Whakatāne Flying School (Aerohire) offers a relaxed, club-style environment with full instructor support. Training begins just minutes from takeoff, maximizing airtime and value per lesson.

Yes—as long as you’re in average health. You’ll need a driver’s-licence medical to fly solo. Our instructors happily train adults of all ages—even people in their 70s have taken to the skies with us

Learning to fly can have a significant positive impact on personal development and confidence in several ways:

1. Overcoming challenges: Mastering the complex skills required to pilot an aircraft, such as navigation, communication, and flight maneuvers, helps individuals build resilience and learn how to overcome challenges. As students progress through their flight training, they gain a sense of accomplishment that boosts their self-confidence.

2. Decision-making: Pilots must make quick, informed decisions during flights, especially in critical situations. Flight training teaches students to think on their feet, assess situations accurately, and make sound judgments under pressure. This improved decision-making ability can translate to increased confidence in other aspects of life.

3. Responsibility: Being in control of an aircraft means taking responsibility for one’s actions and the safety of passengers and crew. Learning to fly instills a sense of responsibility and accountability, fostering personal growth and maturity.

4. Goal-setting and achievement: Obtaining a pilot licence involves setting and achieving various short- and long-term goals, such as completing solo flights, passing exams, and accumulating flight hours. The process of setting and accomplishing these goals can improve self-discipline and motivation, leading to increased confidence in one’s ability to achieve other personal and professional goals.

5. Communication skills: Pilots need to effectively communicate with air traffic control, ground crew, and passengers. Flight training helps individuals develop clear and concise communication skills, which can enhance their interpersonal relationships and boost self-confidence in social situations.

6. Spatial awareness and coordination: Learning to fly improves hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills. These abilities can enhance overall physical and mental confidence, benefiting individuals in various aspects of life.

7. Expanding horizons: Flying offers a unique perspective on the world, encouraging pilots to explore new places and experiences. This broadened perspective can lead to personal growth, greater self-awareness, and increased confidence in one’s ability to navigate through life.

In summary, learning to fly can significantly contribute to personal development and confidence by teaching individuals to overcome challenges, make decisions, take responsibility, set and achieve goals, communicate effectively, and expand their horizons. The skills and experiences gained through flight training can have lasting positive effects on a person’s overall well-being and success in other areas of life.

Learning to fly greatly improves your understanding of weather patterns, as weather plays a crucial role in aviation safety and flight planning. Here’s how your knowledge of weather patterns expands during flight training:

1. Weather theory: Flight training covers the fundamentals of weather theory, including the structure of the atmosphere, air masses, fronts, pressure systems, and various weather phenomena. This knowledge forms the basis for understanding how different weather conditions develop and how they impact flight performance and safety.

2. Aviation meteorology: Pilots need to interpret aviation-specific weather products such as METARs (aviation routine weather reports), TAFs (terminal aerodrome forecasts), and weather charts. As you learn to read and understand these reports, you’ll become more adept at identifying and anticipating weather patterns that may affect your flights.

3. Flight planning: Proper flight planning involves considering weather conditions along your planned route, including factors like cloud cover, visibility, precipitation, turbulence, and wind direction and speed. This process helps you develop a deeper understanding of weather patterns and their implications for flying.

4. Decision-making: While flying, you may encounter changing weather conditions that require quick decision-making. Learning to recognize when it’s necessary to alter your route, delay your flight, or even cancel the trip due to weather-related risks improves your ability to evaluate weather patterns in real-time.

5. Microscale and local weather: Flying in different geographic areas exposes you to various local weather phenomena, such as mountain waves, valley winds, or sea breezes. This hands-on experience enhances your understanding of how terrain and geography influence weather patterns.

6. Seasonal variations: As you gain flying experience, you’ll encounter various seasonal weather patterns, such as summer thunderstorms or winter snowstorms. This exposure allows you to understand how weather patterns change throughout the year and adapt your flying accordingly.

In summary, learning to fly significantly improves your understanding of weather patterns by providing theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and exposure to various meteorological conditions. This understanding is crucial for safe and efficient flight planning, decision-making, and navigation.

The most challenging aspect of learning to fly for beginners can vary depending on the individual, but some common challenges include:

1. Coordination: Managing the aircraft’s controls, such as the yoke, rudder pedals, and throttle, can be initially difficult as it requires simultaneous hand and foot coordination.

2. Spatial awareness: Understanding the aircraft’s position and movement in three-dimensional space can be challenging, particularly when maneuvering during takeoff, landing, and turns.

3. Radio communication: Learning aviation phraseology and communicating effectively with air traffic control can be intimidating for beginners due to the fast-paced and precise nature of radio communication.

4. Weather: Interpreting and understanding weather patterns and their impact on flight safety can be a complex and challenging aspect of flight training.

5. Navigation: Mastering navigation techniques, such as using aeronautical charts, flight instruments, and electronic navigation aids, requires time and practice.

6. Regulations and procedures: Familiarizing oneself with aviation regulations, airspace classifications, and standard operating procedures can be overwhelming for new pilots.

7. Aeronautical decision-making: Developing the ability to assess risks, manage workload, and make informed decisions under pressure can be a challenging aspect of flight training.

8. First solo flight: The responsibility and pressure of flying solo for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience for beginners.

It’s important to remember that each individual’s learning process is different, and challenges may vary accordingly. With dedication, practice, and guidance from experienced flight instructors, beginners can overcome these challenges and become confident pilots.

A trial flight includes an introduction to the aircraft, a short experience in the cockpit where you may even fly, and an instructor debrief. It costs around $175 for approximately 20 minutes.

Flying costs about $300/hr based on a 45-minute lesson. With around 50+ hours needed for a licence, a PPL typically costs around $15,000, spread out as you train—no big lump sum required.

Our Chief Instructor, Peter Rutledge, is a Commercial Pilot, CSIP instructor rated, flying since 1980 and running Aerohire since 2008—all built on decades of passion and experience.

Absolutely! Once you hold your PPL, you can carry passengers on flights anywhere in New Zealand—just not for hire or compensation

We’re based at 222 Aerodrome Road, Whakatāne Airport, Whakatāne, New Zealand.
Ultra-convenient if you’re local or flying in, and easy to find on si

We operate Wednesday to Sunday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Our training area begins just minutes after takeoff from Whakatāne—a quiet and clear airspace. That means less transit, more actual flying time.

Our fleet includes a Cessna 152, SportCruiser, Cessna 172, Bristell, Cirrus SR22 G2, and Cessna 150 Aerobat—covering a range of training styles and comfort levels.

Absolutely—you can book flights, lesson check-ins, and trial flights directly online using the booking form. Just select your preferred date and time.

Yes! We provide ground theory courses, including video modules covering PPL navigation, meteorology, and human factors, plus online resources like METAR/TAF training to support learning outside of the cockpit