Taking up from the other thread about operating costs…
What would people suggest one should look for?
Syndicate partner? Just ask yourself if you would marry them ;)
A good comparison, I think: both a broken heart and a broken plane can be survived, but crashing the plane or the marriage can leave one bust.
Look for people who won’t fly much, but, if on a permit, are good at maintenance. You don’t have to be close friends. You must all be reasonable. I’ve been in the Group for over 25 years. I flew 70% of the hours in 2014. It helps if people have different work patterns. Our group has had various employments and backgrounds in it over the years.
(Avoid having a drug smuggler as a member)
The ideal syndicate partner is of course someone who keeps paying the bills but never flying. Of course, on top of that, they need to be happy to pay for others’ flying!
Joking aside, the most reliable arrangement is likely to be where the flying activities of all syndicate members are aligned. Similar type of “mission” (though I dislike the term), similar number of hours per year, similar flying budget, etc. I used to belong to a group that operated an IFR-legal aircraft, but most of the members were VFR only. Of course, when things malfunctioned it pretty soon became not-IFR-legal as no one would vote to fix things they didn’t use. Not a fault of the group, but I was not sufficiently aligned with the other members, so I moved on.
Above all, syndicate members must be reasonable. Any syndicate will involve compromise to some degree or other, and members who aren’t prepared to do so will inevitably upset the apple cart.
If you get on socially with the other members, that’s a bonus but probably an essential for a really successful group. Apart from the obvious benefits, it means that availability can be increased because trips are shared. And of course it means any differences are less likely to fester and develop.
Regular meetings are also important, just to ensure that issues get aired and everyone understands what is happening in terms of maintenance and budget.
Finally, someone retired is a great benefit as they have more time to do the daytime stuff like finding suppliers for parts etc.
Great question Peter.
I would be looking for complementarity ( not the quantum mechanics kind 
) .
A good example is say you fly mostly during the week for business and the partner flies almost exclusively on weekends.
Or, you like to and are capable of performing routine maintenance (think oil changes, etc.) and your partner enjoys keeping the plane clean and tidy.
It’s all about equilibrium, come to think of it, not much different from quantum mechanics after all ! 
Can a pilot without an FAA lic fly an N registered airplane in Europe?
Only if he has a third country license and then only within that country. FAR 61.3.
I thought I had asked all the right questions when I joined the Group I am currentlty in. I had my reservations about one of the members but as I had already paid my money I tried to ignore the uneasy feeling I had……………….. anyhow, I have given a time line to the end of the Summer and then if the share is not sold I will hand it back to the inner core and walk away. It is such a shame as I truly enjoy flying the Old Girl. She makes me smile. In the mean time I keep my licence ticking and if I don’t quit flying this year I will buy something outright UNLESS this thread has the answers to finding a like minded and respectful group to join.
Sad to hear of your Group problem. If it’s access to aircraft – warn then ignore. ( i.e. fly.) If it’s social atmosphere – it’s irrelevant for what I want from the Group, cheaper flying.One active member has never met two of our group members. We had one member stop flying and paying his monthly. We let it run until his debt equalled his share – then his share was gone. Agreements don’t have any force if the legal cost of enforcement is more than the sums concerned.
