RMIT Launches Aviation Academy with New Flight Training Fleet

Australia’s RMIT University has acquired 24 new flight training aircraft and relaunched its aviation training operation as the RMIT Aviation Academy. The new academy will bring together the university’s flight training, education offerings and research to support the growing demand for global aviation workforce skills and training.

Victoria-based RMIT Aviation Academy says it now has the largest owned, modern fleet of training aircraft in Australian higher education, with a new fleet of single-engine Cessna C172s and C182s, twin-engine Piper Seminoles and an 8KCAB super decathlon aerobatic aircraft.

“The new fleet of aircraft will give our students access to modern and airline-like flight deck technology and rocket-like aerobatic aircraft performance, giving them a scope of experience to be ready to fill a workforce shortage,” says Lea Vesic, director RMIT Aviation Academy.

The academy has already secured two new airline flight training contracts, with Vietnam Airlines and VietJet to start pilot training in Bendigo this year, and has identified further opportunities in Southeast Asia. RMIT also provides specialized pilot theory courses to the Royal Australian Air Force, Australian Navy and Army.

RMIT has a long history of training pilots and aerospace engineers, with flight training centers at Point Cook and Bendigo, in addition to a thriving research hub, including the RMIT Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre and the RMIT Space Industry Hub. RMIT offers a comprehensive suite of aviation offerings, from vocational education to research, including aviation management, flight instructor training, air crash investigation and human factors.

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