A national initiative to boost an often ignored way of taking to the air on the cheap to help arrest the dwindling supply of pilots - the local flying club - is taking flight in Arkansas.
The move by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the nation’s largest aviation organization, has led to the establishment of at least one new flying club in the state and two more that are in formation to join the four now in operation, according to the organization’s searchable database of 400 flying clubs in the United States.
Until this initiative, flying clubs flew under the radar, so to speak.
“Flying clubs are an under-recognized part of aviation that deserve the center’s support and encouragement,” said Adam Smith, an association senior vice president who leads its Center to Advance the Pilot Community.
The concept dates to the early part of the last century, when groups of pilots began forming clubs to pool their resources in the form of joining fees and monthly dues to purchase aircraft, which the pilots can schedule to rent at a discount. The oldest flying clubs in the United States date to the 1920s. But the clubs are loosely organized, rely on volunteers to operate and word of mouth to build membership and, until this year, didn’t have a national organization to advance their interests.
The new emphasis on flying clubs came after research completed last year showed that flying clubs play a significant role in the aviation community, according to Smith.
The association’s research comes amid a steady decline in the number of pilots in the United States, especially those who fly for recreation. Their numbers peaked in 1980 when they totaled827,000. Now, fewer than 600,000 are licensed to fly.
The number of pilots in Arkansas has been relatively stable in recent years. In 2000, the state had 4,988 licensed pilots. By 2012, the latest year for which statistics were readily available, Arkansas was home to 5,145 pilots.
Part of the overall decline has been attributed to demographics, Smith said. The military trained 2 million pilots during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined, Smith said.
But many blame the costs associated with flying for the falling interest in learning how to fly and say that today it is more out of reach than ever to the average person who would want to fly for pleasure.
A single-engine aircraft, which remains the typical general aviation aircraft, can approach $500,000 off the showroom floor, Smith said.
The association and others are trying to change that. They want to establish more flying clubs.
“There are 4,500 public-use airports in America,” Smith said. “Several thousand don’t have a flying club.”
The flying club database shows that Arkansas has at least five established flying clubs, including one formed this year, and at least two in formation - one in Northwest Arkansas and one in Little Rock.
The established clubs include what is perhaps the state’s oldest, the Texarkana Flying Club, as well as the Fort Smith Flying Club and the Sparrow Flying Club, which is based in Conway but also operates at airports in Russellville and Saline County.
The newest club is the Ozarks Flying Club in Berryville. It held its second meeting earlier this month, said its founder, Danny Hendricks.
Hendricks, who operates the Flight School of the Ozarks, thought it made sense to start a flight club at his home airport, Carroll County Airport, after he saw many of his students drop flying because they couldn’t afford to rent or purchase an aircraft.
“It’s going to make it affordable to fly,” he said. “They can’t afford to spend $140 to rent an airplane. Now, they can do it for half the cost by joining the club.”
The club is making arrangements to finance the purchase of two aircraft. It will limit itself to a dozen members initially, but Hendricks said if demand picks up, the club could expand eventually.
“As long as I am turning out pilots, I know it’s a continuous source of club members,” he said.
Smith said his association’s research blames some of the attrition on lack of community support, which is where the flying clubs can help. Members of established clubs in Arkansas agreed.
The Fort Smith Flying Club began about 10 years ago after the local general aviation center no longer wanted to teach people to fly or rent aircraft and approached local pilots about the option of beginning a club as an alternative. The center also donated an aircraft. The club began with a commitment from 20 pilots.
“Our goal is to promote aviation and train new pilots,” said Scott James, the club’s president. “For a long time, we were the only people on the field doing flight training.”
He rents the club’s Cessna 182, a powerful single-engine aircraft, to take family trips to places such as Branson, Mo.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Gulf Shores, Ala.
So far the club concept has worked in Fort Smith. “Right now, we have as many people as we can handle,” James said.
Jon Miller, an accountant, serves as treasurer of the Texarkana Flying Club, which has been organized for about 20 years.
Miller said he learned to fly through the club and now uses the club aircraft to fly for pleasure, such as to visit a daughter in Oklahoma City.
“I don’t fly as often as I would like to fly,” he said. “Most of mine are trip flights.”
Renting an aircraft cuts the 5-hour drive to Oklahoma City in half, he said.
As the club treasurer, Miller sees all the costs associated with operating and maintaining an aircraft - the insurance, hangar rental, annual aircraft inspections, periodic engine overhauls and other costs. “I’d never be able to own and operate an airplane on my own,” he said.
He appreciates the sense of community the club offers. “We control our planes,” he said. “I know how they’re maintained. I trust the people in the club.”
The club is the most affordable option available for people to fly, said Michael Hinchcliff, who is a member and instructor for the Sparrow Flying Club at Conway Municipal Airport.
“This club is the best opportunity out there,” he said. “You don’t have to invest in an airplane and its maintenance. You rent an airplane as you need it and when you need it.”
His club offers a groundschool class every Saturday that is free for members, because Hinchcliff said the club found that many student pilots needed the structure to help them pass the Federal Aviation Administration’s written knowledge test to become a licensed pilot. The agency requires students to pass a practical test as well before a license can be granted.
The club has a certified light sport aircraft, a Cessna 162, available for rent for people who want to obtain a sports pilot certificate. It has some restrictions that a basic private pilot certificate doesn’t have, but it is less expensive to obtain.
Hinchcliff appreciates the association’s initiative supporting flight clubs, which in addition to the developing the database, includes a series of online seminars that discuss the nuts and bolts of establishing and operating a flying club, including model bylaws to help guide people interested in flying clubs.
“We’re trying to make flying more affordable and more accessible to everyday people,” he said.
Arkansas, Pages 7 on 09/16/2013