After two years of the VET commercial pilot course, eight students from schools are on their way to becoming qualified pilots. 

Ballarat Grammar year 11 student Alister Coad is going for his licence this weekend. 

“If I get my licence this weekend, I’ll be able to fly before I can drive,” he said. 

The course is run out of Ballarat Aero Club and is one of only three in the state. 

Alister said while he wasn’t looking at flying as a career, it fitted in with his aspirations. 

“I mainly have an interest in the engineering field, so aviation works pretty well with that,” he said. 

As well as learning how to take off and land planes, the course covers in depth the theory and mechanics behind flying. 

Ballarat Aero Club instructor Anton Wilson said it was great teaching them as a group. 

“They’re very dedicated, but it’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “The good thing is they do get to actually fly an aeroplane, while contributing to their VCE.” 

Alister would face a rigorous test, with hours of the oral segment before practising in-air flight procedures, he said. 

Mr Wilson said it was a good time to be a pilot in Australia for the students who did go on to further study, because many pilots were heading overseas and leaving jobs available here.