Q - How a Flying Club Works for an Owner

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Shane C

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Pielut
Ello ello!

I was wondering how a flying club works for an owner of an aircraft. If I purchase an aircraft and start a flying club, do those members "own" a portion of the aircraft like they would in a co ownership? Do I have to add them to the registration, or am I basically renting the aircraft to the members?

I'm trying to figure out what route to go when I make my purchase. I don't like the idea of giving up rights to my plane, but I definitely understand the benefits to co ownership.
 
I hear you say: "I want others to help pay for my plane, but I don't want to give up my full ownership rights"

Good luck with that mindset.

Maybe you should rent it out instead.

Otherwise, it's time to consider registering the airplane out of your name to an LLC or similar structure. Invite these people to be members of the LLC.

But always remind them: "I'm the boss. You're really nothing." It'll go far with the idea of putting them in their place.
 
on a less-glib note:

In the 1990s I rented a privately-owned Beech Skipper. The owner didn't make me part of a flying club. It was just that I was approved to fly his plane when I wanted. I had a key provided to me after his checkout. I didn't front any cash for my ability to rent the plane.

He had a small lockbox in the back of the plane, and I slipped a check in it along with a slip of paper, on which I calculated the cost. (pre-21st-century).

I never was made to feel as if I was a part-owner, or had a voice in the plane's management. But as I was only a renter, it was appropriate.

I honestly think this is was you're shooting for. Take out the "club" portion of your equation, don't expect up-front-money, and give this a try.
 
In a typical club setup, the owner would allocate shares to willing partners, thus reducing total ownership rights, but also reducing overhead costs. If you go this route, I’d put the aircraft into an LLC.

The only way to not give away ownership rights would be to rent the airplane out, as Rusty said, but that of course takes into consideration of other things.
 
I rent out my plane to two other pilots (e.g. "non-equity partnership" as it's sometimes called). They are both named pilots on the insurance, and they were checked out by a CFI in my plane. They each pay 1/3 of fixed costs and 1/3 of "typical" annual maintenance. However, I do not ask them to pay into the engine reserve fund- since I'm likely to leave the area in a few years it didn't seem fair to ask them to pay into something they'd never see benefit from.

It's worked out well. I still have complete ownership and final decision on maintenance but I get the benefits of some cost reduction, having the plane fly frequently, and having another two sets of eyes to find squawks.
 
Wow, well that's quite the opinion lol. That's not my mindset at all. I have just been screwed over so many times that I don't trust people. I don't want to get screwed over somehow by giving other people ownership rights to something I spent a lot of money on. I'm not sure how you could take that in such a negative context. Wouldn't you want to protect your asset?

I'm just trying to learn and come up with a creative solution to ownership of an aircraft that will help me save money. Don't people already do this? Lol Thank you for your input, but I'm seeking information, not your opinion on my personal endeavors with my personal property.

Rgbeard said:
I hear you say: "I want others to help pay for my plane, but I don't want to give up my full ownership rights"

Good luck with that mindset.

Maybe you should rent it out instead.

Otherwise, it's time to consider registering the airplane out of your name to an LLC or similar structure. Invite these people to be members of the LLC.

But always remind them: "I'm the boss. You're really nothing." It'll go far with the idea of putting them in their place.
Click to expand...
 
Shane C said:
Wow, well that's quite the opinion lol. That's not my mindset at all. I have just been screwed over so many times that I don't trust people. I don't want to get screwed over somehow by giving other people ownership rights to something I spent a lot of money on. I'm not sure how you could take that in such a negative context. Wouldn't you want to protect your asset?

