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Flying Partnership The Flying Signaleers is a non-profit airplane partnership. The planes are owned by the club and will be passed on to the next generation of flyers. We are temporarily located at the Spanaway Airport until we move back to Thun. As a partnership that began in 1956, this is perhaps one of the oldest flight partnerships in the US. |
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| How to become a Partner We offer shares in the club that allow pilots to fly the aircraft at the great hourly rates. We are always looking for additional partners. Since this is first and foremost a social flying partnership, each person wanting to be a member has to "fit" well with the existing members and will need to be interviewed by the board. The first step is to contact us and we'll be happy to arrange a time for you to meet some of the members and kick-off the new member procedure. The existing members come from a range of backgrounds with many years of flying. Some are active professional pilots. |
The Flying Signaleers focus on the social aspects of flying. Each member is a part owner and each member contributes to ensuring the planes are well kept. The aircraft are reliable and well maintained fleet making frequent flying inexpensive and accessible to the members. We currently have a Cessna 172K and a 182P. Both aircraft are great performers since we've upgraded to 180hp in the 172 and a 280hp in the 182. That allows the 172 to be a true 4 seater and the 182 has the speed and power to " really go" places. The planes are hangered at the Spanaway Airport ( S44) in Spanaway, Pierce County, Washington. There are two T hangers on the field that we use. Our plan is to move back to Pierce ( KPLU ) as soon as possible. For more information you can email us. |
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Costs Once you have made it through the selection process you can then buy a share which are currently $ 500 for a restricted share if you just want to fly a 172 and $ 700 or for an unrestricted share giving you access to all planes. With the membership as it stands the monthly dues are $ 140 per share and cover the fixed costs like hanger, insurance, and annuals. In addition to the monthly dues, there is an hourly "wet" rate charge for each plane. This is the aircraft rental with fuel. * The 172 rate is currently $ 95 /hour tach. time and $120 / hour tach. time for the 182. Most FBO rentals and some clubs use the hobbs meter for hourly charges. Hobbs charges tend to be 10 to 20 percent more in cost for actual time in the aircraft. This can be explained further by linking to the Hobbs site above or feel free to contact us. We are a non-profit organization and all exess funds collected are put back into the airplanes or returned to the membership. Unlike some clubs, we own the planes, we do not rent planes that are owned by others * The hourly rates are based on fuel cost of $5.00 per gallon at KPLU. If the cost of fuel rises, the club (board) will add a fuel surcharge to the hourly use rates. This will apply to both aircraft and is based on a 8-9 gal. per hour burn on 172 and a 12 gal. per hour burn on the 182. You can feel good about taking your friends or family on a trip for the week or just the weekend since the planes may be reserved for up to 15 days without a daily minimum. You should review the by laws to ensure you understand all the ins and outs of your membership. Visitors Since Feburary 2009 |
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