From here
I use the word “club” as either (a) a club, or (b) as a school which has facilities for people to hang around and socialise. These two are really identical unless one gets into stuff like tax concessions, funding, cross-subsidies from newcomers to existing members, etc, which are not relevant here.
The environment in a club is really rather sterile. People are exposed to very little new stuff. Many clubs are dominated by a large-personality chief instructor or president who decides what is OK for members (who are mostly renters) to do and what isn’t. I recall the incredibly sterile and patronising environment at the places I used to hang out…
So, on the one hand, clubs provide a good means for new people to get into GA. For those who like a good social scene, they can provide that. And many people simply would not participate in GA at all without this aspect. On the other hand they hold people back to doing simple local burger runs, which causes people to get fed up with flying because they are not getting much of a return on the €200 burger runs.
Something to think about?
Peter wrote:
Something to think about?
I think this is very country specific. In German society the club is called “Verein” and is deeply integrated in society. So much that our post war constitution deals with it in article 9 already (of 146). It is usually non-profit and tax-exempt, the board is elected every 2 to 4 years (typically). But like anywhere in human society, egoism and “what-do-I-care”ism are omnipresent there as well. If such a club has 100 members then there will be 10 (at best) who actively work for the club, 30 to 50 who never show up but still pay their membership (possibly without really knowing so they are better left alone), and the remaining 30 who try to get all the benefits without investing a single minute of their spare time but constantly criticize (publicly of course!) the board for their “wrong and stupid” decisions. But they never volunteer to join the board when the next election is due… How do I know? Been active in the board of two such clubs for 2 decades. Not aviation related though.
Peter wrote:
On the other hand they hold people back
They do? As in Germany apparently, all aeroclubs in Norway under NLF are deeply integrated in society (I don’t know any club that’s not under NLF). The same “laws” apply for us, as apply for any other sporting club, if it’s a football team or a dart club. Non-profit, tax-exempt, democratic. based on voluntary work. NLF has as it’s main goal to develop air sport activity regarding content and volume. In short, the goal is to fly as much as possible, and also participate in sporting events. It may sound strange that a club with 2-3 Cessnas for instance is a sporting club, but that is the way it is. A club is no rental company, and it’s no “syndicate” (even though lots of members, most? act as if it was one or the other. In practice it’s kind of a mix of course).
There is no conflict between being a member of a club and owning your own plane. Almost every aircraft owner are also member of at least one club, mostly for social reasons, but also because NLF has a great deal of political power. I am a member of 3 clubs + EAA.
As good as all PPL instructing is done at clubs nowadays. It didn’t use to be that way, but with declining GA the last 20-30 years (and “thanks” to EASA), only the club schools survive.
Clubs do many things, but holding people back is definitely not one of them. It’s quite the opposite. Nevertheless, if you want to use 2 months each summer cris-crossing Europe in search for the ultimate fish meal, then this cannot usually be done with one of the club’s planes. You better get your own 
On the other hand, some competition event is usually accommodated, if the club has suitable aircraft.
Another thing, that has nothing to do with clubs, but more the slightly stubborn and odd mentality of private pilots, is that clubs every now and then split up in two or more for no good reason, just bickering. After a short while, the “lesser” faction usually dies, or new people enters, and they merge again. I guess some people just don’t fit being in a club, an incompatible combination
The “holding you back” may apply to your touring nowadays Peter. A club with a limited fleet may not be able to accomodate a pilot wishing to take a plane on a week long trip because other members require the plane for burger runs to keep them current.
@Patrick may be able to add how the German club “Rietberger” have solved the conumdrum: they have several capable aircraft at attractive rates, have availability and allow you to go touring.
Regarding the “strong characters” that I admittedly am incompatible with so I avoid clubs you have to see that without strong and stable leadership you have neglect and indifference. Airplane management and maintenance require tough rules especially in the face of the “will I be able to fly my 12 hours in 24 months”-members.
The “holding you back” may apply to your touring nowadays Peter.
Infinitely more importantly, it applies to a thousand others, who get huge value out of GA and going to places and meeting up with others, and almost none of these pilots will be found sitting at an aeroclub.
Clearly there are exceptions but I think there is a strong correlation between the type of (mostly very local) flying and aeroclub membership. Whether this stimulates GA in the long term is something I wonder about. Obviously it is controversial
Peter wrote:
I use the word “club” as either (a) a club, or (b) as a school which has facilities for people to hang around and socialise. These two are really identical unless one gets into stuff like tax concessions, funding, cross-subsidies from newcomers to existing members, etc, which are not relevant here.A very important difference (well, maybe not in the UK — I wouldn’t know) is ownership and management. In many countries, “clubs” are nonprofit democratic organisations where every member has a vote, while “schools” are commercial entities owned by someone who has complete control.
The environment in a club is really rather sterile. People are exposed to very little new stuff. Many clubs are dominated by a large-personality chief instructor or president who decides what is OK for members (who are mostly renters) to do and what isn’t. I recall the incredibly sterile and patronising environment at the places I used to hang out…
Again, from 3-4 years of reading EuroGA, that seems to be a specifically UK situation.
Peter wrote:
Clearly there are exceptions but I think there is a strong correlation between the type of (mostly very local) flying and aeroclub membership.
If believe this has nothing to do with the club membership as such but with the economic situation of the individual. The major advantage of a club and indeed the rationale for the very existence of most clubs is the sharing of fixed costs. If you can afford to tour Europe as you do by renting an aircraft, then you would also afford owning the aircraft.
from 3-4 years of reading EuroGA, that seems to be a specifically UK situation.
Actually there are very few aeroclubs in the UK. Most UK pilots that “go places” at all are working on their own.
If believe this has nothing to do with the club membership as such but with the economic situation of the individual. The major advantage of a club and indeed the rationale for the very existence of most clubs is the sharing of fixed costs
Indeed, but I wonder if there are people sitting in aeroclubs who don’t know about the world outside, but could.
Peter wrote:
Indeed, but I wonder if there are people sitting in aeroclubs who don’t know about the world outside, but could.
Well. I don’t know… We tried to arrange a club trip to AERO Friedrichshafen this year with three aircraft. It was specifically announced as a way to spread your wings wider together with more experienced pilots and at the same time going to an interesting destination. Six members (out of about 100) were initially interested but in the end only two went for the trip. (And I was one…)
I’m not giving up on this, though…
but what is the alternative?
They enable pilots to fly, whereas the alternatives are to buy or join a group, both of which present other challenges.
Could clubs be more proactive – well yes, of course, and that is perhaps the more relevant aspect of the debate. Some organise fly outs and trips afar with more experienced pilots as needed. I think the French clubs are especially good at this. Unfortunately long trips with much aircraft “down time” are never going to be popular becasue the aircraft is not earning its keep, and this is especially true of clubs that mix training with self fly hire.