I'm just trying to learn and come up with a creative solution to ownership of an aircraft that will help me save money. Don't people already do this? Lol Thank you for your input, but I'm seeking information, not your opinion on my personal endeavors with my personal property.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the Internet. You can't always get what you want. (philosopher Jagger)
 
AlleyCat67 said:
I rent out my plane to two other pilots (e.g. "non-equity partnership" as it's sometimes called). They are both named pilots on the insurance, and they were checked out by a CFI in my plane. They each pay 1/3 of fixed costs and 1/3 of "typical" annual maintenance. However, I do not ask them to pay into the engine reserve fund- since I'm likely to leave the area in a few years it didn't seem fair to ask them to pay into something they'd never see benefit from.

It's worked out well. I still have complete ownership and final decision on maintenance but I get the benefits of some cost reduction, having the plane fly frequently, and having another two sets of eyes to find squawks.
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That seems like a great route. I'd like this to be fair to the people involved, but protect myself as well. Are there any details I should know to help set this up in the best way possible?
 
AOPA has boilerplate partnership agreements that are a good place to start.
 
I had my 182-RG in a flying club for a few years with about a dozen other planes. Members were just able to rent the plane. They had zero ownership. It worked out very well. But it all depends on the club. Lots of potential for variation there.
 
Shane C said:
I was wondering how a flying club works for an owner of an aircraft.
Click to expand...
Some "clubs" are aircraft rental operations open to purd near anyone. Some are a handful of people with shared ownership. Some have dues, some are just by the hour, some are a mix. Some clubs have instructors, some do not. Some require that new members go through some sort of approval process some do not. They work pretty much every way one can imagine them working.
Also, with ownership comes liability.
 
Shane, what kind of "flying club" are you talking about? I ask because I've seen the term applied to very different setups. I've seen a commercial flight school/rental operation referred to as a "club." I've seen small aircraft co-ownership referred to as a "club." I've seen sole ownership with the owner renting the airplane to a few friends or acquaintances referred to as a "club." Heck, I've even seen non-profit social social organizations with full IRS 501(c)(7) "social club" status referred to as "clubs" (imagine that!!!).
 
Shane C said:
That seems like a great route. I'd like this to be fair to the people involved, but protect myself as well. Are there any details I should know to help set this up in the best way possible?
Click to expand...

The big question is whether to set up an LLC to own the plane, or just to own it in your name. The LLC does offer some liability protection in case your renter kills someone or crashes into someone's house, although I understand a good lawyer might poke holes in that protection. The downside of an LLC is more paperwork, and separate tax filing, fees, etc. I personally don't use an LLC.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Shane, what kind of "flying club" are you talking about? I ask because I've seen the term applied to very different setups. I've seen a commercial flight school/rental operation referred to as a "club." I've seen small aircraft co-ownership referred to as a "club." I've seen sole ownership with the owner renting the airplane to a few friends or acquaintances referred to as a "club." Heck, I've even seen non-profit social social organizations with full IRS 501(c)(7) "social club" status referred to as "clubs" (imagine that!!!).
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Ha! Thats funny.

Well I'm a pretty simple person, so I like to keep things simple. I basically want to give people the ability to fly for less than the cost of renting, while helping me cover the costs of ownership. I would keep it small, maybe 3 or 4 people so I can cover the fixed costs like insurance, hangar, etc. I also don't want the plane to sit all that much, and I'll only be flying it maybe twice a month. So there's that.

My original intention was to partner with an A&P, not charge them any sort of upfront fee, but to have them work on the plane for free (I'd also help with the labor of course), while we split the cost of the parts. I would then give them the right to fly anytime they wanted, outside of the times I'm flying it of course. I thought that could be a pretty sweet deal for someone. Especially considering I wouldn't be flying all that much.

I was just gonna ask them to maybe chip in monthly for the cost of the hangar and insurance.
 
@Shane C should consider putting the plane on a leaseback. It's no worse of an idea than pseudo clubbing.
 
Ravioli said:
@Shane C should consider putting the plane on a leaseback. It's no worse of an idea than pseudo clubbing.
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Thought about that, but thats a lot more use of the plane from very new pilots that will probably beat the crap out of it lol.

I mean, I respected the aircraft during my training, but not everyone has the same respect or mentality.

