A history

Draig Aviation services came about after Gary Thomas, a commercial pilot and flight instructor, relocated to the central coast of NSW in the early 2020s. Gary had previously been a CASA-approved chief pilot and chief flying instructor and had more recently worked as a defence contractor for BAE Systems.

From 1993 to 2019, Gary was an instructor for the Australian Defense Force, working at the ADF Basic Flight Training School. He amassed several unique training skills and qualifications there, holding both CASA and Defense Force-recognized flight and ground school training endorsements, including ab-initio and intermediate General flying, night flying, navigation, and instrument training. He has amassed over ten thousand hours of Defense Force aircrew training and was recognized with an ADF B-Cat “Above Average” QFI equivalency.

Having trained more than 700 military pilots and recognized with the skills to evaluate & remediate trainee pilots, he also participated in the Australian Defense Force Flight Screening Program from 2005 until its eventual termination in 2017. Here Gary took prospective military pilot candidates through an intensive course of training and evaluations, meant to assess participants for suitability for future ADF pilot roles.

Gary was also responsible for the course structure and delivery of pilot training to several foreign nationals, either as part of delivering the Ab-initio pilot training programs BAE Systems had with friendly foreign defence forces, right up to delivering Australian CASA pilot license training for commercial, instrument and instructor qualifications for members of overseas defence forces who needed CASA licenses and ratings.

Delivering both the flight and ground school to the exacting standards demanded by the ADF left Gary with a unique skill set, which he now uses to deliver the training needed to achieve CASA Flight Activity Endorsements such as Aerobatics, Formation Training, Upset Recovery Pilot Training, Tailwheel, and Low-Flying.

He also acts as a consultancy service advising prospective individuals interested in gaining a career as a pilot in the Australian Defense Force, running an RAAF Pilot Course Preparation service that includes theoretical, practical, and standardization elements likely to be encountered when commencing your RAAF, Navy, or Australian Army Pilot Training.