Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the FAQs that you may also have. If there are any questions you have that are not answered here, please feel free to contact us.
Q: What does it cost to become a
member?
A: The initial investment is currently $4,000. This represents your personal equity in the aircraft and is refundable when you leave the club. (There is also a small, non-refundable application fee.)
Q: Are there monthly dues and how much are they?
A: Yes. There is a monthly fee that is put toward the fixed costs of the club.
The fee was $142/month as of October 2024. (Rate adjusted periodically.)
Q: What are the hourly charges?
A: The hourly charges for each aircraft are adjusted on a month-to-month basis,
depending on fuel prices and other operating costs. We do this to keep the charges as low as
possible for members.
As of October 2024, the Archer rate was $118 per hour, the Dakota was $185 per hour, and the Lance was $212. These rates are tach hours, not Hobbs, and "wet" -- fuel always included.
Q: Do you have minimum hours per month, per day, or per reservation?
A: No, but club members are asked to make reasonable use of the planes, especially
during multi-day reservations. We want to keep our planes flying!
Q: How does a member reserve an aircraft?
A: We use an automated online scheduling system that allows each member to make reservations, see when planes are available, make a standby (wait-list) reservation, and see
what reservations he or she has already made. Each member is allowed up to three
reservations (each one hour to 10 days long) at any one time.
Q: Does the club offer primary training for student pilots?
A: Sorry, no. Both our club rules and our insurance regulations require each member flying a club
plane to hold a private pilot's certificate, at a minimum.
Q: What are the requirements to fly the aircraft?
A: The Archer (N2245W) and the Dakota (N51SW) can be flown with a minimum of a private pilot's license and a checkout by a club instructor. The Lance (N2167A) requires 25 hours time in type and a five-hour checkout, due to it being categorized as both High Performance and Complex.
Q: So, how do I join?
A: To help manage availability of the aircraft, our club bylaws limit the size of our club to 15 members per airplane: since we own three planes, our membership cap is currently 45.
Because of the club's popularity, we usually have a waiting list to join.
Contact the club by e-mail
to see if we have any current openings or to get on the waiting list. (NOTE: You must
already have a pilot's certificate, PPL or better, before we can add you to the
waiting list.) Club officers can also
schedule a visit for you to see our aircraft and facilities in person!