Archerfield-based flight training organisation (FTO) Flight One believes the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) has the potential to advocate effectively for the flight training industry.
FTOs have struggled to establish a collective voice in Australia for several years, experiencing a constant rise and fall in advocacy energy that is currently leaving a gap in the general aviation advocacy effort.
Advocacy has been left largely to individuals and single companies via consultation feedback and participation in technical working groups, CASA's Aviation Safety Advisory Panel and the minister's General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN).
Speaking with Australian Flying last week, Flight One Managing Director and CEO Lucas Tisdall said the RAAA was emerging as robust channel for collective advocacy to reach the government and regulators, and felt that there was significant synergy between flight training and regional aviation.
"The RAAA gives flight training organisations a genuine voice in the conversations shaping the future of aviation—from workforce pipelines and safety to regulation and regional connectivity," he said. "The value is in being at the table, not reacting from the sidelines.
"Regional aviation is core to Flight One’s DNA. From pilot training and workforce development through to contract charter, engineering services and our industry partnerships, we see regional Australia not as a secondary market, but as the engine room of the national aviation sector."
As the regional aviation community prepares to gather in Cairns for the 2026 RAAA Convention next month, CEO Rob Walker said that FTOs had become central to the RAAA, and under-pinned the industry with their ability to turn out high-quality graduates that would find their way to regional airlines.
"The Australian Part 61 pilot licence and our flight training standards are highly regarded around the world," Walker said. "We produce great pilots who are in demand everywhere.
"FTOs are key contributors to the health of the Australian aviation ecosystem and vital to the ongoing success of the regional aviation sector, with many graduate pilots going to work for RAAA member airlines right across Australia as they build their hours and experience.
"The RAAA is fortunate to have most of the best FTOs in the country as part of our association and they work directly with our member airlines every day to ensure a reliable and steady supply of graduate pilots continues to be available."
To underline their support for the RAAA, Flight One has sponsored the Gala Dinner at the convention in June, an event which Tisdall says is vital for the future of regional aviation and the flight training industry as a whole.
"The convention brings together the people who are actually building regional aviation in Australia," he explains. "We’re looking forward to the conversations, the collaboration opportunities, and hearing directly where industry sees the next decade heading.
"Flight One is already active across training, charter and engineering, but over the next five years we see the business continuing to broaden its aviation capability—building allied services, deepening industry partnerships, and engaging with emerging aerospace technologies to expand how we participate in the market."
In the past few years, the RAAA has advocated strongly for FTOs and GA on issues such as the Bankstown airspace, the push for net-zero carbon emissions, engineer training and the ADS-B rebate.
- Steve Hitchen