MileHi480B Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 THIS IS NOT A MOVE AGAINST HELICOPTER SCHOOLS ... Schools are fine. They serve a valuable service and I applaud their efforts. But by their shear nature they must operate at a profit. There are other ways to train and fly -- much cheaper. I am proposing a non-profit helicopter club. It will be for those who want to train, own and fly their own machines in a non-profit corporation that has a basic mission: To share costs, reduce hourly flying expenses and serve its members. I envision one trainer and one four-place aircraft to begin. No commercial ops (other than training a member). There will be a "buy in" fee, monthly dues and minimal hourly costs. There will be no profits generated, only reserves for maintenance, repair and replacement. It will have limited membership -- 10 to 20 people max. I did this in Florida with fixed-wings, with tremendous success. While this will not be "dirt cheap" it will be the least expensive way anyone can fly. No one can compete with a non-profit, member-centric club, with late model aircraft. It will provide an equity membership with the pride of ownership at a fraction of the cost of any other operation. I am based in Denver, Colorado. My own R44 will not be used in the club. I will acquire a 300 for training and a four-place ... possibly an R44, Enstrom, Jet Ranger or 500. Please contact me here by post or PM if you or someone you know may be interested. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPPL Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 This is a GREAT idea - wished you lived in the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanathpc Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hey MileHi maybe when I come out to Denver next year we can sit down and talk!!!!! I'll only be there for a week or so but still I might convince the wife to move and then I would be ALL OVER this idea! I know what the cost is for the fixed wing clubs around my area now and a person can save almost $100 or so each time the fly!!!! A R/W club would save a fortune and I'm really surprised someone hasn't come up with one yet! Strange in fact no one has done it... Nice Job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottL Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 I could be interested, it'd primarily be dependant on costs/location, as well as if I stay in the Denver Area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootcamp Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 I think it's a good idea. I got my stuck wing ratings at a local flying club in Maryland at a fraction of the cost of going to a regular stuck wing school. You may also want to look into a leased ship option. I've seen them as low as 30 hours per month with no monthly fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jponds Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Thought about the same concept here in central florida but i did not receive any feedback on the idea. I hope it will work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldy Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I thought all flight schools were non profit organizations! Except SSH of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RkyMtnHI Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I thought all flight schools were non profit organizations! Except SSH of course. NO Doubt!!! :-) dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permison Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 I will be moving out there in a few weeks and will be looking for something to keep current on. I am dual rated commercial and will be looking to get my CFI at some point. Can you PM me more info? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi480B Posted November 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 I have had an incredible response to my posting about a Helicopter Club I am proposing for the Denver area. I will be responding to all of the IMs. Thanks for your interest. I have found out some interesting things since posting. I have found that it is actually cheaper to own and operate two R44s than one R44 and one 300. So, I am leaning toward going with two R44s. The acquisition costs will be a bit higher for two R44s but well worth it over the long run. I believe one R44 can suffice for 10 to 12 members, and two would be needed for 25 members. I am crunching numbers now and although it is the cheapest way to fly ... it still ain't gonna be "cheap". Helicopters are just ridiculously expensive to own, operate, maintain, repair, store and insure! But I want to stress, there is no cheaper way to fly than with a non-profit club. (Not including the military!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPPL Posted November 27, 2009 Report Share Posted November 27, 2009 Exciting stuff MileHiR44, please keep us all posted on your progress as this information will benefit others all over the world. Thanks for keeping us all up to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsta22 Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 I am interested in seeing the numbers please!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permison Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 milehir44 any updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi480B Posted January 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Ran numbers ... gathering names. The holidays got in the way. Resuming serious plans this month. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMountainPilot Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 What happens if someone wrecks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi480B Posted January 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 What happens if someone wrecks? Insurance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikemv Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Who covers the deductables after the damage? Who replaces the aircraft so flights and training can continue? What about law suits by various club members against others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 wouldn't the logical answer be that the club dues cover the deductible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikemv Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Dear Clay, maybe. Are there reserves from dues in place or are the dues paying ongoing expenses? If I wreck it, how do other members feel about their monetary input being used to cover my mistake when they can no longer fly? Just thoughts kicking around, maybe all works well? I wish safe flights to all. Many clubs have worked. MikeMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMountainPilot Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Who covers the deductables after the damage? Who replaces the aircraft so flights and training can continue? What about law suits by various club members against others? Mike understands my question. Insurance still has a deductible. Usually quite big. Maybe as much as $20K-$40K. What happens if that member can't or won't pay the deductible? What prevents the members from being sued if there is a crash or other incident? Who is going to manage the aircraft? Are they paid? Personally, I would rather see a club managed by a professional paid individual, than one of the members. Member managers can have a conflict of interest. Also, they might be trying to keep it cheap and not keep it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossman Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Mike understands my question. Insurance still has a deductible. Usually quite big. Maybe as much as $20K-$40K. What happens if that member can't or won't pay the deductible? What prevents the members from being sued if there is a crash or other incident? Who is going to manage the aircraft? Are they paid? Personally, I would rather see a club managed by a professional paid individual, than one of the members. Member managers can have a conflict of interest. Also, they might be trying to keep it cheap and not keep it right.Right back to that liability, lawsuit, and managing thing again. The club would have to establish by-laws and form a board or panel to handle the money and day to day happenings. Initially you would need to set a maximum number of members. Once the members were gathered, there would be a meeting that would hash out the questions and vote on a managing member or a panel. This is where you would encounter the initial conflicts and hopefully hash out the differences. Once voted on and established, the panel, or board, would have the final say. The by-laws would establish a term for sitting on the board. This could be 6 months or years depending upon what is decided. I've found that the 6 month terms work the best. This lets the members vote more often and stay active in the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloscotte Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 g'day Mile High Love to be joined in any LGB- long beach, CA; interest group! Us former SLX students are itching to get back into the swing again soon. Commercial Rotary and Fixed. how do we hear back from you here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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