"So, how's about you discover the failed beacon at the end of your flight, then, rather than at the beginning? Given that the alternative is to scratch your booking?"
I remember once turning up and preflighting the aeroplane. "Umm the transponder is missing" I said. "Oh yea we took it out this morning to put into G-ABCD so they can do instrument tuition"....
This is typical of flying clubs and the reason I left and firstly joined a non capital syndicate - which had better aeroplanes, all with working avionics (airways approved) as well as IFR GPS's. I then eventually left that and bought a share. Shares don't have to be expensive either - although ours is not IFR approved (see Flyer April 09
) , £6000 will buy a decent share in something better than your average club aeroplane!