Meet the team at Phil Unicomb Aviation.
Phil Unicomb
Phil Unicomb first started flying in 1976 whilst still at school and is well known and highly respected in the aviation industry both in Australia and overseas.
In 1984, Phil debuted in the first of his many years of competition aerobatics and air display flying.
By 1988, Phil had established himself as a corporate pilot for well known businessman and publisher Kevin Weldon. During this time, Phil flew a variety of aircraft for Kevin including vintage aircraft, the DeHavilland Beaver Amphibian and the main aircraft the PA31-350 Piper Chieftain under single pilot IFR.
In 1991 Phil and close friend and fellow air show pilot Squadron Leader Dave Freedman formed Action Aerobatics Pty Ltd, which was a well known school specialising in advanced pilot training. Phil remained in the role as Chief Flying Instructor and Chief Pilot for 20 years. During this time while running the school, he continued to fly air displays and produced some 40 state and national champion aerobatic pilots, including well known air show display pilot Paul Bennet with whom he still works closely.
Phil and Dave created the Skyaces formation aerobatics team in 1992 and flew in Eastern Australia and South East Asia performing at various events including the inaugural 1993 Thai International Air Show near Bangkok, Thailand. The Skyaces live on to this day and their current pilots are all former students of Phil. The team is now operated Paul Bennet Airshows the stuff of which Phil is very proud.
In 2003, Phil and business partners formed Air Action Pty Ltd, predominantly operating warbirds at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley whilst still running the Action Aerobatics Flying School at Maitland. During this time, Phil was operating a T6 Harvard, a T28 Trojan, a L39 Albatross Jet Fighter amongst other exotic aeroplanes.
In 2011, Phil had a flying accident at a country air show and was incapacitated for 6 months with a fractured spine (an injury from which he has since fully recovered). Following his recovery, he was offered the position as Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor at the Royal Newcastle Aero Club, a position which he held for 8 years. Phil is also an independent pilot examiner for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia and travels the country carrying out advanced training and flight tests.
In August 2019 Phil established a new venture, Phil Unicomb Aviation Pty Ltd to offer his many services to the pilots of Australia.
James Rose
James started flying in 1995 and completed Diploma in Aviation at Avondale College. After completing his Diploma, James headed “up North”, a rite of passage for many young Australian Pilots, and ended up flying throughout the Northern Territory as a charter pilot. It was a baptism of fire and he learned some very valuable skills that he expertly passes on to his students.
In 2006, James completed his Flight Instructor Rating and began instructing in 2007. James is passionate about arming his students with the skills they need to operate effectively in a Commercial environment.
James married Donna, another Commercial Pilot who he met during his time instructing in the Hunter Valley. They now live in Newcastle with their 3 daughters.
James has over 7000 hours of flying in General Aviation and his main specialities at PUA are Aviation Theory, Night VFR, CPL and Flight Instructor Ratings.
Alex Kiriczenko
Alex has long been involved in general aviation including having been president of his local aero club before pursuing his aviation career in earnest. As part of his transition into full-time flying, Alex completed a Flight Instructor Rating renewal with Phil in 2022 which and it wasn’t long after this that we were delighted to have Alex join the PUA Team!
Alex is now one of PUA’s most senior flight instructors, holding a grade 1 training endorsement (among others) and finds himself focused largely on multi-engine, IFR, and instructor training. If you are getting toward to more complex end of your aviation adventure, Alex is a likely option for your continued training.
Beyond his work at PUA, Alex also volunteers his time as a pilot for Little Wings and now calls Newcastle home.
Ben Byrnes
Ben is one of our many “Home Grown” flight instructors, having completed his Instructor Rating here at PUA. Ben’s performance was impressive from the very beginning, so were we’re delighted to have him join the team where he has since achieve his grade 2 training endorsement and many others.
As a flight Instructor, Ben is both specialised in tailwheel/Tiger Moth training while also being an “all-rounder” from RPL to CPL and much more. This diversity mean that many students that fly with PUA will get a chance to flying with the award winning Ben Byrnes.
On the topic of “award winning”, Ben’s achievements and his volunteer work as another Little Wings pilot were recognised in his receipt of the 2026 CASA Wings Award for Young Achiever of the Year. This was a very well deserved award and a testament to Ben’s dedication to all things aviation.
Georgia Volschenk
Georgia completed a Bachelor of Aviation at UNSW in 2011 through which she earned her Commercial Pilot Licence and Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating, and completed her Air Transport Pilot Licence theory examinations. She completed her Flight Instructor Rating in 2012 started her Flying Instruction career in the beautiful Hunter Valley.
In 2017, Georgia joined the Royal Australian Air Force where she finished as Dux of ADF 98 Basic Pilot Course. Unfortunately, thanks to medical complications, she did not finish pilot training, instead ending up “flying a desk” in Fighter Operations at Williamtown at No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit. During her RAAF career, Georgia had the privilege of experiencing back seat flights in the F/A-18 Hornet during various training sorties, attending exercises with foreign militaries, and seeing the retirement of the F/A-18 Hornet at Williamtown.
After far too long on the ground, Georgia made the decision to return to civil aviation and her passion for Flying Instruction at Phil Unicomb Aviation. Now a young mother, Georgia loves “turning blue into green” during aerobatics and her current goal is to add aerobatics instruction to her list of qualifications.