Although, one other positive is the possibility of making some money doing this - according to my local flight schools anyway... who knows if that's a reality though. Especially with this silly Covid stuff...
 
Shane C said:
Although, one other positive is the possibility of making some money doing this. According to my local flight schools anyway...
Click to expand...

Do search and you'll find a few threads about people's experiences with lease backs.
 
Shane C said:
Thought about that, but thats a lot more use of the plane from very new pilots that will probably beat the crap out of it lol.

I mean, I respected the aircraft during my training, but not everyone has the same respect or mentality.

Although, one other positive is the possibility of making some money doing this - according to my local flight schools anyway... who knows if that's a reality though. Especially with this silly Covid stuff...
Click to expand...

I have a few years experience with leaseback now. Generally, don't worry about the students. Worry about the CFI. The students will echo and mirror the treatment that the CFI exhibit. I've had good luck so far. It's been with two organizations, one of which was primarily marketed as a school (Trade Winds Aviation) and was for profit, and the other (West Valley Flying Club) is a non-profit club without ownership stakes. In both cases, the professionalism of the experienced CFI at the club and the conservative nature of the insurance leads to excellent outcomes from the students. The plane's had about 1000 hours put on it this way. I've had two relatively minor incidents in that entire time that stemmed from carelessness of a renter and only one was a solo student. Both times, it was corrected completely on the renters' dime. In other words, know the CFI and standards they bring, and you'll know how your plane will be treated.

Students do stupid stuff but so does everyone else, myself and yourself included. I've found no downside to the students flying the plane. Of course, I have a 172, which will happily absorb bounced landings, ham-handed flying, and casualness about limits. Not every aircraft design will tolerate that, so consider what you're purchasing, too. A 172 or Archer? Great, rent away! Mooney or a Bo? They suffer fools with considerably less patience. Do, of course, budget for tires. They're the only thing I noticed go quicker with students (no surprise, far more landings per hour). Everything else seems right on track.

Oh, one other hint: make sure the insurance is written up such that, during dual, the CFI and the student are both on the hook. The student may be willing to blow off damage (but probably not), but a CFI, who's flying all day long, can't afford to be banging up airplanes regularly if they have to pick up a deductible each time.
 
arnoha said:
I have a few years experience with leaseback now. Generally, don't worry about the students. Worry about the CFI. The students will echo and mirror the treatment that the CFI exhibit. I've had good luck so far. It's been with two organizations, one of which was primarily marketed as a school (Trade Winds Aviation) and was for profit, and the other (West Valley Flying Club) is a non-profit club without ownership stakes. In both cases, the professionalism of the experienced CFI at the club and the conservative nature of the insurance leads to excellent outcomes from the students. The plane's had about 1000 hours put on it this way. I've had two relatively minor incidents in that entire time that stemmed from carelessness of a renter and only one was a solo student. Both times, it was corrected completely on the renters' dime. In other words, know the CFI and standards they bring, and you'll know how your plane will be treated.

Students do stupid stuff but so does everyone else, myself and yourself included. I've found no downside to the students flying the plane. Of course, I have a 172, which will happily absorb bounced landings, ham-handed flying, and casualness about limits. Not every aircraft design will tolerate that, so consider what you're purchasing, too. A 172 or Archer? Great, rent away! Mooney or a Bo? They suffer fools with considerably less patience. Do, of course, budget for tires. They're the only thing I noticed go quicker with students (no surprise, far more landings per hour). Everything else seems right on track.

Oh, one other hint: make sure the insurance is written up such that, during dual, the CFI and the student are both on the hook. The student may be willing to blow off damage (but probably not), but a CFI, who's flying all day long, can't afford to be banging up airplanes regularly if they have to pick up a deductible each time.
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This is awesome insight and advice, thank you!

Has this method afforded you the needed income to cover expenses for repairs and maintenence? Or possibly even a profit?

