In my experience, you might (if you are on the Committee or V.F.persistent and happy to be hated) obtain some figures from a genuine club but should then query:
- are students subsidising the other Members' use of aircraft, clubhouse, drinking, fuel etc.?
- is the CFI milking it mercilessly, with the exam fees, groundschool grasping or other rackets?
- are poor instructors getting nearly nowt from what people pay the Club for a lesson?
They'll deny it but, sadly, the answers are often Yes. However, many flying clubs are excellent. except for students! BTW, incensed instructors should note that people usually pay a much higher rate for labour than the worker is paid.
Genuine clubs may make 'no profit' from student members, but they are allowed to create supluses and cross-subsidise. Like most Co-ops, flying clubs often find it difficult to compete - with other flight training organisations- mainly because they are mismanaged, milked and have a much lower rate of return on assets.
As for commercial organisations- surely you're dreaming and so what anyway, Sagey? All students should query on anything, from anywhere you're considering, is:
-what exactly do I get/'need to pay for'?
-how much will it all cost? and
-may I have that confirmed in writing?
P.S. I'd be very worried if I knew that I was training at, or hiring from, a place that is NOT making plenty of profit- wouldn't they be tempted to fiddle or forget to do things?!