Julia Freedman
Julia started her aviation adventure right here at PUA and we have had the pleasure of seeing her go from first flight right through to Flight Instructor. Since joining the team, Julia has continued to expand on her teaching capabilities, spanning from RPL, PPL, and CPL through to tailwheel, NVFR, and more!
When not in the air, Julia is also a key member of our exam theory team spanning course development, course delivery, and one-on-one tuition. Be it licence exams or IREX, Julia is never short on the knowledge and the tips and tricks needed to pass your exam.
The name “Freedman” may be familiar from reading Phil’s blurb above, and that is no coincidence. Julia is not only a high-achieving and talented pilot in her own right, but comes from a lineage of aviation excellence. Since starting off her aviation career with PUA, it is clear that Julia is already well on her way to continuing the Freedman family’s positive impact on Australian aviation.
Tayler Jones
Tayler came to PUA in 2021 to complete his Commercial Pilot Licence test, then caught the flying bug properly with some aerobatic training alongside Phil in the Pitts. That early spark grew into a full career change, and he returned in 2022-2023 to earn both his multi-engine instrument rating and his Flight Instructor Rating with us. We were delighted to bring him on board as an instructor, and he’s been a valued member of the team ever since.
A senior Grade 3 instructor now well on his way to Grade 2, Tayler holds design feature, multi-engine and instrument flight instructor training endorsements. That makes him a natural fit for students working toward the more advanced end of their training — if you’re stepping up to a twin or chasing your Command Instrument Rating, Tayler is a great choice to guide you through it.
Tayler lives locally in the Hunter Valley with his young family, and brings the genuine passion of someone who found aviation and never looked back.
Jonathan Lis
Jonno came to aviation via RAAus, holding an RPC and even owning his own aeroplane up in Queensland before making the move across to general aviation (where he belongs). He began his GA training in Queensland and joined PUA at the multi-engine instrument stage, completing that rating as part of his Bachelor of Aviation and Graduate Diploma of Aviation through our partnership with Central Queensland University in 2025.
Not one to slow down, Jonno went straight on to earn his Flight Instructor Rating with us. He’s now a Grade 3 instructor holding design feature and night flight instructor training endorsements, ready to pass on to new students the same skills he mastered here himself.
Jonno has packed a lot into his working life — many careers and specialities, you may have even heard his voice during his radio presenting — but aviation is where he’s decided to stay and build his “forever career.” Now based in Newcastle, he still travels back to Queensland to spend time with family. He’s also the creative eye behind our social media, videos and online presence, so if you’ve enjoyed our content, he’s the one to thank.
Matilda Mendham
Matilda came to PUA with a strong aviation background already behind her, arriving with her Commercial Pilot Licence and a genuine passion for formation flying and aerobatics. She completed her Flight Instructor Rating with us early in 2026, and it wasn’t long before that aerobatic streak came to the fore.
Training in the Pitts S-2A with Phil, Matilda quickly added design feature, spinning and basic aerobatics flight instructor training endorsements. She’s now solo in the S-2A — an achievement in its own right — and is flying that aeroplane as she takes her first steps into the world of competition aerobatics.
Matilda relocated to the Hunter Valley to join the PUA team, and brings an infectious enthusiasm for the more spirited end of flying. If you’re keen to explore aerobatics, spinning or just jump into general flight training across the board, she’s a wonderful instructor to learn from.
Greg Gibbon
Greg started flying in the 1980s when he was tutoring University mathematics. On his very first lesson it struck him how much more exciting and rewarding it would be to train people to fly. When he achieved his PPL, Greg loved to explore outback Australia with friends and even had the privilege of flying in the USA, island hopping around Hawaii and even flying into Honolulu Airport in a Cessna 172!
While working as a researcher with the Department of Defence and lecturing at the University of Tasmania and University of Newcastle, Greg completed his Flight Instructor training and for the past 15 years Greg has been sharing his love of aviation enthusiastically. He finds it incredibly rewarding and especially loves seeing the excitement and satisfaction in people as they master the skills required to become a Pilot.
Luke Brydon
Luke is the ultimate PUA “home grown” story — he’s completed 100% of his flight training with us and has been part of the family since the very beginning when the school first opened its doors. From his Recreational and Private Pilot Licences through to his Commercial Pilot Licence, multi-engine class rating and instrument rating, Luke has done it all with PUA — along the way picking up his MPPC, RU and TWU design features, NVFR, and even aerobatics in the Pitts with Phil. He completed his Flight Instructor Rating with us in 2024 where he joined the team shortly after.
Now a Grade 3 instructor and closing in fast on Grade 2, Luke holds night VFR and design feature flight instructor training endorsements. He teaches on weekends while continuing his full-time career in IT, with a firm plan to eventually make the move into flight instruction full-time.
Few people are more engaged with PUA than Luke. He’s attended every one of our air safaris and is a regular at our social events — you’ll reliably find him at Tuesday trivia and Pilots at the Pub. He’s a wonderful example of the community and the individual people that make PUA what it is.
Toby Unicomb
Toby is often the first person you’ll talk to at PUA as, although he is not a flight instructor, he does perform many of the non-teaching roles in our school. Toby looks after admin, accounting, marketing, and our social media so if you have any questions or need assistance during your time with PUA then don’t hesitate to get in touch with Toby!
When not performing one of his many roles at PUA, Toby can also be found joining the rest of our students in completing his own flight training. Ultimately, Toby plans to complete his CPL and Flight Instructor Rating so that he too can join the ranks of our awesome teaching team.