I'm looking for a Piper, so.. it'll probably be rented a bunch.
 
One thing you need to factor in is that if all the pilots don't meet the open pilot warranty requirements, you'll need to add them to your insurance policy. And if you receive any money for use of the plane, you'll need a rental policy (And there goes a whole lotta money).
 
Shane C said:
Ha! Thats funny.

Well I'm a pretty simple person, so I like to keep things simple. I basically want to give people the ability to fly for less than the cost of renting, while helping me cover the costs of ownership. I would keep it small, maybe 3 or 4 people so I can cover the fixed costs like insurance, hangar, etc. I also don't want the plane to sit all that much, and I'll only be flying it maybe twice a month. So there's that.

My original intention was to partner with an A&P, not charge them any sort of upfront fee, but to have them work on the plane for free (I'd also help with the labor of course), while we split the cost of the parts. I would then give them the right to fly anytime they wanted, outside of the times I'm flying it of course. I thought that could be a pretty sweet deal for someone. Especially considering I wouldn't be flying all that much.

I was just gonna ask them to maybe chip in monthly for the cost of the hangar and insurance.
Click to expand...
That's you owning and operating but allowing renters. If you check with your insurer you many find you can do a small number of those without having to move to a " club" policy. I have been in a few of those relationships.

How to set it up to provide you the maximum protection is another story.
 
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Howdy neighbor. :)

As one who has run a flight school, a flying club, and owned a bevy of aircraft, I'm always surprised when pilots scheme to "save money over renting". It's like a mandatory train of thought at somewhere in the 200-400 hours flight time mark. There is just not that much fat on the steak. Flying is THAT expensive, for everyone. Our very busy LA flight school's margins were in the 4% gross range. I actually expect PDX area schools to be doing slightly worse. Also I've been shocked at what total cheapasses the area pilots here are, vs SoCal.

So using our local rates, that $160/hr Skyhawk is making their owners a juicy six bucks. Which they can bank against future wear and tear.

An owner doing a non-equity club is beating the FBOs because they can use personal aircraft insurance instead of commercial insurance. For a 172, that usually means $1500/yr instead of $5500/yr. You will pay more for fuel (flight schools either own the tanks or work a deal with whoever does), maintenance (flight schools either have staff mechanics, or work a deal), supplies (you won't get the supplier discounts), and darn near everything else. There is a very narrow and precise window of opportunity for you to save money vs renting, and I'd say it's in the "3 to 5 dudes sharing a plane" range, OR, it's in the ability to share a plane that is not found on rental lines, even at higher cost than rentals.


Getting 3 to 5 pilots to agree on anything is worse than herding cats. It happens, and when it does, it's amazing, but it's a lot of trial to get to that point.


Separately, the "maybe an A&P wants to swap time" offer is funny. A&Ps are awash in those offers. It's like offering an IT guy time on your junky laptop if he'd just rid it of the malware you infected it with. :)
 
donjohnston said:
One thing you need to factor in is that if all the pilots don't meet the open pilot warranty requirements, you'll need to add them to your insurance policy. And if you receive any money for use of the plane, you'll need a rental policy (And there goes a whole lotta money).
Click to expand...
Would a club membership fee count as
schmookeeg said:
Howdy neighbor. :)

As one who has run a flight school, a flying club, and owned a bevy of aircraft, I'm always surprised when pilots scheme to "save money over renting". It's like a mandatory train of thought at somewhere in the 200-400 hours flight time mark. There is just not that much fat on the steak. Flying is THAT expensive, for everyone. Our very busy LA flight school's margins were in the 4% gross range. I actually expect PDX area schools to be doing slightly worse. Also I've been shocked at what total cheapasses the area pilots here are, vs SoCal.

So using our local rates, that $160/hr Skyhawk is making their owners a juicy six bucks. Which they can bank against future wear and tear.

