"Dottie Mae"Roy Cantrall decided last year to try and launch a flying club in Elizabethtown. Through networking and getting the idea out to the public, he attracted the attention of Hardin Countians Jason Fulkerson and Don Cox. None of the three had ever been in a flying club before, but all enjoy being in the air.
“It’s relaxing,” Fulkerson said.
Jason Fulkerson, left, Don Cox, and Roy Cantrall
A flying club essentially is an aviation co-operative, comprising a group of people coming together to share the cost of ownership of an aircraft to make flying more affordable.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Compliance Manual, Order 5190.6B, the FAA defines a flying club as a “nonprofit or not-for-profit entity (e.g., corporation, association, or partnership) organized for the express purpose of providing its members with aircraft for their personal use and enjoyment only.”
On the Cantrall Aviation Flying Club Facebook page, it says the mission of the club is “to provide members with a quality Aircraft, affordable recreational flying and camaraderie with fellow pilots.”
“This is a way to bring people together,” Cantrall said.
The club is based out of Elizabethtown Regional Airport at Addington Field.
Cox, who works for Southwest Airlines, said the flying club is a way to promote general aviation, share costs and to get pilots who haven’t flown for a while interested in flying again.
Many pilots earn their private pilot certificate but as time passes and career or family responsibilities grow, flying sometimes gets put on hold because it takes time and money, the men said. Flying clubs offer a less expensive way to follow the passion for flight as part of a community of aviators.
“This is the cheapest way to actually own an airplane and to fly it,” Cantrall said. “There is nothing cheaper than this.”
The three said spreading the acquisition cost of an aircraft and its monthly recurring costs such as a hangar fees, annual maintenance and insurance, among several individuals makes economic sense.
The group still is looking for pilots to join with them in creating a flying club of up to 10 members. The members have access to an airplane without the cost of a small partnership or being the sole owner of an aircraft.
“I’m hoping this will bring some more people to aviation,” Cox said. “We have a great facility here for the town we have, and I think it is underutilized by the public. I would really like to see more involvement.”
The club purchased the Piper Cherokee 235 two weeks ago. Cox said the plane is named Dottie Mae, after Cantrall’s mother.
“The guys were gracious. They didn’t complain at all,” Cantrall said.
A share of the airplane and to join the club costs $5,000. The monthly dues will be determined by the number of pilots in the club. For more information, email p47Lucky1942@yahoo.com
Original article ➤ http://www.thenewsenterprise.com
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