Not a bad idea for them Lodown, to offer members to pay for flight hours in advance, rather than the debentures and higher members fees. They need more members, not less, so scaring them away with higher fees isn't the way forward. Those who walk away are not going to lose sleep over whether it succeeds or fails, but those who can be encouraged to stay will.
It's not going to prevent the need for some extreme belt-tightening, but it could be helpful in solving the immediate cashflow crisis and allowing the black cloudbase to lift a little. The management team really need to accelerate fund-raising type activities that bring the club members together, make it enjoyable and remind the membership what they originally joined for.
FWIW, I didn't renew my membership a couple of years ago since I wasn't in WA all that much when the bill came due and others were better value for money.
I wish them well - it would be a shame to see it fail.
A