Tamworth flight school to soar to new heights with cutting-edge simulator

A cutting-edge flight simulator capable of switching between two of the world's most common airliners will be at the heart of Sydney Flight College's commitment to training airline pilots in Tamworth as the school's plans for expansion roll on.

The new simulator will be only the second of its type in Australia, and the first outside a capital city, and can convert between a Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 in "about five minutes", according to Sydney Flight College president Steve Kastanias.

It is designed to teach students how to operate as a team on an airliner flight deck using multi-crew coordination (MCC) and get them ready for the airlines sooner.

"It's quite a sophisticated piece of equipment. It costs just over $1 million to bring it into the country. It's a significant investment for our business and a significant investment in the region," Mr Kastanias said.

Mr Kastanias said the college was confident of reaching the number of students required in its agreement with Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) that would justify the investment.

"We've already got commitments [with council] to get to 200 students by an agreed date, and that's by the end of next year," he said.

Already halfway through a four-year agreement with the council, the college has 70 students enrolled at Tamworth Airport, but its "ambitions are bigger" - if Tamworth can support them.

"What that really means is if we organise ourselves to get more international flying and international students, we will then require that commitment from council to get more access to the facility, and more beds," Mr Kastanias said.

"We're looking to work with council to scale and calibrate the growth. And we're really proud of the contributions we're making back into the town, into the region."

The college's chief executive, Joe Pilo, said they had a working relationship with council, and had been grateful for the support so far, but said that growth will depend on council and its ability to gain further support from other tiers of government.

"Look, according to the council and their appetite, they want to see us grow to our full capacity model," Mr Pilo said.

"I guess it sits with council - if they want us to do it, then they have to provide the accommodation that's required. But at the moment, it's a working relationship as we grow the model."

The council was contacted for comment.

Towns like Tamworth, Mr Kastanias said, will become more valuable for NSW flight training, as Western Sydney Airport's opening next year will push training airspace away from the college's home base at Bankstown Airport.

"For that reason, we're very grateful for our engagement with Tamworth Regional Council over the past few years, because it's enabled us to be hedged from the problems which we foresee operating out of Bankstown," Mr Kastanias said.

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