Club Tow Fee and Dues?

Good evening,
I was just wondering what other clubs where charging for tows
and dues.I just wanted to see where we are compared to other
clubs.

We have 25 members with 3 gliders and a Pawnee. There are
9 privately owned gliders.

Our dues are $50 per month of which $10 goes for an engine fund.
Our tow fees are about $1 per hundred feet.
We are paying $5.25 per gallon for fuel.

Thanks for your information.


Randy Teel

Cell: 918-289-3310
Tulsa Skyhawks Soaring Club - President
SSA Oklahoma State Governor

http://tulsasoaring.com/
http://talihinasoaring.com/

On Jul 14, 8:36*pm, Randy wrote:
Good evening,
I was just wondering what other clubs where charging for tows
and dues.I just wanted to see where we are compared to other
clubs.

We have 25 members with 3 gliders and a Pawnee. There are
9 privately owned gliders.

Our dues are $50 per month of which $10 goes for an engine fund.
Our tow fees are about $1 per hundred feet.
We are paying $5.25 per gallon for fuel.

Thanks for your information.

Randy Teel

Cell:918-289-3310
Tulsa Skyhawks Soaring Club - President
SSA Oklahoma State Governor

http://tulsasoaring.com/http://talihinasoaring.com/

$360/yr paid in advance + SSA Dues, discounts for juniors.
$30 tow to 2K AGL, $5/1K above 2K (50cent/100ft) Pawnee 250hp O-540,
includes engine fund.
50+ members, 4 club gliders, plus many private owners.
Www.lvvsa.org

Roughly 50 members in Central California Soaring Club
$40 / month for regular members billed quarterly.
$10/month for students -- we try to subsidize the students

4 club ships (1-26E, 2 2-33's, Gapa PW-2) and a Blanik L-13 that
isn't worth counting any more.
Towplane: Cessna 150/150

$7/flight for maintenance on the club gliders no hourly fees.

Tows:
$15 - Rope Break practice
$20 - 1000
$30 - 2000
$1 /100 above Pattern essentially.

Glad to see other clubs are in the same ballpark. It's always tight,
but we are managing to keep soaring relatively affordable.

www.soaravenal.com

Morgan




On Jul 14, 8:42*pm, T wrote:
On Jul 14, 8:36*pm, Randy wrote:





Good evening,
I was just wondering what other clubs where charging for tows
and dues.I just wanted to see where we are compared to other
clubs.

We have 25 members with 3 gliders and a Pawnee. There are
9 privately owned gliders.

Our dues are $50 per month of which $10 goes for an engine fund.
Our tow fees are about $1 per hundred feet.
We are paying $5.25 per gallon for fuel.

Thanks for your information.

Randy Teel

Cell:918-289-3310
Tulsa Skyhawks Soaring Club - President
SSA Oklahoma State Governor

http://tulsasoaring.com/http://talihinasoaring.com/

$360/yr paid in advance + SSA Dues, discounts for juniors.
$30 tow to 2K AGL, $5/1K above 2K (50cent/100ft) Pawnee 250hp O-540,
includes engine fund.
50+ members, 4 club gliders, plus many private owners.
Www.lvvsa.org

On Jul 14, 8:36*pm, Randy wrote:
Good evening,
I was just wondering what other clubs where charging for tows
and dues.I just wanted to see where we are compared to other
clubs.

We have 25 members with 3 gliders and a Pawnee. There are
9 privately owned gliders.

Our dues are $50 per month of which $10 goes for an engine fund.
Our tow fees are about $1 per hundred feet.
We are paying $5.25 per gallon for fuel.

Thanks for your information.

Randy Teel

Cell: 918-289-3310
Tulsa Skyhawks Soaring Club - President
SSA Oklahoma State Governor

http://tulsasoaring.com/http://talihinasoaring.com/

$65 per month and $22 to 2k which includes a recently applied $2 fuel
surcharge. A really good price if you use the club gliders and fly
often. Still better than FBO rates even if you only fly your own
glider and average 2 tows a month. Membership also requires at least
one half day of duty per month.

Andy

Silent Knights in Ames, IA, has about 25 members, a Blanik L13 (so
sorry), a 2-22 and a Super Cub. Dues are $300/year, no dues for
students. Tows are $1.60/100 feet, which works out to $32 for 2000'.
The sailplanes are $5/flight.

