Article: Australian Outback

Article: Flight Schools With Great Views

Republished from National Geographic Adventure Magazine

By Sam Carmichael

The Outback, Australia
Make like the author and tour the outback with Peter Sherlock's Big Blue Air Touring. After three weeks of instruction at Melbourne's Moorabbin Airport ($12,000, including instruction; $3,635 for the four-day bush tour only; www.bigblueairtouring.com), you'll follow the author's route north, acquiring bush-flying techniques while station-jumping across interior Australia.

Talkeetna, Alaska
While the earthbound labor up Mount McKinley, you circle the summit in a tailwheel Aeronca Champion 7HC. Above Alaska Aviation, LLC, offers training for beginners and ski-plane and bush pilot courses for certified pilots ($5,000 for the three-week training course; www.abovealaska.com).

Boca Raton, Florida
With the Sky Blue Aviation Academy Private Pilot Accelerated Certification course ($8,500 for 55 hours of instruction; www.flyskyblue.com), you'll learn to fly while island-hopping the Florida Keys. Says instructor Jeremie Baughan: "Once you're out over that beautiful blue-and-green water, nothing else matters."

Pretoria, South Africa
Master the helicopter while you assist in game counts, help tranquilize and transport lions, and overnight in comfy bush camps. Learn to Fly instructor John Bassi offers a six-week, all-inclusive airborne safari ($19,950; www.helicopter-training.org) that departs from Pretoria and tours the animal-packed Transvaal.

All information in this article was accurate when first published in November 2005. Please confirm any details before making travel plans.