Listen to this episode below:

What does it take to become a pilot?  Join us as Darren Fuller gives us insight into his inspiring pilot journey.

Living under the flight path of a local training aerodrome in New South Wales, Australia, Darren Fuller was bitten by the flying bug early, managing to solo before the legal driving age.

Now at 29, he holds both the Australian and Canadian ATPLs, has been a flight instructor, a bush pilot and now flies a Citation Encore for the air ambulance based in Vancouver, Canada.

Starting Out

• Inspired initially by visiting the cockpit of a Boeing 747 when traveling to visit family in the United States.
• Encouraged by his parents, Chris gained his PPL as he finished High School aged 16 years old.
• After 2 years working a 9-5 job in an electronics factory, studying in the evenings and then flying at the weekends, Darren chipped away and gained his CPL and Flight Instructor rating.

Initial Training Challenges

• Darren found hour building and gaining the right experience on aircraft that would make him employable while being on a budget a challenge.  Darren was persistent and found some ingenious ways to get around these challenges.

The Aircraft Types

• Cessna 152
• Cessna 182
• Darren Flying Instructed in a Piper Tomahawk
• Beechcraft Bonanza
• Beechcraft Baron is close to Darren’s heart and has a lovely love-hate relationship with the type.
• Cessna 402
• Cessna 404
• King Air 200
• Cessna Citation Encore Jet

Best Flying Advice

• When opportunities disappear, you don’t make it or something happens not the way you want, there is always another adventure around the corner.  Keep your head up at all times!

The Journey

• 18 months of Flight Instructing in Piper Tomahawks, working 50hr weeks.
• Gained his Multi-Engine and IR ratings.
• Various Outback Bush flying in Australia ,  from delivering mail to remote farming stations, supporting mining and cattle industries.
• Persuaded not to go to Papua New Guinea and chose to move to Canada.

Current Flying.

• Working for the Canadian Air Ambulance Service, flying the Cessna Citation Encore Jet.

Proudest Flying Moment

• Having the opportunity to take his Dad who is a Postman on the worlds longest mail run from Port Augusta, Australia.  2 days flying, 16 stations and 1200 miles from South Australia to Southern Queensland.

Future Plans & Aspirations

• Corporate Charters. Something bigger and sexier such as the Gulfstream, Global Express or Challenger aircraft.
• The major airlines possibly in the future when he settles down.

Flying Internet Resource

Pilot Online Job Boards in Australia & Canada

• Australian Federation For Air Pilots (AFAP) – Australia
• AVCANADA – Canada

Best Aviation Book

• Fate Is The Hunter by Ernest K. Gann

FATE IS THE HUNTER is a fascinating and thrilling account of some of the more memorable experiences Ernest K Gann had in the air. He’s flown in both peace and war and come close to death many times. Here he reveals the characters he’s known and the dramas he’s experienced, portraying fate (or death) as a hunter constantly in pursuit of pilots. This is a fabulous account of both the history of aviation and one man’s life in the air.

Favourite Cockpit Gadget

• Apple iPad – Tablet Computer From Apple.
• Aero Weather App – Get current and precise weather conditions (METAR) as well as weather forecasts (TAF), which are used by pilots for their flight preparations. You can choose worldwide airport weather stations from the built-in database by either name or ICAO code. Data will be shown in its original format or fully decoded into easy understandable texts.
  • iTunes – iPhone, iPad, iTouch
  • Google Play – Android

Interview Links

• You can email Darren at his Facebook email address by clicking HERE ( darren.fuller.777 AT facebook.com ).

Cessna Citation Encore