An owner doing a non-equity club is beating the FBOs because they can use personal aircraft insurance instead of commercial insurance. For a 172, that usually means $1500/yr instead of $5500/yr. You will pay more for fuel (flight schools either own the tanks or work a deal with whoever does), maintenance (flight schools either have staff mechanics, or work a deal), supplies (you won't get the supplier discounts), and darn near everything else. There is a very narrow and precise window of opportunity for you to save money vs renting, and I'd say it's in the "3 to 5 dudes sharing a plane" range, OR, it's in the ability to share a plane that is not found on rental lines, even at higher cost than rentals.


Getting 3 to 5 pilots to agree on anything is worse than herding cats. It happens, and when it does, it's amazing, but it's a lot of trial to get to that point.


Separately, the "maybe an A&P wants to swap time" offer is funny. A&Ps are awash in those offers. It's like offering an IT guy time on your junky laptop if he'd just rid it of the malware you infected it with. :)
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Hey now... my piper won't be THAT junky! Lol...
Plus, what if there's an A&P our there that isn't a pilot yet, that wants to become one? This would be a sweet deal for them! Me thinks...
 
Shane C said:
Hey now... my piper won't be THAT junky! Lol...
Plus, what if there's an A&P our there that isn't a pilot yet, that wants to become one? This would be a sweet deal for them! Me thinks...
Click to expand...

Every owner on the field with more interesting aircraft has the same idea, and s number of them are CFIs who can sweeten the pot with free or discounted instruction. Good luck.

As an aside to that, neither the really good mechanics nor instructors will do “free”. It’s kinda silly, lowers the value of the work, and such... so they just pay each other.

What is way more common is the older pilot/mechanic or CFIs having a long list of owners who’ll let them fly their airplanes. But they’ll usually gravitate toward the fun stuff that they’ve helped meticulously maintain in the case of mechanics, or just the fun stuff they know is meticulously maintained in the case of instructors.

A run of the mill training aircraft, no love unless either one has a kid they want to teach to fly. Then you have an “in” maybe. But you said students are a concern.

I was involved in a non-profit flight club once that had three aircraft. Two of which had arbitrary minimum hour limits that precluded using them for primary instruction. Nothing stopping you from doing that, but it meant those airplanes rented out roughly 1/3 the number of hours the 172 did. One was a 172RG, the other was a Mooney.

I had plenty of hours so I enjoyed the almost empty schedule of both, regularly. Took both on long multi-state XCs too. Even had the RG break on me in KS, and the owner simply took care of it. I got him in touch with the only maintenance on the field and he dealt with the entire thing while I did a week worth of business.

If you don’t want that particular headache, don’t rent it out. It’ll assuredly happen. That club had to go “rescue” aircraft that had to sit while the renter drove a rental car home to make a schedule about once a year.
 
Shane C said:
Would a club membership fee count as
Click to expand...

I don't know. Read your policy. This is similar to private pilots who try to come up with ways to get paid for flying. There are some things you can do but most you can't.

Generally, if you receive money from someone so they can fly your plane, then you will need an insurance policy that covers renting. If you don't, and there's an accident, you could find yourself in a very bad place.
 
Shane C said:
Would a club membership fee count as
Click to expand...
Depends on your policy. There are insurers which will allow rentals to a small number of people before kicking in higher club rates.

Important to understand about aircraft insurance. It is not the same as your car policy. There are some rules, but itvis not governed by state laws in the same way, which mandate certain coverages and lead to a lot of uniformity in policies by different companies. Aircraft insurance, even for an individual owner, is more similar to commercial liability insurance where terms from policy to policy can be different. Just because my policy says A, it doesn't mean yours does.
 
If you have buddies going in with you a flying club is a darn good idea. If you're buying airplane on the contingency of attracting partners, well, good luck with that.
 
The only club I've ever been able to find that was a real enough potential for me to look, was a single plane. I think the story was two guys fronted the money to buy the plane...it was a loan to the club. The club owned it, and the club was paying them back. They had a handful of members and were looking for I think it was a dozen.

