This month, we’ll look at club formation from a slightly different angle than usual—that of the time it takes to move through the various phases, and what to do if you find yourself at an impasse or sitting on a plateau, which by the way, can be the norm rather than the exception.
The “Guide to Starting a Flying Club” and other resources such as Question of the Month articles and Flying Clubs Radio editions, contain all we know about the tasks and general sequence of those tasks in order to start a successful flying club. Depending on a particular club’s “entry point”, it may be possible to skip some tasks or at least quickly tick them off the list. For example, if the founder’s already have a lead on an aircraft (perhaps owned by one of them), then they don’t need to spend much time on that part of the process: Acquire aircraft—check. This one facet alone will greatly accelerate the formation of a club, as it removes much of the initial debate and, yes, argument, about what type of plane suits the club and its members—the club will be formed around a plane, rather than an aircraft having to fit the emerging culture of the club. If you are lucky enough to be in this situation, the remaining steps will proceed quickly but there are still some time-eroding traps to avoid.
Another entry point is when a group of friends, close acquaintances or colleagues decide to start a flying club. Although they may not yet have converged on the type of club or its equipment, they are already well ahead of the game as they know each other, and it turns out that the biggest time sink when starting a flying club (or any new organization, for that matter) is people and relationships. Strip out everything else (yes, planes are vitally important, rules are essential, and so on) but if the founding members and then additional members can’t get on together, then for sure it is going to be a tough and long ride.
Both of the above entry points do happen and, as stated, will shorten the overall process quite considerably, but let’s move forward by considering a more typical situation where one or more people have the desire to start a flying club, but that is it—no established personal relationships, no plane, no hangar, no members, no business entity, no rules or bylaws…you get the idea! This square-one case nicely illustrates the trails and tribulation that founders must endure to get to the endpoint – an operational flying club. By the way the trials and tribulations as well as opportunities do not stop there. After a predictable “honeymoon” period (between 6 and 12 months in most cases), someone will raise the idea of growing membership, or the purchase of a second club plane, or character conflicts may arise. Relax, this is normal (yet often irritating), but do be calmed by the fact that we, your AOPA Flying Clubs Team, have written a great deal about this, so if you are in this situation, please peruse the Club Connector archives for suggestions and guidance.
We have learnt that spending quality time upfront will greatly ease the bother, pain and duration of later stages. Think about it, you cannot just toss a few random people into a room, scatter in some pixie dust and emerge a few hours later with an operational flying club.
So, what are the faltering points that a new club must—and can—dodge, and so how can it avoid endless back-and forth discussions and time-sapping rework? That, dear reader, is the whole point of this article, so stay with me!
First Steps:
A quick glance at the table of contents for the “Guide to Starting a Flying Club” and the associated “Start a Flying Club Checklist” (both found here), show that we have essentially sectionized the whole process of starting a new club. Here are the major sections in the checklist:
It is sort of inferred, but perhaps needs to be clearly stated, that we did this to establish an extensible foundation. All steps depend to some degree on the previous ones, although as illustrated earlier depending on a particular club’s entry point, some steps may be missed or simplified. Okay, all well and good, but what about the very first step, that, by definition, doesn’t have a previous one to build upon?
It turns out that this is indeed the key to containing and curtailing the time it takes to start a brand-new flying club.
Step Zero: Control the Scope, Corral the Discussion and Contain the Decision Space:
Starting a flying club is a project, and all successful projects start with a plan and then a team. Plans contain ordered tasks (independent as well as linked) and as mentioned earlier, we have that well covered in our published documentation. The next bit, the team, is really the “secret sauce” in getting a club started in a timely manner, as it is all about trust and relationships.
If the founding members really want to get things done in the most expeditious fashion, then they must first come together as a team. Without going into too much detail, teams are made, not born. There is a huge amount of information “out there” on the elements and psychology of good teams, but let’s keep it simple. Good teams are made up of people with a handful of required attributes, but who want to work together towards the end goal.
