There are many advantages to joining a flying club such as TSS!

The TSS Flying Club advances the interest in general aviation by offering its members a fun an rewarding environment to its members. The club currently has four quality, modern light aircraft to support its members' interests. We routinely conduct a wide range of stimulating membership activities and benefits designed to maximize the enjoyment of flying.

The TSS Flying Club is more than just a place to rent a plane. There are get-togethers, banquets, plane washes and BBQs, and various "fly-in" trips. It's also a place where people with an interest in flying can get together and share flying stories, also commonly known as "hangar flying." But of course, the real fun is participating in actual flying activities. In addition to individual flying, we have group activities such as club trips along the Hudson River by way of New York City, fly-in to Tangier Island, and the Oz Jump School.

The club's members span a wide spectrum of ages (from teens on up), occupations, interests, backgrounds, and flying experience - student, private, instrument, commercial, ATP (airplane transport pilot), and flight instructors (from one hour of flight time to tens of thousands). There is more to the club than just a place to add flight hours to your logbook.

Competitive Pricing

We are committed to keeping flying affordable! The club operates on a non-profit basis, so our rates are based on the true cost of flying and maintaining our fleet. The costs are recalculated frequently to make sure they are reflecting current fuel and maintenance costs and trends. Our rates are lower than those of a typical Fixed Based Operator (FBO) because a club's overhead is significantly lower and we have no profit motive. Also, the club rates are based on "tach time" vs. "hobbs time" which equates to a lower cost per hour, especially where there are a lot of low power operations (such as extended taxi operations). Most FBOs charge by the more expensive hobbs rate method. All the same, prospective members should compare hourly rates and terms between this club and local FBOs.

Hobbs vs. Tach Time

The Hobbs meter in most airplanes is triggered by a set oil pressure (i.e., 10 psi) and runs only when the engine does. The Hobbs meter counts the same no matter how fast the engine is running and is difficult to fool. Tach time, on the other hand, is designed to count accurately only at a certain engine speed, usually a high cruise (i.e., 2500 rpm). So with the tach, time ticks by slower when you are on the ground waiting for a takeoff compared to in the air at cruise.

Insurance

As a member owner of the club, you are covered by the club's insurance policy. This can save you hundreds of dollars a year compared to buying renter's insurance. Our insurance policy provides $1M in Property Damage Coverage, $100,000 Bodily Injury per passenger, and Hull Coverage at full value. All club members are individually included under the club insurance policy. An FBO's policy usually only covers the FBO, and NOT the renter. Therefore, if the FBO's insurance company decides that you, the renter, is at fault, it has the option of pursuing legal action against you personally to recover costs associated with an accident. This is referred to as subrogation. Further insight to this topic is available on the AOPA web site.

Well Maintained, Safe Aircraft

All aircraft are fully equipped with communication and navigation equipment and are IFR-certified for instrument conditions. The club puts a priority on maintenance, and all "squawks" (reported problems) are addressed immediately by the volunteer maintenance coordinators for each aircraft. The planes, since they're owned by the members, are usually maintained better and handled with a bit more care. As a pilot, you are allowed to fly any aircraft for which you meet the club, insurance company, and FAA requirements to fly.

Instruction

There are several certified flight instructors who are active in the TSS Flying Club. Members coordinate directly with the club flight instructors to arrange for individual flight instruction. While the club does not have a formal flight school, our members are usually able to achieve their personal flying instruction goals through the services offered by the club instructors. Prospective members who are not pilots, but are interested in learning to fly, are most welcome!

Overnight and Longer Trips

The club allows you to take the aircraft away for overnights, summer weekends, and longer trips. We have much fewer restrictions and "minimums" than an FBO typically requires. The minimum time slot for reserving a club aircraft is one hour. Most FBOs have much longer minimums, especially for overnight trips. The result is more flexibility, more flying fun, at a lower cost.

Aircraft to Member Ratio

We attempt to keep the ratio of planes to pilots at between 1:10 and 1:15. Over the years, this has been shown to be the best compromise to keep prices down, utilization high, and member satisfaction high.

Scheduling

You can schedule aircraft 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using any standard web browser and your existing Internet connection or via a touch-tone phone.