Frequently asked questions.

Texas Flying Club is not a flight school. Once you’re a member, you’re a part owner of the club’s aircraft, and you fly at cost with no rental markup. Instructors are independent contractors who are also club members, paid directly by their students. Beyond the airplanes, the club is a community: monthly meetings, plane washes, and fly-ins give members a way to meet each other, not just book time in a cockpit.

Full Membership is a one-time $500 buy-in (this is non-refundable when you leave the club) plus $100/month dues. Family members of an existing member pay half dues. If you’re a student working toward your Private Pilot certificate, Student Membership skips the buy-in entirely  and $75/month, no ownership share.

Start on the How to Join page and pick the track that fits: Membership, Student Membership, or Instructing at TFC. Each page walks through the steps and links to the application form.

Not at all. Members range from student pilots through ATP. If you’re starting from zero, you’ll work with one of our board-approved instructors from your first lesson through your checkride.

Yes. Monthly dues fund the club’s insurance policy. As of this writing, the policy carries a $3,000 deductible and $1,000,000 injury/liability coverage per incident (confirm current figures with the Membership Coordinator before relying on them).

Each aircraft is billed at cost, by the Hobbs hour. This includes fuel burned plus a share of engine reserves and fixed maintenance. Current rates are shown on the Fleet page.

It varies by person. The FAA minimum is 40 hours, but most students take more like 50-60. Total cost depends on your pace, which aircraft you fly, and how much instruction you need, so we’d rather not quote a single number that might be wrong by the time you read this. Ask the Membership Coordinator for a current estimate based on our rates above. An Instrument Rating afterward is worth strongly considering. Instrument-rated pilots have meaningfully better accident rates, and the training takes roughly as long as the Private Pilot certificate did.

The club’s Aircraft Maintenance Manager oversees upkeep for both aircraft, and all inspections and major repairs go through certified A&P mechanics. Beyond that, each aircraft has an assigned crew chief who checks it at least once a month to catch small issues before they become real ones.

Generally very available. Weekends book up faster, but if you plan a week or more ahead, you can usually get the aircraft you want when you want it. Members self-schedule anytime through Flight Schedule Pro.