Due to “human nature”, this doesn’t happen automatically nor quickly. Think back to a class you attended. On day one, people filed in to the classroom and quietly sat down (in a seat that then becomes “theirs” for rest of the session—creatures of habit). At the second class, a few people may greet each other, but by the end of the semester the teacher has to call for order above the din, as everyone has become comfortable with each other. It’s a “sounding-out” process that is deeply human in nature, and is central to the development of functioning teams. You might know this as the stages of team formation: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing. At first team members need to get to know each other, from which they can then form associations and perhaps cliques. Next, they start to understand and accept each other’s experience and “value”, and then the team starts to get in the grove. Finally, the team is mature enough to get into conflict, but for the right reasons and to push for consensus and resolution.
So, step zero is to hold a meeting of interested people (not yet called founders) to introduce the concept of a new club at KXYZ. You should advertise the meeting by posting fliers at local airport notice boards, EAA chapters and so on. You can also use the AOPA Events page to get the word out. The point is to test the waters, to determine if a critical mass (of people) is achievable, or if more prework is required to ramp-up the initial interest. As a rule of thumb, half of the people who attend the first meeting haven’t really any idea about flying clubs and are only there for the free doughnuts and coffee. Half of the remainder will express interest to join a second meeting. Of that group, half will choke when they realize they have to pay dues and usage fees, and cannot fly a Cirrus for the cost of Netflix. So, putting this together, if you are looking for five solid cofounding members, you’ll need to attract, on average, 20 people to the stage-zero meeting. Ignore this if you have already vetted pilots on your target airfield, but the point is that a second meeting will only be useful if you have a minimum of, say, five very interested people to work with.
The step-zero meeting should be pulled together by one or two people with creds (having been a board member in a previous club, an A&P, CFI, airport manager, or whatever). Not do attempt or expect to get answers at this stage. You are trying to get people on the same level of understanding, such that you will be able to push for answers at the next meeting. The (first) meeting should be high level but must introduce some basic topics:
After the step-zero meeting, people will know exactly what a flying club is (and isn’t), that it is formal and legal in nature, that it must have a reason for being (beyond just “cheaper flying”) and realistic expectations on costs and member responsibilities.
From experience, the main reason why many new clubs get stuck on plateaus and take months or years to form is primarily due to not setting and containing the scope from day one. You will never be able to have a sensible discussion about selecting a club aircraft if people are still dreaming of flying a Bonanza for $50 an hour (wet) and $30 monthly dues. Incidentally, notice that the above points do not explicitly include a particular make/model of aircraft…it is just too early for that. Now, the “costs” discussion must use some typical types for illustration, but the point is to show that more capable aircraft will incur higher costs, as will “riskier” aircraft such as tailwheel and retractable gear aircraft. Yes, this gets to be a wide-ranging discussion, but remember the goal—contain the scope, weed-out the tyre kickers and quickly identify the few people who will actually engage and move the club idea forward. I cannot over emphasize the importance of this—keeping dreamers in the loop will pretty much ensure that the same arguments are raised at every meeting with the resulting stalling of progress. Do not be afraid to exclude outliers from future meetings—a flying club is not a country club. We are it, and we do not “have people” to do things for us.
Step 1: Define the Reason for Being:
The next hurdle you will face is the “call-me-when-you-do” hopeful member. It goes like this. “I hear you are starting a new flying club. What aircraft do you have”? Or, “How much will it cost”? When you explain that the club is in formation and doesn’t yet have a plane or exact costs, they reply with “Oh, well, call me when you do”. This drives me almost as mad as the lazy whine “someone should do something”, and my advice is to forget about them. If they can’t be bothered to help with the process, then they are not going to be good club members and will only henceforth cost you time and effort.
So, what about the follow-up meeting, for one there surely will be. The good news is that you have whittled down the group into genuinely interested people who stand a chance of working together, but beware, interested does not mean committed. From experience, the only thing that changes interest into commitment is money, and so I encourage you to extract a deposit very early in the process. If people are not willing to put down some money, say $500, for a club “float”, then it is unlikely that they will become future members.
At this stage, the really committed people will be chomping at the bit to get into the weeds of aircraft make/model, costs, rules, and so on, now is the time to settle down the group and tackle truly the most difficult question “What Do We Want Our Club to Be”, for without this, you will forever be a rudderless craft adrift in a sea of speculation and uncertainty. Gosh…who would have thought?
