No, it is not 'normal', if as you suggest you have been humped on the costs.
This group is hobbyists or an individual running a no capital group?
I have seen this before in circumstances with a commercial outfit running under the guise of some sort of club.
What does your agreement with the group say i.e. your membership terms and conditions? It would not be unusual to have a provision that of you fly away - say to France and have to abandon the airplane that you have to pay the cost of getting it back.
Where this seems to be unusual is that you left the airplane "15 minutes" away. In those circumstances I would have thought that a couple of members driving over, one to fly the plane and one to bring the car back would be reasonable - looks like they billed you for the flight. Who did the flying - were they a commercial pilot or did they get some free flying (mmm). Would have thought a normal member would have flown it and logged the time instead of his normal flip around the circuit. The fact that they seem to be suggesting lost of income (is this really a group!) suggests that they had pilots lining up to fly - the only 'cost' would have been a car ride over to the other airfield.
Seems that however you cut, based on the accuracy of what you say, this group does not sound like one you should continue to be a member of if they take the opportunity to gouge you in these circumstances. I do wonder if one pilot flew another pilot over and he flew back. Sounds like someone got some free flying - both the pilot of the airplane that carried the pilot to the plane and the pilot who flew that plane back - if they did and are not commercial pilots with the right medical, licence and insurance - drop them in it to the CAA - sounds to me as if you have been blagged - also look into it and see if you have been treated differently from others - whole thing sounds dodgy to me.
Legally they have a duty to mitigate your costs i.e. to keep them to a reasonable level - if they thought the only option would be costly they should have afforded you the opportunity to get dropped off in a taxi and fly it back. Work out what it should have cost them offer it in full and final settlement - if they attempt some kind of set-off go after them in the small claims court.
Action like this could cause someone to develop a fear of onerous "repatriation costs" fly on when they shouldn't and cause an accident - they sound like a bunch of idiots.
Last edited by Ebbie 2003; 28th Feb 2020 at 18:34.