While I never obtained a PPL, my time as an Air Traffic Controller in & around Sydney throughout the 80's, along with my (predominantly modelling) contacts got me stick time in the right seat and/or front seat of some very interesting (at least to me
) powered types. A winter night freight run in a DC3 from Mascot to Essendon & return was my first twin engine landing, first experience with ice bashing the side of the fuse (off the props), first time pumping the handle to maintain pressure and first diversion clear of "high" country due the IFR LSALT being above the single engine performance of the DC3 at our weight. Regardless, the DC3 was IMHO an absolute 'lady', a delight to fly.
The highlight of my 2 week famil tour with the Aussie airforce - RAAF - at Williamtown north of Sydney was an hour in a Macchi MB-336 doing aerobatics and make-believe ground attack. We were cleared from ground to FL220 and used all of it.
Ironically the Yanks were over paid, over sexed & over here (as the saying went 
) playing wars with the RAAF, so the Mirage III's were off limits for famil flights - damn!!While based at Mascot, Japan Air Lines (JAL) started flying into Sydney. All the flight crews needed route certification, so there was a standing invite for ATC to join in as 1st class ballast. A shiny new DC10 with only a dozen on board and minimal fuel went up at a phenomenal rate!
I spent a number of years at Bankstown as a tower controller. At one stage, the Bond airship ran scenic flights over Sydney for paying pax off cruise ships. Cancelations were filled by staff off the airfield, so I had several jaunts when my shifts permitted. The airship had amazing performance to 2000', then slow motion took over. There were no rudder pedals, just pitch & yaw on the yoke & vectored thrust.
Work at Bankstown involved staying current in the tower at Camden, where most gliding in the Sydney basin occurred. I accumulated stick time in several types. Years later, Camden was where I first flew my DG101, which I still have. I should've had all my diamonds, but in my excitement at getting into wave over the Snowy Mtns, I forgot to notch my baragraph - won't make that mistake again
.When I was scoring the Australian Multi-class gliding Nats (circa 2009), I took the opportunity to rack up as much time as possible in their "modified" C150, on the daily temp trace flights. It (VH-KML, aka "the camel") was fitted with a motor out of a C172 (from memory), specifically moded for glider towing. It routinely launched fully laden Open & 2 seater types. Not your average C150
Also have time in a L4 Cub, Yak 18T (the 4 seat "officer's taxi" version, not the 2 seat tandem version), Bonanza variants, C172, C182, C182RG, etc.
One last anecdote. While based in Melbourne, I "bummed" a lift to Sydney on an IAI Westwind doing night courier Ops up & down the east coast. I subsequently got a lift back next night. The following week, the actual aircraft I flew in augered into the ocean off Sydney with what was subsequently diagnosed as run away elevator trim. There but for the grace of God.......
