Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the club located?
The hangar owned by Aero Fliers is located at the Akron Fulton Airport (KAKR) in Akron, Ohio. The Aero Fliers hangar is at the North end of the field, close to Summit Air.
How do I schedule an aircraft for use?
The club uses an on-line scheduling system, Flight Circle. As a member you are provided access which will allow you to schedule the aircraft at your convenience.
Are you able to take the aircraft for an extended trip?
As a member, the aircraft are available for you whether it is for a short practice flight, lessons, or an extended trip cross country for a long vacation.
How am I charged for the use of an aircraft?
Flying time is based on the Tachometer. Members are billed monthly for their dues and flying time. Payment is expected by the 15th of each month.
Do I pay for fuel?
No, the club rates are "wet rates", meaning the fuel cost is part of the hourly rate.
I need an instructor, what do I do?
The club has private contractor instructors available with the ability to provide training ranging for private pilots looking for currency or advanced ratings. We do not set the instructor's hourly rate, but they are currently charging about $35/hr.
I am a student pilot, can I still join?
Unfortunately, with the current insurance environment, we cannot have student pilots in the club.
Can I use instructors from outside the club?
No, for insurance reasons, the instructors must be affiliated with the club.
Do I need to carry insurance?
Your decision to carry supplemental flying insurance and how much is a personal one. As a member, your monthly dues provide you with coverage under the club's policy. Your insurance coverage with the club is not renter's insurance, it is owner’s insurance. As a member, you are part owner of all three aircraft.
The following is the condensed version of our membership rules and regulations. The in-depth version is in our documents section and will provide much more detail. Aero Fliers limits the number of active flying pilots to a maximum of 49 at one time to provide our members with good availability of aircraft.
Aero Fliers does not employee instructors, but the instructors are club members. They set their own hourly rates for instruction (roughly $35 per hour).
Buy-in at the gold level requires a prerequisite of silver level membership.
Initiation Fee, One-time access fees, and monthly dues are all plus tax.
In an effort to promote fuel efficient flying and to more closely align flight time with aircraft reserve accounts, flight time is calculated on Tach time, not Hobbs time. Block time is a reserve into which members will be able to deposit funds, initially $1000, and thereafter in increments of $500. This block time reserve can then be used to pay for any airtime on any of the Aero Fliers aircraft at a 10% discount.
1. Initiation Fee. All pilots must join at the 172 level. An applicant accepted for membership in the Club shall be deemed a member upon payment of an initial deposit of $1200. The fee will allow the member privileges to use the Cessna C-172. At the discretion of the Board, the initiation fee may be paid in monthly equal payments for a period not to exceed one year.
2. Performance and Complex Aircraft Fees. Members wanting to fly the Cessna C-182 and/or the Debonair C-33a must pay an additional one-time access fee of $400 for each aircraft. Buy-in to the 182 (silver level) is required to buy-in and fly the Debonair. Payment of the fee is to be made at the time the member has been approved by the CFI to operate the aircraft as PIC.
3. Monthly Dues. The monthly dues are set by the Board to cover expenses of the Club. The dues, along with aircraft rental, and assessments are due when invoiced and payable by the 15th day of such month.
TABLE 3-1 Monthly Dues
4. Hourly Usage Fees. Payment for use of the aircraft is based on the type of aircraft flown and the flight time calculated per Article VI, Section B, Item 3 in the Code of Regulations. The hourly charge for each type aircraft are provided in Table 4-1.
Block Time. Block time is a reserve into which members will be able to deposit funds, initially $1000, and thereafter in increments of $500. This block time reserve can then be used to pay for any airtime on any of the Aero Fliers planes at a 10% discount.
TABLE 4-1 Aircraft Per Tach Hour without block time Per Tach Hour with block time
5. Fuel Surcharge. During times of rapidly rising cost or increasing price volatility of aviation fuel the Board may elect to assess a fuel charge until such time the new cost of fuel can be incorporated into the hourly usage fee. The fuel surcharge will be based on a base price and an hourly consumption per Table 5-1.
TABLE 5-1
Category | Entry share | Monthly dues | Plane Privileges | Membership privileges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bronze | $1,200 | $65 | Skyhawk | Full membership privileges incl. liquidation rights.
Schedule Skyhawk
Schedule Skylane for training/checkout only |
Silver | $1,600 | $81 | Skyhawk Skylane | Full membership privileges incl. liquidation rights.
Schedule Skyhawk, Skylane
Schedule Debonair for training/checkout only |
Gold | $2,000 | $97 | Skyhawk
Skylane
Debonair | Full membership privileges incl. liquidation rights. Schedule Skyhawk, Skylane, Debonair |
Aircraft | Rate with block time | Rate without block time |
|---|---|---|
Simulator | $40 | $45 |
Beechcraft Debonair (C-33A) | $205 | $228 |
Cessna Skylane (C-182) | $190 | $211 |
Cessna Skyhawk (C-172) | $150 | $167 |
Aircraft | Gallons per hour |
|---|---|
Beechcraft Debonair (C-33A) | 15 |
Cessna Skylane (C-182) | 12 |
Cessna Skyhawk (C-172) | 8 |