All these years of renting has exposed me to many lease backs at flight schools. Seems to me to be purely an investment operation, because I see no huge advantage in that kind of ownership...
because for me anyway, my vision of ownership advantages include
  • known condition - I wouldn't have to wonder if the last pilot pranged the landing, because I would know if that happened ;)
  • availability - can fly whenever the mood strikes, don't have to worry about not going on that spur of the moment overnight weekend trip because somebody has it booked for 2 hours Saturday afternoon.
  • my stuff - I can leave my stuff in it, set up the way I want it
I suppose leasing back to a club with a small number membership might not be so bad in these regards as leasing to an open flight school,
and does open up a few advantages
but still....

In my thinking, buying a plane for use as a club or for lease back can only make sense if it's looked at as purely investment and not as your personal plane. You'd have to look at it as if you are merely a club member or renter...otherwise it seems to me that it could drive a person nuts
 
I bought an airplane and owned it solo for a couple of years. I decided later to take on a co-owner. I formed an LLC with a very clear operating agreement, the LLC owns the airplane, and we both owned 50% of the LLC. Worked great. Fast forward a year, and we decided to let a third guy buy in. Now we have an LLC with an airplane and three members. We split the fixed costs -- hangar, insurance -- and the cost of repairs and upgrades, etc. We each pay in a fixed hourly wet rate ($33/hr) to cover fuel, expendables, and engine reserve. Our insurance is fairly low; $144/year with three pilots, one of whom is brand new. Both of the other two took their check rides in the plane, so I'm probably the only one with more than 100 hours in the RV-12.

It's worked out well for us because we made sure our personalities, attitudes, usage, and expectations were compatible. That's important. Would I do it again? Sure, why not? Two of us are thinking about another plane already. Three guys and one plane works well... three of four guys with two planes would be even better. You do need to get used to the idea of it not being "your" airplane any more, though. And do check with your insurer. We can go up to four people on the policy. Anythign over that and it's a "club" rate, which is much higher. How much? I didn't ask.
 
Shane C said:
... If I purchase an aircraft and start a flying club ...
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Better check your state laws. That particular situation does not qualify as a flying club in our state, which has a number of regulations that are favorable to clubs. For example, a club doesn't have to pay sales tax on an airplane purchase; the club is considered to be a lessor and the tax is charged on the hourly rate sans fuel.
 
schmookeeg said:
There is a very narrow and precise window of opportunity for you to save money vs renting,
Click to expand...

While that's probably true, the OP is looking to save money compared to sole ownership. There are all sorts of ways to structure things to accomplish this. The real key, which hasn't been mentioned, is to find "partners", "renters", whatever, who are responsible, financially capable, and compatible.
 
My first plane ownership was a partnership between a friend and I. We bought a 172 and split the restoration and everything 50/50. Both our names were on the registration. After a few years we decided to bring another few people in and we had two other guys we knew that were interested. So we appraised the plane value at that point and split off two more shares. So everyone owned 25%, which was done through an LLC. This worked out great for several reasons; 1) We all knew each other prior and all got along, 2) Didn't over complicate things, schedule via text, and just split everything 4 ways, 3) No nickle and dime nonsense, everyone was fine cutting checks for maintenance, repairs, whatever.

Was it cheaper than renting? For me yes because I flew the most... for others like one of my buddies, no because he hardly ever flew. But again to point 3 above he didn't mind cause the plane was there for him in full working order when he wanted to fly.
 
schmookeeg said:
Howdy neighbor. :)

As one who has run a flight school, a flying club, and owned a bevy of aircraft, I'm always surprised when pilots scheme to "save money over renting". It's like a mandatory train of thought at somewhere in the 200-400 hours flight time mark. There is just not that much fat on the steak. Flying is THAT expensive, for everyone. Our very busy LA flight school's margins were in the 4% gross range. I actually expect PDX area schools to be doing slightly worse. Also I've been shocked at what total cheapasses the area pilots here are, vs SoCal.

