Activity Day FAQ

So what happens on a flying day?

If the weather is suitable for flying operations to commence, the usual structure is as follows.

Meet at the location nominated by the SAAV Co-ordinator (usually Moorabbin Airport) at 9.30am. Please have your participants gather in the car park in one spot and please do not obstruct other parties using the car park. Please inform your participants not to enter the building without a SAAV representative. Please note that the flying school we operate from is a working flight school and as such when it is time to go into the training rooms, SAAV will come and introduce themselves to the Leader in Charge and the group and will escort you and your group into the training rooms inside the building.

Once your group is in the training rooms our SAAV team will provide all participants with a safety brief and a general introduction & slideshow on aviation topics suitable for the participants. Some of the information presented is part of badge work, however on flying days we do not provide a structured badge slideshow. If your group is interested in a particular topic of badge work, which you would like the present to present on after our standard presentation, please let the presenter know and they will endeavour to assist you.

After the initial briefing, which usually takes around 30-45 minutes, groups of 3 will be collected and escorted by a SAAV team member loader from the training rooms to the air side, and to their aircraft for their flight.

Depending on the number of participants to fly in your group, SAAV may have more than one aircraft operating on the day, with the aim to have all flying completed by lunchtime (subject to the number of participants and subject to weather). Please note that when flying commences late due to weather and there are a large number of participants, then flying may proceed to late in the afternoon.

Please note that participants should bring their morning tea, lunch and drinks as there are no places to purchase food or drinks nearby.

SAAV appreciates if all leaders who attend with the group assist with supervising their group and assist SAAV members when requested.

Tips for the flight

Participants should leave their hats, water bottles, backpacks and other items in the training rooms. Participants are welcome and encouraged to bring their cameras with them. For best results, the flash should be turned off and participants should hold their camera lens up against the windows to avoid reflections in their pictures.

All participants should follow the SAAV members directions at all times.

What does the Leader in Charge need to do before the day? We ask that the Leader in Charge:

Prior to the day, we ask that the Leader in Charge should:

• Tell all participants to wear full uniform
• Tell all participants to bring their test/badge workbooks
• Tell all participants to bring their lunch, morning tea and drinks
• Tell all participants the tips for the flight (set out above)
• Tell all participants to listen to all instructions of SAAV team members on the day
• Inform leaders and parents of the requirements in respect to flights and the possibility that they may not be able to fly, although SAAV will endeavour to fly all adults (see below)
• Tell all participants that they may not be able to fly with their family or friends, although SAAV will endeavour to help this occur
• If participants have not paid online when registering ensure a cheque for payment for all participants. By special arrangement SAAV will take an EFT payment at the completion of the event.
• If parents have provided permission to fly, ensure that they have obtained a fully completed and signed authorisation form for all participants
• Ensure that they have obtained a fully completed and up-to-date Personal Information Record form for all participants

Is there anything else to purchase on the day?

Yes, there are Air Activities blanket badges available at $2.00 each, on the day.

What about adverse weather?

The Leader in Charge will usually be notified at around 7.30am on the day, or possibly the night before, if the weather is unlikely to be suitable for flying on your booking day. If the weather will be unsuitable, then the day will be cancelled and can be re-scheduled to another suitable date. If the SAAV Co-ordinator for your day is unsure whether the weather will be suitable, then an assessment of the weather conditions will take place once you have arrived. Unless you are informed by a SAAV team member prior to the nominated start time, you should assume that that the flying day will proceed.

As you can appreciate, safety is our number one concern. As such, if by the time flying is to commence weather is unsuitable for flights then flying will be postponed to later in that morning/day if the weather is likely to improve, or a decision will be made to cancel the flying.

Location

View a map and get directions from Google Maps.

For a map and instructions of where flying days and badge day courses are conducted at Moorabbin Flying Services, click here. There is no parking at Moorabbin Flying Services for Scouts. Please park across the road in the DFO car park and walk across the road into the Moorabbin Flying Services car park and to the main building. There will be an A Frame Sign pointing you to the registration area for the activity.