By Howard Deevers
If you look at the amount of flying from Tucson to Phoenix, and other airports in Arizona, you might think that there are a lot of flying clubs in Arizona. I get calls from pilots that are looking to join a flying club. Newly certificated pilots that just received their Private Pilots Certificate, but can’t afford to own an airplane, so they are looking for an inexpensive way to stay in the air.
I am a big fan of flying clubs. I did belong to an “ownership” club in Pittsburgh even before getting my Private Pilot Certificate. The club was limited to 48 members and had 4 airplanes. It was a popular club, and you had to wait for an opening to buy a membership. When one came available while I was still in training to get my license, I jumped on it. Of course, since I did not have a license, I could not fly any of the 4 planes, but I attended the monthly meetings just to learn how the club worked. After passing my Private, I got checked out in all 4 airplanes and started working on my Instrument Rating in the Cessna 172. I stayed with that club for several years. When I passed my CFI check ride, I was flying with another “membership” club at Allegheny County Airport. Most of the airplanes in that club were on lease, but the club had nice facilities at AGC, including a couple of simulators. There were other differences also, but the clubs each had their own advantages.
When you look for Flying Clubs in Arizona, they are hard to find. They don't seem to advertise, so we know very little about them. As a member of a flying club, you feel like an owner. It is an inexpensive way to learn about the aircraft and improve your flying skills. There is no shortage of flying schools in Arizona, and they are very good, but they are not flying clubs.
Flying clubs can be as small as one aircraft, or have a few. The one aircraft clubs usually start with several pilot friends getting together to jointly own and maintain an aircraft. The club can be a non-profit corporation and will have to file a tax return every year. Don't let that stop you; there is a lot of help available for that. All you need is good record keeping. The club members will have to decide what airplane they would like to own, and all agree on that. Where will the plane be based, and how do we schedule access to it? Many questions can be drawn up in a “by-law” ownership agreement.
The membership clubs are different. You do not own a share in the airplanes. You pay an entrance fee, and monthly dues, then pay for airplane use as you use it. They usually have several airplanes, and maybe different types, such as high wing, a low wing, and maybe a tail-dragger, also. The club may also ask you to have renters’ insurance to protect you and the club in event of an accident.
If you do join a flying club, pick one that has monthly meetings, and has a focus on aviation safety by presenting safety seminars, or inviting the FAASTeam members to present a safety program for them. You will find many new friends in a club, and you will all have a common interest of aviation.
To learn more about flying clubs, and flying in Arizona, come to a Safety Seminar sponsored by your ARIZONA PILOTS ASSOCIATION, and the FAASTeam. They are free. Check the web site for a location near you. And, don't forget to “Bring your Wingman.”