This might sound a bit corny, but you must now craft a mission statement and vision statement. The first will guide you when making tough decisions that are just around the corner, and the second will be the leading light as the club grows and is pulled in various directions. Both, of course, are subject to change but do take the time to create the initial versions before you go much further.
Improving greatly on the inanimate “AI’” definition:
A flying club’s mission statement describes the organization's core purpose, objectives, and how it serves its members. It's a snapshot of the organization's operations and goals, and helps define the organization's culture, values and guiding principles.
A vision statement describes a flying club’s goals and aspirations for the future, including its long-term growth and impact on the local community. It's a declaration of what the organization hopes to achieve and become, and it's often written in aspirational language.
Unlike fortune-500 executives, you don’t have to go on expensive multi-day “retreats” in order to develop your statements. You should, however, start to form a framework for your club. For example, if the club is being formed around an existing aircraft, then its type and capability will define the required experience level of prospective members and whether club operations should allow multiday cross-country flights.
Here are a few things to consider and discuss as founders as you develop your mission:
The mission and vision statement are yours to create based on what the founders agree the club will be known for. You could look on the websites of existing clubs to get an idea of how more established clubs have evolved their mission statement. Here are statements from one of my previous clubs:
Club Mission:
To provide members access to an affordable, accessible, and versatile aircraft that will allow them to further their flying skills in a safe and fun manner.
(Note how this simple statement says a lot and will clearly help the club consider member experience and the choice of club aircraft. The club operated a low-cost, aerobatic and IFR-capable Cessna Aerobat, which definitively met the requirements.
Club Vision:
To encourage and promote an interest in aviation, to advance knowledge in aeronautical subjects, and to bring to more people the social benefits and pleasures of recreational flying in a club environment.
(Note that this statement guides the club when it reviews its current operations and especially provides boundaries if the club considers growth. Not just more aircraft and number of members, but an obligation to grow members’ knowledge as well.
Next Steps: Refine and Execute
Congratulations—you are now positioned to move the new club forward within an established and agreed framework and with clear parameters. If someone tries to revisit a basic premise—and someone will—you can point to the framework to keep things on track. If that someone still can’t behave, invite them to leave the group as belligerence does not honor teamwork nor the drive to an operational club.
Yes, there will be other difficult questions to answer regarding aircraft choices, ownership options and so on, but from our experience working with more than 250 new flying clubs, the early work will allow you to continue to move forward, rather than getting stuck due to misalignment of the founders’ goals and aspirations.
One other bit of advice. When caught up in the excitement of starting a new club, it can be very easy to skip over some fundamental matters that may not slow a club’s initial creation, but may well trip it up sometime later. I’ve written about this previously, but usually from the perspective of an existing club facing difficulties. It turns out that there are four main topics that can cause a club to fail if not frequently addressed, and they are: Finances, Equipment, Membership, and Procedures. Sound familiar? Yes, these are the pillars we have been glancing at in this article. The moral lesson here is that a club can never rest on its laurels if it wants to have a future, regardless of its age. So, as an important part of your prework when forming a new club, I strongly advise that you take a time machine forward to the future and ask “Is Our Club Still Viable”, which will help you avoid future alligators by mapping out the swamp.
Off you go then…advertise and hold your first flying club meeting. To help with this, take a look at the presentation I gave recently at my local airport, which, by the way, is a perfect location for a new flying club.
Finally…
Before I sign off, I want to, well, sign off.
I have very much enjoyed the past seven years with AOPA, and especially my work with the Flying Clubs Team, both as an employee and more recently as a contractor. I firmly believe in the mission of the association to assist our members and especially the oft-illustrated need to “protect our freedom to fly”, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity presented by Darren Pleasance as AOPA’s new President and CEO. I am proud to have done my bit, but it is time to start putting the R&R in retirement, so this month’s QOM and Safety articles will be my last contributions to Club Connector. Thank you all for reading my articles and for your many emails and phone calls—I enjoyed almost all of them!
As always, fly lots and fly safety.
Cheers!
Steve.