So using our local rates, that $160/hr Skyhawk is making their owners a juicy six bucks. Which they can bank against future wear and tear.

An owner doing a non-equity club is beating the FBOs because they can use personal aircraft insurance instead of commercial insurance. For a 172, that usually means $1500/yr instead of $5500/yr. You will pay more for fuel (flight schools either own the tanks or work a deal with whoever does), maintenance (flight schools either have staff mechanics, or work a deal), supplies (you won't get the supplier discounts), and darn near everything else. There is a very narrow and precise window of opportunity for you to save money vs renting, and I'd say it's in the "3 to 5 dudes sharing a plane" range, OR, it's in the ability to share a plane that is not found on rental lines, even at higher cost than rentals.

Getting 3 to 5 pilots to agree on anything is worse than herding cats. It happens, and when it does, it's amazing, but it's a lot of trial to get to that point.

Separately, the "maybe an A&P wants to swap time" offer is funny. A&Ps are awash in those offers. It's like offering an IT guy time on your junky laptop if he'd just rid it of the malware you infected it with. :)
Click to expand...

This. This is all true. I should have been clearer in my post. Here's some things to note, @Shane C :
  • You will not make money.
  • It will likely be a less expensive than owning outright, but it will be more expensive than renting.
  • It has a risk of being far more expensive. First years are generally the worst, with mine lighting over $30K net on fire. If you don't have the ability to absorb that, owning is not for you.
  • Those numbers on insurance? Dead on. I pay about $6000/year in commercial insurance to cover a $164K hull. And that's an excellent rate.
  • If you rent to friends or own with friends, particularly more than one, you risk friendships. Nothing about planes here; money divides people.
  • You will need to treat the plane just like any other renter. Your stuff comes out when you're done, you follow all the same rules.
  • This includes scheduling. Nothing annoys people more than being superseded because the owner can't plan ahead. This is an advantage to being with a larger club, as when you can't get your plane, you can rent another.
All that said, I stick with the club because it keeps my plane flying. A flying plane is a safer plane. Someone else, for whom it's their full-time job, is ensuring my plane is kept to top standard. Basically for free, from my perspective. Could I do it better myself? If that's all I were doing, maybe. But it's not. The reality is that I would not afford the time to the plane it needs to be 100%. If you're honest with yourself, that's probably is the same for you.

Though I do have one pet peeve. Such a minor thing. The renters keep wiping out my Bluetooth pairing to my Garmin stack! It holds plenty of pairings, why do they keep wiping mine?! Ok, rant over...

EDIT: Interesting, I was censored over a word that shows up on daytime TV without issue. Oh well, text adjusted.
 
Your objective is understandable. You want the benefits of ownership while finding ways to get others to help pay for it.

IMHO you just can't get away fro the math - aka "there's no such thing as a free lunch", or "you can't have your cake and eat it too". (folksy saying which while I understand the meaning, have no idea where it came from).

Cheapest option is renting because the more the plane flies, the more the fixed costs are spread and the cost per hour is less, even when considering any profit going to the club/owner.

The more you want the plane to be your's - flying it whenever you want, full authority on all decisions, etc. - the less it would be available, will cost more per hour to a "partner" and you're getting back to the full costs of owning the plane. You want to offer less availability and value than rentals for more money.

Suggestion - approach this problem not from the perspective of what you want, but what a pilot at your airport would want. You'll get closer to a solution that way.
 
I realized I hadn't updated it in a while, so I brought my squawks page up to current.

https://n194sp.wordpress.com/n194sp/squawks/

Read that if you want a sense of what breaks and what needs fixing as an owner. Admittedly, this is a compressed timeframe, as my plane flies 400+ hours every year, so don't freak out too much. And prices are a little high, being in the SF Bay Area, but not that much higher. Yes, some of the prices and costs are surprising.
 
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