Are you a member of a flight club?

inktomi

inktomi

Filing Flight Plan
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Matt
I'm wondering.. if you're a member of a flight club, why did you join it? Are you totally happy with your club?

I joined my flying club after getting my ticket because that's where I did my flight school. I knew the people, knew the planes, etc. The club doesn't really do much in the way of fly ins or actual club activities though. They provide good planes kept in good working order, but that's about it.

Is that the norm for flight clubs these days? I'd like to actually get to know the people in club - but it seems like the norm is more of a means to gain access to aircraft rather than build relationships and enjoy flight with the club members.

Am I just disillusioned with my so-so flight club? I'm not particularly happy or sad with them.. just blah. I want to be excited!
 
I think your situation is akin to joining a country club and thinking other members will want to play golf with you. They already have their own games and their own friends, and don't really care if anybody else shows up. Over time you may develop some relationships, but it will probably require some planning and effort on your part.

inktomi said:
I'm wondering.. if you're a member of a flight club, why did you join it? Are you totally happy with your club?

I joined my flying club after getting my ticket because that's where I did my flight school. I knew the people, knew the planes, etc. The club doesn't really do much in the way of fly ins or actual club activities though. They provide good planes kept in good working order, but that's about it.

Is that the norm for flight clubs these days? I'd like to actually get to know the people in club - but it seems like the norm is more of a means to gain access to aircraft rather than build relationships and enjoy flight with the club members.

Am I just disillusioned with my so-so flight club? I'm not particularly happy or sad with them.. just blah. I want to be excited!
Click to expand...
 
That's certainly true - sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I'm entitled to anything ;)

I meant - isn't it incumbent upon the flight club to organize it's members by providing activities or a calendar, or even a way to know who the members of the club are so that you can do that yourself? Email list, etc.

I'm sure it's different for different clubs, which was part of my intent for posting originally.. see how other clubs are doing it to bring back to mine.
 
inktomi said:
I meant - isn't it incumbent upon the flight club to organize it's members by providing activities or a calendar, or even a way to know who the members of the club are so that you can do that yourself? Email list, etc.
Click to expand...

Typically you should have some sort of club list of who else is in the club so you can contact member.

But no, the purpose of the flight club is primarily to keep the airplanes functioning so that you club members can use it.

At my home airport, we have a local association of pilots. That's an organization that does serve to provide reasons to fly. For the most part, though, everyone just comes up with their own reasons.
 
I belong to a club, Center O Flying Club, based at KOLM. I joined for access to good planes for less money than it would cost at the local FBOs.

There are only two organized events each year for the club. Our annual meeting (and dinner) and typically a clean-up day on a Saturday during the summer. Otherwise we're just a bunch of pilots who share some planes. Works fine for me. The planes are well maintained, in the 11 years I've been a member I've been unable to get a plane when I want to fly exactly once and as long as I fly enough to amortize the monthly dues it is less expensive than renting from the FBOs. We have a C-172N, a C-182P and a PA-28R-200. We're looking for another C-172 to replace the C-172H we sold earlier this year. I did my PP and IR rides in the 172 (10 years apart) and really enjoy the 182 for cross country trips.

I didn't join for the social aspect, so that hasn't been a concern. I'm happy with our club. YMMV.
 
inktomi said:
I'm wondering.. if you're a member of a flight club, why did you join it? Are you totally happy with your club?

I joined my flying club after getting my ticket because that's where I did my flight school. I knew the people, knew the planes, etc. The club doesn't really do much in the way of fly ins or actual club activities though. They provide good planes kept in good working order, but that's about it.

Is that the norm for flight clubs these days? I'd like to actually get to know the people in club - but it seems like the norm is more of a means to gain access to aircraft rather than build relationships and enjoy flight with the club members.

Am I just disillusioned with my so-so flight club? I'm not particularly happy or sad with them.. just blah. I want to be excited!
Click to expand...

First foremost, lets define what a flight club is... its a pretty broad term, and what definition you use will define what you encounter.

I've been in two different flight clubs... neither meet the country club definition.

The first was (IS) the Bay Area Aero Club. It still exists. Its a non-profit group, doesn't own planes, has an elected board, board appointed officers, dues and all the aircraft are on leaseback. Maintenance is done by owner's choice of mechanic. While its not local to you, you can check their structure out on their website: www.bayareaaeroclub.org

Another was the Phoenix Flying club in Houston/EFD. It was a privately owned company that operated functionally like the aeroclub, but was a one man show. He didn't run a flight school, instructors could check out and use the club planes for club members. He shut it down after a fuel exhaustion accident. Owner was allergic to stupid pilot tricks.