York Soaring near Toronto, Canada
www.yorksoaring.com
4x 2-33, 1-26, 2x 1-34, CS-77, G103, K-21, DG-500, 2-32
Lots of private gliders
Smith Cub 180 HP, 2 x Pawnee 235 HP
200 acres, 7 turf runways, clubhouse, hangars, campground

$450/yr up front, plus $120 SAC
Tows are $29.50 to 2000' plus $11.50/thousand thereafter
Glider rentals are per minute based on the ship, from 50-80 cents
We have "unlimited packages" on the 2-33's and single ships, breakeven
is about 11 hours of air time.

Also:
Home of Freedom's Wings Canada -- Toronto Chapter, providing
inspiration flights to the disabled community.
www.freedomswings.ca

Sierra Soaring Club at Inyokern CA. $250 initiation fee to fly the
L-23. Once you have your license there is an additional $250 fee to
fly the SGS 1-35. Dues are $50 a month. $34 for a 2,000ft tow.
Members who fly their own ships can opt to not pay the monthly dues,
however their tow charges are at a higher rate. I believe it is in
the realm of $50 ish for a 2,000ft tow. Towplane is a Cessna 182A.
AVgas is about $5.50. There are about 8 or so members who regularly
fly the club aircraft and about 20-30 people who bring their own
aircraft out over the course of a season.

On Jul 14, 11:36*pm, Randy wrote:
Good evening,
I was just wondering what other clubs where charging for tows
and dues.I just wanted to see where we are compared to other
clubs.

We have 25 members with 3 gliders and a Pawnee. There are
9 privately owned gliders.

Our dues are $50 per month of which $10 goes for an engine fund.
Our tow fees are about $1 per hundred feet.
We are paying $5.25 per gallon for fuel.

Thanks for your information.

Randy Teel

Cell: 918-289-3310
Tulsa Skyhawks Soaring Club - President
SSA Oklahoma State Governor

http://tulsasoaring.com/http://talihinasoaring.com/

Caesar Creek Soaring Club has almost 240 members with 8 Club ships and
3 Pawnees
We have a $300 initiation fee at joining and $300 at the first
anniversary
Dues are $18 per month and members are required to purchase 12 shares
of stock at $100 /per share at a minimum rate of 1 share per year
We have an airplane use fee ranging from $5 for a 2-33 to $18 for an
ASK-21
We have a hookup fee of $20 for every flight but if the member
participates in his Crew Day he gets that $20 credited for every
flight made that month
Tow fees are a fixed rate of $13.50 plus a variable altitude fee
(based on gas prices) currently $0.30 per 100 feet altitude
We also charge for aircraft and trailer storage

AVSC in SoCal (Krey Field near Old El Mirage)

$300 one time membership fee
NO flight fees of any sort
$25 a month for full flight priviledges
$12.50/month for full flight priveledges for those that own/fly thier
own glider
Intern membership and special promotion program with delayed/reduced
membership fee..
SSA annual dues are additional

Restored (6/2011) Grob 103B. Also 1-26, 1-34, and like many other
clubs, a non flyable Blanik L-13.

Tows by commercial operation, $40 for 2k, $2/100' therafter.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoarAV/

http://sites.google.com/site/kreyfieldflyers/

aerodyne

Caesar Creek Soaring Club has almost 240 members with 8 Club ships and
3 Pawnees
We have a $300 initiation fee at joining and $300 at the first
anniversary

CCSC was my original club way back when. Allowing for inflation, it
appears that they still have the same philosophy regarding finances.
IIRC:

1. Make it easy to join: i.e., set the 1st year of membership in the
"impulse buy" category. Recognize that after the 1st year, the truly
converted will pay what's essentially the 2nd half of a two-part
initiation fee. The casual joiner will drop out, their 1st year fees
having paid a big chunk of maintenance.
2. Fund capital items with equity: i.e., require members to purchase
stock over time. Yes, it's a chunk of cash (12x$100) but it's spread
over 12 years. And you can sell the stock back to the club when you
leave.
3. Encourage scheduled but volunteer monthly crew duty by offering a
big discount on flying fees. Some clubs don't agree with this
philosophy, requiring members to participate in order to avoid those
who want to "buy their way out of supporting the club". I think that's
short sighted in today's hectic world. We had a few back in the 60s
when I started flying there, although they were in the minority. I
believe there are more, now.
4. Based on the above, keep dues, tows, and glider use fees low. "Low"
is relative, but not many clubs undercut CCSC's flying fees and their
gliderport and fleet are enviable.

There's a lot of talk about how to market soaring better to keep our
sport alive. Much, if not most, of this activity goes on at the
grassroots level. A club's legal and financial structure can have a
big impact on its prosperity, just as with any "business" in
competition with other clubs, sports, and leisure time activities.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA