By Kristy How

As with most things that are fun and worthwhile, aero clubs and other such organisations are becoming hard to find due to matters of liability and, frequently, lack of team spirit. There are bound to be profound implications of the demise of the flying club and flight school: hopefully we can reverse the trend before it is too late.

I remember Aero Clubs and even flying schools in their own right as being a place not only to fly, but also to learn the culture and etiquette of being an aviator. There in one room you would have a broad spectrum of people consisting of older, highly experienced instructors and ex-military pilots, airline captains, local business owners, farmers, school age children and even mums. If you couldn’t find a friend at an aero club you must have been a two headed alien from Mars who flies a single seater.

Nowdays some of the more impersonal organisations are veering towards a culture of exclusivity. They will accept only their existing group of socially acceptable friends, who happen to own the right aircraft and fit a certain stereotype.  There are some fantastic outfits (most of whom appear in this issue’s directory!) but some readers have written to us with first hand experience of attending an Aero Club for several months and basically standing in the corner aside from one or two brief conversations with some of the older members.   Maybe it’s a generational thing; as the older generations are moving on the younger ones are putting the lid on a once friendly social outlet.

What I fear is that this progression toward closing of aero clubs either physically, or by exclusion of members, could lead to further problems within the industry. After all, new pilots come from flying schools and aero clubs. It takes passion to pursue a career in aviation, and passion is nurtured in these organisations. Think of them as incubators for future pilots – a place to develop young minds and help them grow a love of flying.

When I was sixteen I wasn’t hung-over on a Saturday morning, because I was needed at my flying school. I would sweep the hangar, clean the perspex and refuel all day if it meant I could be near aircraft and one step closer to being a pilot. I’m sure this kind of treatment is considered slave labour these days and I can’t imagine many sixteen year olds I know being bothered to put that much effort into a pursuit anyway. Heaven forbid they are dragged away from their Flight Sim X to go see the real thing. The risk of getting out in the fresh air and doing something productive is just too big to take.

With or without enthusiastic members, some clubs are fighting for space on aerodromes that threaten to replace them with factory outlets and warehouses. Even if they do manage to stay airside, their members need a security clearance the equivalent of an NASA astronaut to be able to walk to their aircraft.

I might just be getting cynical as I get older and I know there are some great aero clubs and flying schools out there. There are certain organisations that continue to put their members first, despite rising fuel costs, maintenance cost, public liability and insurance. Members continue to clean perspex, make sandwiches and donate well worn aviation magazines to the club room. Some even spend their precious spare time petitioning government just to save their airport.

Take this as food for thought. Think about how things were, how they are and how they could be. After all, isn’t it our responsibility to provide new aviation enthusiasts with the same opportunity our forebears gave to us?