The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has announced a new program to help its members develop flying clubs at their local airports. The Flying Club Initiative includes grant funding for club startup and guidance in a wide variety of club-related areas including obtaining aircraft and establishing bylaws. Clubs founded through the program will operate as nonprofit groups separate from EAA.
“Flying clubs are well-established ways to share the cost of flying and build a supportive community for those who want to participate,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs. “While EAA chapters cannot directly operate flying clubs, local EAA members now have a way to get people into the air in an affordable way and welcome those who have wanted to fly, but perhaps had cost and access barriers standing in their way.”
In support of the program, EAA has launched a new Flying Club website with tools—such as grant application how-tos and tax and insurance information—to help clubs get off to a good start. EAA will also be accepting aircraft donations for flying clubs. Models the organization is looking for include Cessna 172s, Piper Cherokees, Van’s RVs and Zeniths, but EAA has said it is open to other models as well. Donated aircraft will “be sold to groups in the EAA Flying Club Initiative on favorable terms to get a club started, with sale proceeds going back into the flying club grant program.”
