St. Louis-area flying clubs

Club membership vs. FBO rental

An airplane's fixed costs — hangar, insurance, annual inspection and engine reserves — are divided among a club's members, which is why the hourly rate usually undercuts renting the same model from an FBO. In exchange you pay an initiation fee and monthly dues. The more you fly, the further ahead you come out, which matters when you're logging hundreds of hours.

When clubs around St. Louis do publish their costs, the pattern is a modest buy-in and monthly dues in return for an hourly rate below FBO rental — which is why clubs suit pilots logging a lot of hours.

Check the insurance minimums first

For newer pilots, the catch is usually insurance rather than price. A club's policy may require a minimum amount of total time, a checkout with an instructor, or recent flying before you can solo or take passengers — and the bar is higher for complex or high-performance airplanes. Clubs that say they welcome students and low-time members are marked here; for any other club, ask what its insurer requires at your experience level before paying to join.

Equity or non-equity?

• Non-equity clubs: you pay dues for access but don't own a share. The commitment is small and it's easy to leave — handy if you'll only be in the area for a while.
• Equity clubs: you buy into the aircraft. The upfront cost is higher, but the share is often refundable when you go, and hourly costs can be lower if you stay for years.
• If your goal is affordable hours in the near term, a non-equity club — or an equity club with a small, refundable buy-in — usually carries less risk.

Can you fly for pay in a club?

Logging time for your own experience — pilot in command, cross-country, night — is what clubs are designed for, and it all counts toward the ATP. Being paid to fly is another matter: most clubs run strictly non-commercial Part 91 operations, forbid using their airplanes for hire, and are insured on that basis. So a club is a low-cost place to build hours, not a place to earn money flying. Before you join, ask about insurance minimums, any scheduling or currency rules that could slow you down, and whether instruction or other for-hire use is restricted.

Flying clubs in other metro areas