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Nick Keating
Senior Grade 3 Flying Instructor
Charter Pilot
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Nick undertook his commercial flight training with the Rockhampton Aero Club and received the award for Pilot of the Year of 2009 upon completion before he moved to Port Macquarie to undertake his Instructor Rating training. With endorsements on multi-engine aircraft and experience in turbo charged aircraft, he now has over 400 hours, inlcluding over 150 hours instructing experience. Nick is also working towards his Command Instrument Rating while working at the Rockhampton Aero Club and will be conducting charters to remote communities and islands in single engine aircraft.
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Phil Whiteley
Senior Grade 2 Flying Instructor
Senior Charter Pilot
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Phil has been based in Rockhampton for over 20 years flying for the Air Ambulance and then the Royal Flying Doctor Service on Partenavia, Cessna 414 and King Air, to name a few. Throughout his career he has flown countless different types of aircraft from the Cessna 150 right up to the Beechcraft King Air and since leaving the Flying Doctors several years ago, Phil has worked with the Aero Club as a Senior Charter Pilot and Flying Instructor.
He now has over 12000 hours of flying experience, mainly in charter, while also holding an Air Transport Pilot Licence, Senior Grade 2 Instructor Rating, Multi-engine Command Instrument Rating, Aerobatic Rating, numerous aircraft and design feature endorsements and almost 800 hours of instructional experience.
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Tony Hall
Grade 2 Flying Instructor
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| Tony has been instructing for many years starting in Roma, Central Queensland. He is primarily available on the weekends and specialises in Aerobatic training in his Decathlon for the issue of an Aerobatics Rating or tailwheel endorsement. He holds a Commercial Pilot Licence, Grade 2 Instructor Rating, Advanced Aerobatic Rating and multiple aircraft and design feature endorsements. |
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Dave Tempest
Charter Pilot
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Dave Tempest is a casual charter pilot for the Aero Club who also works in the Air Traffic Control Tower at the Rockhampton Airport. He has been working with the Aero Club for many years as both a pilot and committee member and also coordinates the Aero Club's Social Club. Dave has years of experience operating charter flights into the many Islands that we service. He holds a Commercial Pilot Licence, Command Instrument Rating and numerous aircraft and design feature endorsements with over 2000 hours.
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Rhondda Couper
Administration Manager
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| Rhondda has over twenty years of experience with the Aero Club and is the first port of call for any accounting or general enquiries you may have. She manages the administration of the Aero Club on Wednesday and Thursdays between 9am and 4pm. |
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Bundaberg Base Staff:
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Peter Marris
Senior Base Pilot
Senior Grade 2 Flying Instructor
Senior Charter Pilot
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Pete is a former RAAF pilot with extensive experience on both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. He trained on numerous aircraft before graduating then completing tours at 9 Squadron, the Middle East, and 35 Squadron flying ‘Huey’ helicopters. Following that, he completed a Flying Instructor Course and spent 3 years at Point Cook teaching on CT4A Airtrainers. Pete left the RAAF in 1994 to move back to his hometown of Bundaberg where he later commenced full time employment as the Senior Base Pilot for the Energex Community Rescue Helicopter. At the time, the helicopter service operated a Bell Jetranger, but has now progressed to a single pilot IFR multi engine BK117 Kawasaki helicopter. Peter now also conducts General Aviation flying training in Bundaberg under the Rockhampton Aero Club flying school AOC and has a passion for advanced flight training, including spinning and aerobatics. He and his wife Reisha also operate Xtreme Aviation, which conducts Warbird Adventure Flights in a Yak 52 based at Bundaberg. Pete holds a Commercial Pilot Licence, Multi-engine Grade 2 Instructor Rating, Formation and Aerobatics Ratings and numerous aircraft and design feature endorsements.
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Martin Stephenson
Grade 3 Flying Instructor
Charter Pilot
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| Martin also works as a rescue helicopter pilot in Bundaberg and conducts flying training and charter flights for the Bundaberg Base of the Aero Club. He holds a Commercial Pilot Licence, Senior Grade 3 Instructor Rating and numerous aircraft and design feature endorsements. |
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