Both used online scheduling, and there were no buy ins/shares/ etc. Dues and hourly rental.

A third example was a flight school operated flying club and it was essentially a front for flight school non-instructional renting..

Yet another example is where the planes are owned by a collective.. Everyone buys in (several AMU's) to get a place in the club, and the shares entitle one to certain hours/weekends/etc.. You get your buy-in back when you leave/sell your share.

I was happy with the Bay Area club.. it suited my needs and I enjoyed the veteran instructors I met there.. My CFI/CFII was also an A&P, retired Rockwell aerospace engineer and Mooney/C-170 owner. I learned much more from him than any 250-hour airline bound CFI could ever aspire to..
 
Very interesting. I never actually took the time to do research on out of town flig clubs, since it's generally so troublesome to get checked out, insured, etc while on vacation. I would if it was easier though!

I guess my club is more of the front for a flight school type. I assumed that a flight club would be more of a club - a front for social activities etc.
 
I don't belong to a flying club, but everytime i see the thread, i see "FIGHT club" not "flight club' haha.
 
#1 rule of flight club..... there is no flight club !


:)
 
I actually had tried to do some google searches for this topic, google loves to autocorrect me to fight club. Fun times! :)
 
If you want social try looking up your local EAA chapter. You don't have to be a builder to join, or even be a guest at a meeting.

I'm member of a little flying club based at KVGT. all the members of the flying club are also members of the local EAA chapter, so via the EAA stuff we are fairly social. A hand flu of us are building planes in hangars so it os common to find us at the airport, and we drop in and help each other. We do a pancake breakfast at a hangar every month, and a fly out breakfast to various destinations.

To gain access to other Aircraft I'm joining another flying club. They are having an annual dinner soon and I'm looking forward to meeting the other members in the club.

Mike
 
I fly out of HND.. I'm in Monarch Sky down here - good people, just more of a training club I guess :)

Do people often join more than one club in order to gain access to more types of aircraft?
 
I belong to two clubs, one at BFI in Seattle, one at S50 nearby. Neither are social clubs, but Valley Fliers at S50 does have monthly meetings with food & a yearly event. the other Alternate Air at BFI is strictly cheap flying. I have been slowly developing a social network of flying friends. A local forum and a meet-up group provide contacts & destinations. Dave
 
Very interesting. I'd think that the dues would start to add up and that most people would sort of pick a club and stick with it.

That said, the neighboring club's SR20 calls to me when I see it taxi by. I've never been in a Cirrus - someday I'll have to try it out.
 
I was a member of a club a bunch of years ago.
I got out when things started getting fishy with the management.
Collecting $ every month towards rebuilds, then selling planes that reached TBO and keeping the funds... among other things. :nono:
Do your homework before you join.
 
Matthew,
Hi Neighbor,
Sorry I missed that you are flying out of HND. Very nice Airport. EAA 1330 at HND is a very active chapter.

It has been my experience that sometimes when you want to fly, planes are rented out or off line, so I try to have a few options. I mostly fly a friends Cherokee.

As far as dues go, the little club I fly with (Chapter 163 Flying Club) after the buy in we only pay $100 every six months.

The new club I'm joining (Executive Pilots) has a block time option, as long as you have have some blocked time purchased you don't pay the monthly $.
They have an SR22....
I plan on flying the DA40 they have a fair amount.
http://www.executivepilots.net/

Mike
 
I've loved flying the DA40s so much I've thought about trying to open a rental service around a few DA40s to people visiting Las Vegas (and LA). Let me know if that sounds interesting...

I just got my EAA membership. I'm looking forward to getting my membership info and joining the local chapter! That really sounds like something that would be fun.
 
I Love flying the DA 40, only have a few hours in them flying with a friend in WI when I visit there. Really looking forward to having access to one here. Not sure how good a biz idea, but you never know.
Same old saying to make a small fortune in Aviation start with a large one.

Pretty Sure EAA1300 HND's meeting is Wed. 11/09.
Our Chapter 163 at VGT meets Tuesday 11/03 7PM at the terminal. Come by if you can.

EAA163 had an Ice Cream Social last night at a hangar VGT, over 40 people (pilots/spouses/friends) came. Was a very nice time.
Probably monthly Pancake breakfast at hangar next Saturday.

I will be at my hangar tomorrow am working on my fuselage (building a CH750) at VGT tomorrow am.

Flying CLub 172 to St george Wed, coming back Friday.

If your ever in the neighborhood give me a shout.

