Who We Are
Membership Information |
GATEWAY IS AN EQUITY MEMBERSHIP FLYING CLUB
Gateway Flying Club has a maximum of 45 equity shares, and there are usually memberships available. Each member buys a share in the club which entitles the shareholder an equal share of the assets owned by the club. A shareholder is able to sell their share on the open market and advertise that sale in a public forums like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. The sale price of shares from shareholders is not fixed but negotiated between the seller and the buyer. If you are interested in joining the Gateway Flying Club, see the contact page to download an application and then use the contact form to arrange a tour. Two board members must approve applications for membership. Shares can only be transferred with the Clubs Board of Directors approval. Shareholder Dues: $162/month (including taxes). Immediate family members of shareholders may also fly our aircraft. This means your spouse/children can fly or learn to fly or take “pinch-hitter training” in a club aircraft without having a membership of their own. Flying family member dues: $150 for first three months, then $50/month thereafter. |
Membership questions & answers |
Q: How many members fly often and how many don't fly much, just approximate numbers to get a feel for the Club?
A: 50% active flyers, 40% infrequent flyers and 10% inactive pilots. The inactive pilots have either lost medicals, are not current or are no longer interested in flying. Q: Is financing available? A: Yes; but only for club-held shares. In 2017 the board approved 1-year financing for club-held shares. Shares purchased from the club (not from a club member) may be financed. Terms 0% interest. 50% down, with the remaining balance divided into 11 equal payments and billed along with the monthly dues. Members who finance shares may not vote or hold office until the share is paid-in-full. Q: Do you have work days required or on a volunteer basis? A: Here at Gateway we all participate in maintaining hangar, washing the airplanes and some basic maintenance. We have two scheduled events for plane washes and hangar cleaning each year and some members help with specific maintenance items like updating the GPS data. Oil changes, Annual inspections and other maintenance is done by the club’s licensed A&P Mechanic. Q: How full are the schedules during the summer, fall and spring and are the aircraft used roughly equally? A: Overall, access to the aircraft is EXTREMELY good if you schedule 2-3 weeks in advance and very good if you want to schedule ANY aircraft within short notice. The schedule is moderately full during the summer but will drop off in spring and fall. Winter scheduling is very light. Hard numbers for the booking are difficult to provide because of weather conflicts, etc. Q: What restrictions are there on overnight flights? A: Very few! Aircraft access at Gateway is almost as good as owning your own plane; and maybe better in some ways. There are no limits on keeping the airplane overnight weekdays on trips of 1-4 days; but the club likes to see at least 1 hour usage per weekday overnight and 2 hours each weekend overnight. Each member is permitted a long weekend reservation each month (Friday through Monday). Each member gets two long trips per year, A nine-day trip in the summer and a 16 day trip in the winter! Q: Do you own or rent hangar space? A: In August of 2016, the club purchased 5200sqft building that contains a 60x06ft hangar, a 60x24 heated club space and restroom facilities. We also rent hangar space for one plane. Q: Who does the Club maintenance? A: Maintenance is performed by an FAA certified A&P mechanic. All maintenance activities are done in accordance with FAA regulations. Q: How often does the Club levy special assessments to cover expenses and or purchases? A: Special assessments are only done very rarely to cover extraordinary events. One assessment was the purchase of another aircraft and the other was done to payoff a note for an engine replacement. The club is financially solvent, there are mortgages on the hangar and one airplane. The last assessment was in 2012. Q: Does the club rent aircraft or lease hangar space to non-members? A: No. The club's aircraft and hangars are for member use only. |