If Carlsberg made a flying Club
 

Have the uneasy task of recently acquiring a small flying club which I really genuinely want to develop into something special. I DONT expect to make any money out of it, but if it could break even that would be good. More importantly I want it to be a GOOD, SAFE, and FUN place to be and learn.

I was just wondering with the exception of free fuel, free flying, blonde 25 year olds pumping your fuel, free beer and spitfires for hire, what do people think are the important things to get right and what are the ingredients to a really good flying school/ club.

There are many good schools and clubs- what would make them really good???

Safe and reliable aeroplanes to fly. On line booking system with clear and prompt customer service and feedback.

A knowledgeable CFI who can mentor and explain issues surrounding exams, and flying issues.

Warm and welcoming club atmosphere, with a healthy and vibrant social scene.

The financial structure, with some thought, can be structured to suit all budgets and cash flow restrictions.

Land away cards, that club members can be pay a monthly fee and get concession landings at other airfields - joined up thinking

Probably loads more............:hmm:

If possible offer something different to the C152/172 and PA-28. The future in PPL training has to be Rotax powered two seaters (Eurostar,AT-3 etc) that burn about 3gph of MOGAS.

A study area with wi-fi access, flight planning facilities and decent tea and coffee.

Minimal bureaucracy

Fun flying - don't even think about having a fleet of sheds.

Social scene

Something that wife and child can do whilst husband strokes his ego.

Don't fall into the 'maximum footfall' trap. Treat your members as members and not customers.

Communicate.

Ultimate High - but with a bar in the evening!:8

Carlsberg have already made a flying club.

It's called White Waltham.

(Just a shame that the runways were made by Watneys.) :}

I would like to see a selection of aircraft for training and rental, from cheap Rotax to full IFR, also a nice variety of owned aircraft for PPL trainees and others to aspire to. Aerobatics training with a Super Decathlon and Pitts S2 for training/hire.

Couple that with a main and crosswind hard runway, grass strips alongside for those that prefer. Maintenance companies on site, along with interesting restoration companies rebuilding something like Hurricanes or Spitfires. A good bar and restaurant with excellent food.

Surely not much to ask? :)

This is probably the best thing you could do. If all you have are spam-cans then people will regard you as just a school like any other and not a club worth attending for fun. Even a Piper Cub, or a tailwheel Cessna 120 would be something different, and these don't cost a lot to buy. (I read something about Stampe's going on to LAA permits just recently which might make them affordable. That's something I know I'd really like to fly)

This will be hard to get right for everyone, but things like an occasional barbeque, or a guest speaker, or even something like a flying navigation race would get members more involved.

Other things:

• A club membership deal that includes home landings and maybe circuits.
• A fly-out group with a yearly schedule (even if half of it gets cancelled)
• A decent receptionist that answers the phone (maybe a job for a blonde 25 yr old ;))
• Online booking
• Fuel cards for a self-service pump
• Equipment hire (parachutes, ELTs, life raft etc.)

EDIT: If you are thinking about commercial training... http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/4547...l-manuals.html

some really good ideas guys- please keep them coming:ok:

I'd like to second (or third) the idea of more 2-seater light aircraft, like the eurostar etc. Not sure which of these you can legally learn on as a light aircraft, rather than microlight, but from all the people I talk to, taking more than 1 other person up is not as common as all that, and the new breed of rotax planes are comfy, fairly fast, and much cheaper on fuel.

Also, comfy rest area, tea and coffee (not a machine, please) and wifi.

And as for a social, get some members involved in running it. If you try to do it all yourself, not only will you get knackered, but also it will only have your flavour to it.

When I was looking for somewhere to learn, places like damyns hall, exodus, booker seemed far more attractive than those airfields where the main training organisation was cabair, and anything else ran out a small shack that was damp and smelled of wee!

Finally, make your presence online, make it good, and keep it changing (diaries, events, student blogs, instructor comments). A lot of the social interaction that starts online can end up in a club, but if you dont have the online presence, you don't attract the browsers (ha ha!)

Good luck, and tell us more about it. Oxford is near enough for me to visit once in a while! (or more, when I get a license :-)

IPZ

oh, and here is one last thought, from another thread (thanks to madjock).

