Good news on plane pricing: because fuel price has dropped quite a bit in cost and we’re a club, we’re passing the lower prices to members effective December 1st. The new 172 rate is $138/tach hour ($115/hr Hobbs equivalent) and the 182 rate is $178/tach hour ($148/hr Hobbs equivalent).

We’re happy to welcome CFI Keith Merrick to the club as  a new member. Keith is available to members who wish to take instruction in club planes. See our member page for contact information.

Members, if you haven’t had your check out or haven’t received your security badge, please contact Matt Bucy or Tim Terry via the contact form to let us know.

We’ve established the founding club members and there are twenty-two of us. This is a great start for the club and should make flying less expensive for all of us in the long run. Now our task is to work up our operating procedures and get everyone checked out and up in the air.

As of today, 18 members have joined to form Upper Valley Flying Club. There are two more days to get your application in and be a founder. After Friday, the membership will remain open but initiation fees will increase to their standard rate of $800.

New members have until September 19th to make their application to the club. Joining now will save you $400 over the regular initiation fees which will start Sep 20. It’s the clubs way of thanking your for helping get us off the ground!

Today we secured insurance for the club’s two aircraft. The great thing about flying clubs is that, from a technical point of view, each club member is an aircraft owner and so insurance covers all club members. Unlike when renting a plane, no additional insurance is required. If you consider that a typical rental insurance costs $500/year, club dues above and beyond insurance are just $38/mo. That’s a great deal!

The flying club is officially up and running as a non-profit New Hampshire corporation as of September 8, 2014. Our founding member initiation fee special runs until September 19, 2014 and it’s a good deal: half off the regular initiation fee of $800.

At a pre-formation meeting, candidate club members offered to take the initial officer positions within the club. The first officer slate is:

• President, Matt Bucy (Private Pilot)
• Vice President, Bruce Prince (Private Pilot, IFR)
• Secretary, Mike Welch (Private Pilot)
• Treasurer, Bruce Renfro (Student Pilot)
• Chief Flight Instrutor, David Kent (CFI, ATP, ASMEL)
• Safety Officer, Tim Terry (Private Pilot)
• Maintenance Officer, Bruce Prince (Private Pilot, IFR)

At a meeting held at the Lebanon Airport, 18 people pledged to start a new flying club. Matt Bucy presented preliminary financial projections and models for the club. Next steps are to incorporate the club, set up banking, standard operating procedures and choose an initial slate of officers.