FLYING CLUBS
Looking for Fellow Enthusiasts
Want to fly? Want to share the experience with others? You may want to consider becoming a member of a Flying Club.
A flying club or aero club is a not for profit, member run organization that provides its members with access to aircraft.
Some clubs also provide flight training, flight planning facilities, pilot supplies and associated services, as well as organizing social functions, fly-ins and fly-outs to other airports and so forth.
Most flying clubs own and rent small general aviation aircraft. However some clubs also exist to provide access to more specialized aircraft, such as vintage planes, aerobatic planes, helicopters and gliders.
There are two types of flying clubs - equity flying clubs, and non-equity flying clubs. In an equity flying club, each member of the flying club “buys in” to the club and owns a share of all the club’s aircraft. The member then pays both monthly dues, which cover the fixed costs of ownership (hangar, insurance, annual maintenance, etc.), and an hourly rate for his use the airplanes in the club. In a non-equity flying club, the members do not own a share of the aircraft. Members may still pay an initiation fee (usually much smaller than an equity flying club), a monthly fee to help cover the fixed costs, and an hourly rate to use the aircraft.
If you are already a member of a flying club and want Atlantic Flyer readers to know more about your organization... contact Sandy for info about getting into the paper. Sandy@AFlyer.com or 203-458-3348.
Associated Pilots Inc (API)
When you join API, our Bedford, MA (KBED) flying club, you OWN a share of the airplane you fly and there is no comparison to the pride of taxiing into the ramp when it is YOUR plane. Our buy-in and operations costs are very reasonable. We have great availability of both airplanes through a slick web based calendar where our small group (12-14) books each plane. You can drive your car right into the hangar. No unloading in the rain and snow!
Since 1948, API has been serving Boston area pilots. The club is run entirely by its members.
Our planes are very well equipped and maintained, with WAAS Garmin GNS systems in each. Over the last few years members of API flew the C-182 and the C-206 from our BED hangars to destinations like Oshkosh, WI, Cleveland, OH, Newfoundland, and even the Cayman Islands! You worked hard for your rating, and now it is time to start really flying. For complete membership details click on our About page, then Contact Us today to start the process of joining one of the longest running flying partnerships in the United States.
API is currently looking for a new member! See our website http://www.associatedpilots.com
For more information contact Alan Kirby, 781-929-5006, ja.kirby@verizon.net
Flying in the Capital District of New York: Condair Flyers Wants you!
The longest continuously operated not-for-profit flying club in the New York State Capital Region had some pretty humble beginnings. Condair Flyers started in 1964 with a single Piper Cub and two members in Schenectady. Over the years, the Club has grown to include nearly 75 pilots and five aircraft, and operates out of Albany International Airport, with aircraft hangered at the Million Air FBO.
With heated hanger space and linemen to attend to the aircraft, and always hot coffee, meeting rooms, and refreshments, it’s every GA pilot’s dream location. The Club’s aircraft (a Piper Warrior II, Piper Archer II, Cessna 172SP, 172P, and 182RGII) are all IFR certified aircraft. The Club is known for the quality aircraft, excellent maintenance, camaraderie between Club members and the monthly Club meetings that always include presentations of interest for pilots. Supporting the Club are approved Certified Flight Instructors for the aspiring pilot through to the veteran pilot. Club members have worked on their Private Pilot License right up through their CFI with knowledgeable instructors – several of whom are also Club members.
The Club is an “equity based club” with Club members paying an initial equity share. Pilots pay a wet hourly use rate based on the tachometer time for usage, monthly dues and members participate to keep the Club’s aircraft in top shape. Members schedule aircraft through an internet service operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Aircraft can be scheduled for a maximum period of four days without Executive Board approval or for more than four days with Executive Board approval.
If you are an aspiring pilot or seasoned pilot and are looking for a solid economical flying club to join, consider Condair Flyers. Prospective members are always welcome at the monthly meetings in the Million Air meeting room generally on the first Sunday evening of the month, from September - June. For more information about Condair Flyers, contact Andy DeFeo at (518) 330-0746 or skyhawk83pd@yahoo.com or at the Condair web site www.condair.myfbo.com .
New England Flying Club (NEFC)
Membership in the New England Flying Club (NEFC) is a great way to experience the benefits of airplane ownership, without the prohibitive cost and hassle of actually owning an airplane. Our members are our shareholders, and it is reflected in the way our aircraft are treated and maintained. Availability of our airplanes is virtually unparalleled. And being able to fly “your”airplane, any time of the day or night, without the onerous restrictions of a rental company, is a level of freedom that most pilots will never experience.
Clubs typically don’t have ground operations or an office; they have to rely on others to do necessary ground work, often at an added cost to their members. Not true with NEFC. With NEFC you get access to a heated office, online scheduling, wifi, access to weather, a shed, along with snow and ice-removal equipment.
NEFC has been going strong since 1972. Based at Lawrence, our fleet comprises 2 Beech Skippers (2 place) and 1 Beech Sundowner (4 place). All aircraft are IFR certified and meticulously maintained. Our hourly usage and training costs are among the most affordable in the industry. And a number of our members are Certified Flight Instructors.
If NEFC appeals to you, we invite you to check us out on the web at http://www.newenglandflyingclub.com. And if you would like to speak to a representative, please call our President,Isaac Dekine, at 347-683-8548 or our Director of Operations, Lou Maglio, at 508-612-7283. We will happily answer your questions and give you a tour of our facility at a mutually agreeable time. We look forward to hearing from you!