We love pilots who are active fliers. We want our airplane flying a lot, and we encourage members to take advantage of its low operating costs on longer trips. The safest pilots, to our minds, are those that fly frequently.
Costs
- Join fee — $300, one time and up front
- Monthly dues — $150, set to cover the club's fixed costs: pilot insurance, the hangar, the yearly annual inspection, database subscriptions and the like
- Hourly rate — $120 per hour, dry rate, on Hobbs time (fuel is not included). The hourly rate covers the variable costs of flying, primarily maintenance expenses
The club is non-profit — the rate covers the airplane, not a margin. At $300, our join fee is the lowest of any traditional flying club in Arizona.
Scottsdale Flying Club Advantages
- We charge a dry rate — you buy your own fuel. It is an advantage that often gets overlooked, and it matters: it lets every pilot fly to their own priorities. Want to stretch the range and keep the cost down? Lean it out, stop where the fuel is cheap, use the self-serve pump — go ahead. Want the extra knots and full service at the FBO? No problem, your call. Either way, nobody is subsidizing anybody else's choices.
- Long trips are genuinely supported — taking the Arrow away for a week is normal here rather than exceptional. Club pilots regularly fly to Northern California, Nebraska, Kansas and Michigan, and trips into Mexico are permitted.
- No free rides on the board — unlike some other valley clubs, every board member pays exactly the same monthly dues and hourly rate as everyone else.
- Members decide the big things — our board does not make decisions in isolation. All members are expected to take part in the big decisions.
- A sound airframe — our airplane was built in the 2000s and has no major damage history.
Experience Required
Our insurance requires you to have 100 hours of PIC time to fly the airplane without an instructor onboard.
Checkout
How much dual you need depends on what you bring with you:
- Standard checkout — 10 hours dual and 15 landings
- 50+ hours complex time — 5 hours dual
- 10+ hours time in type — a checkout flight only
The club has CFI members who can carry out your checkout, so there is no need to go looking for an instructor who knows the airplane.
A Club You Take Part In
We are a friendly club, and a small one. The club belongs to the people flying the airplane, and it is run that way. Meetings are monthly by Zoom, with in-person gatherings from time to time, and that is where the decisions get made.
Openings: membership is capped at 15 pilots, and we have no openings at present — but we do keep a short waiting list, so it is still worth getting in touch. Every applicant goes through a thorough review.
Come and Talk to Us
Our president, John C, is very happy to talk about the club at any time — there is no obligation and no sales pitch. Include your phone number when you write and he will give you a call.