Why not allow customers to learn, and give them the option of buying in to a syndicate plane, and then only paying for lessons (wet per hour rate is their responsibility). Several clubs are now doing it, and it gives a real sense of ownership, and can often make the learning process cheaper.

It may also expand your possible list of planes. I seem to recall something about it being okay to learn in certain non CofA planes as long as you part own it (but I cant remember any of the details!)

Err, it's August 1st, not April 1st!

Unless you have a triple barrelled surname (and skin like a rhino if you don't), I think there are more human places to visit!!!

Perhaps more a case of, if "Bollinger made an airfield" for that one!!

Yes, but that then means they cannot be rented out:rolleyes:

What if it was a club syndicate where everyone owns 0.1%?

AFAIK, max no of shareholders is 6 for some reason or other. I could be (and probably am) wrong.

Nah, WW is lovely! Carlesberg wouldn't have a clue how create it. ;)

A company that pushes a cold fizzy drink (cold so you can't taste it - which is perhaps as well), that is inert and dead and made in a chemical plant, that's so bad it needs a massive advertising campaign to shift it, when good stuff like Copper Dragon or London Pride is available, would produce something along the lines of that hellhole, Heathrow T3 rather than the delightful WW.

Ha ha! Which leads to the question: which brand of alcohol best describes your airfield?

I think you will find max is 20 - if you go over this you are renting out and it needs to be Public Transport, so again, not LAA.

Please critique the plan; This is where I am with it. This is NOT about advertising the club so Im not saying where it is. It is about really genuinely trying to provide what you guys want.

This is where I am upto and what is already in place;

a) Fleet; 2 x PA38s (one IFR), 2 x PA28s (one full glass cockpit and airways).
1 x C150 Aerobat. 1 x C150 normal. 1 x Grob 109 motorglider
2 x Slingsby Venture ( cheap two seater flying available at £60/hr)
1 x Condor for tailwheel- more interesting hire.

Not doing twins


b) No yellow jackets
c) Internet for WIFI for clubhouse ordered today
d) New coffee machine ordered for good coffee ordered today to replace cheap nasty coffee we currently have.
e) Club members already get free base landings
f) Got big leather sofas in clubhouse, repainted it and got new carpets down.
g) As soon as WIFI arrives will set up flight planning/ weather etc
h) Already arranged first BBQ and fly out together and have three more fly outs planned before Christmas.
i) Doing a dawn patrol against another local airfield.
j) CFI has 30 years plus experience as is an examiner. Also have an IR examiner on staff.
k) Have installed snacks (crisps, chocolates and drinks etc- all at 50p each)
l) Free donuts on a saturday morning.
m) Have started selling oil and pilot supplies.
n) Allowing pupils to book a whole day and a single aircraft and instructor on a one to one basis.
o) HOOK NORTON BEER served in bar.






Will need to sort online booking. Still not got the blonde. Any ideas please for online booking systems?

What am I missing?

steakandchips...

I am not in the Isle of Mud but your plan looks like it is heading in the right direction, you did ask for feedback though...

1. Friday night members draw
Draw a members number from a hat and if they're there they win 10 Quid. If not it goes into the 'kitty' for next week and go again until the money is won.

2. Sucker a member in to run / organise a few events. You have a BBQ, but what about a pub quiz? Have something everyone can enjoy and even make it aviation related. A good bit of fun for a spot prize would be for each person to submit an entry for completion to the sentence, "There I was and nothing on the clock but...." for some fun reading.

3. Newsletter - online and printed. Some people don't take their IPAD to the shi77er. But if you have updates like,
"This month we have a flying competition, winner gets 0.00001% share in the coffee machine" or something similar people will come and fly

4. Run a flying competition
If you want details on planning and running these I have a fair bit of experience, PM me. There are several types which you can encourage people to fly - again it is about the flying not about money - but more flying keeps the flying cheaper and the club existing

5. Have a 'bring the family' event. Get wife/husband/girlfriend/child up in a plane with an instructor at a reduced rate to get them to see what it's like. Get a jumping castle or something for the kids if you have members with small ones.

6. Members are friends and not customers as has been mentioned previously. Get everyone involved in running, organising and taking part all the above - it creates a sense of kinship and pride in their club

7. Food - food should be available and good. Good does not mean fancy

8. Make it about they flying.

Best of luck and feel free to PM me if you need to know more - I did this for a number of years and loved it!