Mike
 
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wabower said:
I think your situation is akin to joining a country club and thinking other members will want to play golf with you. They already have their own games and their own friends, and don't really care if anybody else shows up. Over time you may develop some relationships, but it will probably require some planning and effort on your part.
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Matthew, Wayne put it very well but as Dave posted there are many types of flying clubs. The prime reason of course is to make flying as inexpensive as possible and planes available as much as possible.

Another POA pilot and I from the Philly area started a flying club to get flying as inexpensively as possible. We put together a group of 3-4 other pilots, all of whom happened to be active or occasional lurkers on POA and we started to look for a plane to lease back ( still looking). Anyway we decided that we wanted to keep the group social and educational. That was one of our goals some clubs aren't that way. Now if we could only find a darn plane we'd be set LOL.

I also belong to a group at another local airport called Quakertown Pilots Assn . They are just a group of pilots, the Assn doesn't have planes but does have breakfast flyouts most Sundays and a BBQ in the fall.

I'll also tell you that POA is a great social experience many of our members will get together at one of several flyins a year all across the country and many local to each other will get together and hangout or have dinner.
 
inktomi said:
Very interesting. I'd think that the dues would start to add up and that most people would sort of pick a club and stick with it.

That said, the neighboring club's SR20 calls to me when I see it taxi by. I've never been in a Cirrus - someday I'll have to try it out.
Click to expand...

The club I started with at BFI is so cheap that is does not make sense to drop out over $5 as month for inactive dues($20 active). Having the option to fly out of BFI is easily worth the few bucks. The other club, Valley Fliers @ Auburn has very nice looking planes, (the club at BFI has 'cosmetically challenged' but mechanically OK planes, a training fleet). A 172 ($82) is cheaper from VF if I fly over 3 hours a month, But the BFI club, (Alternate Air) has C150's at $69 (172=$97). Both together if i pay full dues it is $95 a month,less than a tie down at BFI. & only $80 ($75 VF +$5 AA= $80) if I go inactive at AA(BFI). Having the option has got me in the air when the Auburn valley is fogged in but BFI,10 miles away, is clear. ai still dream of owning a plane, but untill then ...... Dave
 
Matt - maybe you should volunteer to be on the board as the "social director" and start setting up some of the events. You seem young and motivated. Chances are that there are others in the club who might want a similar benefit. I don't know many pilots who DONT enjoying the company of fellow pilots and talking about airplanes.

I am a (recent) member of a flying club out of Montgomery County Airpark, outside of DC with 4 planes (2 172s, 2 182s) and about 50 members. They do monthly BBQs/meetings at one of our hangars which are pretty fun (about 20-30 membrs show up) and apparenlty do a few fly outs a year. Lots of email discussions with the group too. Another one of the flight clubs I joined at first (but got out of fairly quickly) didn't seem to have the same kind of social interaction between members.

One of the things you'll notice about any flying club is about 1/3 of the members of the club fly 90% of the time, the middle 1/3 fly occaisionally, and the final 1/3 never fly (the clubs like these members best).
 
Hi all,

This has been a very intereting post to read, I'm from the UK and am lucky enough to own a holiday home in Osprey FL, I'm visit for about 4/5 weeks 4 times a year, about 20 week overall. In the UK we do have "flying clubs" and yes sometimes there "fight Clubs" but generally there good fun and arrange fly outs and evening discussions. Its also a stepping stone from finishing your PPL meeting other Pilots and then joining groups or flying with new friends on hired a/c. I fly a C182 and enjoy these trips away and also meeting new old and young pilots.


I visited Sarasota and Venice airports and was really suprised that no such groups operated. Its such as pity as how do you get new blood into an airport if there are no social events. There was a notice board where I posted an ad for flying buddies and a share wanted. Time will tell if I'm sucsessfull.

I have an FAA PPL and IR as well as my UK Certificates. I hope to find other piltos to learn from and fly with.........

My 1st post on Pilots of America so be kind....:)

Colin.
 
1st RULE: You do not talk about FLIGHT CLUB.

2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about FLIGHT CLUB.

3rd RULE: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, taps out the flight is over.

4th RULE: Only two guys to a flight.

5th RULE: One flight at a time.

6th RULE: No shirts, no shoes.

7th RULE: Flights will go on as long as they have to.

8th RULE: If this is your first night at FLIGHT CLUB, you HAVE to fly.
 
AirDC said:
One of the things you'll notice about any flying club is about 1/3 of the members of the club fly 90% of the time, the middle 1/3 fly occaisionally, and the final 1/3 never fly (the clubs like these members best).
Click to expand...

Sounds like our club. And, you're right. I love those members. :D
 
Just an idea - if there was a "national flight club" or something to where you could get checked out once and then fly wherever you were.. would that be better than the local club model?
 
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