Joining MAFC

You do not need to have a pilot's license to join our club. In fact, most of the members joined the club as student pilots while taking lessons from one of the club's instructors. Club dues are $35.00 per month, which covers the non-flying expenses of the club (insurance, tie-down fees, clubhouse rental, et cetera). The hourly aircraft usage fees include the cost of gas, oil, etc. Pilots pay only for time that the engine is running ("Hobbs" time). For new members, there is a non-refundable initiation fee of $540.00 plus $35 for one month of advance dues, plus $25 for membership in the Club's Deductible Insurance Fund. The initiation fee grants you part ownership in each of the MAFC aircraft. Club members are covered by club's aircraft liability and damage insurance. Aviation renter's insurance is not needed since you are a named owner of the aircraft.

Prior to joining the MAFC, candidate members must attend one General Membership meeting and one meeting of the MAFC Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the MAFC and has final decision on all club matters, including accepting/rejecting new members. The Club looks for people who would be an asset to the operation of the club, and not someone who merely wants to fly cheaply. Read our Membership Application(pdf) (MS Word) for details on the process for joining the MAFC. Here is information on the Club's Deductible Insurance Fund(pdf) (MS Word). Membership in the DIF fund is mandatory for all new members. Before submitting an application, you must read and agree to abide by the club Rules & Regulations(pdf) (MS Word). (Right click and choose "Save Target As..." to download these files to your hard disk). Both of these documents are in PDF format and require a free program from Adobe.

The club has several members who are Certified Flight Instructors that are authorized to give flight instruction in club aircraft. You must be a MAFC member to receive flight instruction in club aircraft, and that instruction must be from a club instructor. Club Instructors typically charge $30.00 to $40.00 per hour.

If you are interested in finding out more about joining MAFC, contact our membership officer at membership@flymafc.com

Joining the Private Pilot Ranks:

The FAA Student Pilot Guide Answers many questions one may have about becoming a student and private pilot. To earn an FAA private pilot certificate, you must meet certain FAA requirements for experience and proficiency. This typically takes 60 to 70 hours of flight time, according to national averages, although our club members seem to be somewhat quicker than average. You must also take and pass an FAA "written" test (actually given on computer at any of hundreds of testing centers in the US), and then pass a behind-the-wheel proficiency test. The whole process typically takes about a year. Student pilots with no prior flight experience should expect to spend about $6,000 to earn their FAA pilot's license. In order to maintain your active flight status within MAFC, you must take a flight proficiency checkout ride with an MAFC instructor every 6 months. For additional information, the FAA has a nice web site for the details on how to become a pilot, including the enormous set of government rules/regulations defined in Federal Aviation Regulation PART 61.