Lewistown Flying Club
We are reastablishing the Lewistown Flying Club which originally operated from 1960-1989. We are a 501(c)7 collegic member-only social organization providing members with affordable access to aircraft.
Leader
Tanner Collins
Location
1601 D Street Lewistown, MT 59457
About the project
We are reestablishing the Lewistown Flying Club which operated successfully from 1960-1982. We are a non-profit member-only social organization that provides members with affordable access to aircraft in an atmosphere of shared community. Our goal is to promote general aviation in the hopes that we inspire the next generation of aviation enthusiasts.
Starting a flying club without an airplane has been difficult to say the least, but we have made arrangements to lease an aircraft exclusively for club use. In order to get the aircraft here, we need to guarantee 1 year of lease payments, hangar, and insurance. Most of the people interested in joining are aspiring aviators that have not yet earned their pilot's license. To encourage membership, we plan to hire a flight instructor to teach a free ground school for members. Members will be able to hire their own instructors and train in the club aircraft.
Our goal is to make this opportunity as affordable as possible, so we are hoping to fundraise in order to offset some of the initial expenses and to offer a free ground school to encourage membership. The more members we have paying dues, the more affordable the opportunity becomes. Your donations will be applied to the initial startup costs, lease guarantees, and to make arrangements to offer the free ground school. This will enable the club to cashflow by charging members a one time $2,500 buy in and monthly dues of $100/month to cover the fixed operating costs. Members will also pay approximately $75/hour while using the aircraft. The hourly usage charge will be based on tach hours, which are the actual hours run on the engine. This hourly charge also includes fuel, oil, and maintenance reserves paid to the aircraft owner. Annual inspections, engine overhauls, and related maintenance will be provided by the aircraft owner as per the lease agreement. This will reduce the risk of large maintenance expenditures from cutting into the club's operating budget.
The Steps
02/02/2021-Ground School Starts
04/06/2021-Ground School Finishes
05/01/2021-Negotiate a purchase or lease agreement for an aircraft.
Why we‘re doing it
The biggest benefit of belonging to a flying club is that it’s less expensive than owning an aircraft, according to an AOPA report on the subject. But other benefits include having access to good flight instructors and offering an affordable option to getting a private pilot certificate.