AOPA Sample Operating Rule Guidelines

Introduction

Article I \x96 The club

1. The ___________ club is a nonprofit or not-for-profit entity (e.g., corporation, association, or partnership) organized for the express purpose of providing its members with aircraft for their personal use and enjoyment only. All members of the Club shall comply with all Federal Aviation Regulations, state, airport, and Club rules while operating Club aircraft.

Article II \x96 Club membership

1. Membership in the ___________ Flying Club is contingent upon approval of the application for membership by the Board of Directors and such membership may be revoked by the Board of Directors.
2. The applicable initiation fee, security deposit, and current dues must be paid in full before a membership application can be approved.
3. When any member is in default in the payment of dues for ______, membership may be terminated by the Board of Directors.
4. A member is eligible to fly Club aircraft only if the membership is valid in all respects.

Article III \x96 Flight rules

1. A member must perform a thorough preflight inspection of the aircraft, including a visual inspection of the fuel quantity, prior to commencing flight. Any damage or discrepancies discovered by a member will be assumed to be the responsibility of the last user unless it has been reported previously to the Maintenance Officer. If a condition is discovered which may affect the airworthiness of the aircraft, the aircraft shall not be flown until cleared by the Maintenance Officer.
2. Each member must ascertain that the airworthiness and registration certificates, appropriate operating limitations information, and operator\x92s manual are in the aircraft prior to commencing the flight.
3. All aircraft operating limitations must be observed. Aerobatic maneuvers are prohibited except those which are permissible under the operating limitations when the aircraft is operated in the utility category.
4. Flight plans must be filed with the FAA for flights over sparsely populated areas; mountainous, wooded, or desert terrain; or for extended overwater flight; and for all student solo cross-country flights in excess of fifty (50) miles.
5. Each member must have flown a check ride with a qualified and approved instructor during the preceding 12 months, subject to the following:
   1. A pilot not having flown Club aircraft within a three (3) month period must take a check ride with a qualified and approved flight instructor.
   2. A pilot qualified and approved to fly more than one type of aircraft in the club will take the annual check ride in the heaviest/fastest of such aircraft and the check ride will qualify the pilot to fly all other aircraft in which he/she has been approved to fly. The ranking of the Club\x92s aircraft for this paragraph will be made by the Safety Director.
   3. The check ride will include maneuvers and procedures appropriate to the aircraft flown and the pilot certificate held.
   4. Other specialized aircraft may be subject to additional rules.
6. Members using Club aircraft for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flights must have had an instrument proficiency check during the past 12 months with a qualified and approved flight instructor.
7. Members with less than ______(___) hours shall not fly Club aircraft when weather conditions are less than ______feet ceiling and ________miles visibility or when the surface winds exceed _______miles per hour.
8. Except in emergencies, Club aircraft shall be flown from and landed on airfields approved by the club. As a guideline these are generally hard-surfaced runways in good condition with suitable length and width for the proposed operation.
9. Club aircraft may not be used to give flight instruction to anyone except Club members and, upon approval by the Board of Directors, members of their immediate families.

Article IV \x96 Aircraft care and maintenance

1. Upon completion of a flight, the pilot must tidy up the aircraft. Waste paper and extra charts (a sectional chart for the local area should be kept in the aircraft) will be removed, seat belts will be straightened, etc.
2. Refueling of the aircraft should be completed at the end of a flight unless other arrangements have been made.
3. No member (except the Maintenance Officer) may perform any maintenance on Club aircraft, other than preflight inspection, without authorization from the Maintenance Officer.

3.Article V \x96 Scheduling

1. Weekend and holiday* reservations: Only one (1) pending reservation that includes a weekend day or holiday is permitted at any given time. A second reservation that includes a weekend day or holiday may be entered only after the first weekend day or holiday reservation has been flown off or cancelled. A single reservation means any reservation of any length of time. *Holidays include New Year\x92s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the following Friday, and Christmas Day.
2. Weekday reservations: Only three (3) reservations that include a weekday are permitted at any given time. A fourth reservation that includes a weekday may be entered only after a prior weekday reservation has been flown off or cancelled. A single reservation means any reservation of any length of time.
3. General rules:
   1. Same day exception: If an aircraft is available for the current day, a member may schedule it for that day only without jeopardizing any future schedules.
   2. Owners\x92 exemption: The owners of an aircraft have made a significant investment in the plane and the club. Therefore, they are exempt from the reservation policy. They have shown a willingness to be flexible on a repeating schedule, and are open to requests for a change in their schedule.
   3. Use of stand-by schedule: All members are encouraged to submit standby reservations. In the case of a cancelled flight, they will be notified of the aircraft\x92s availability.
   4. Multi-day trips are subject to a two-hour per day minimum.
   5. Multi-day \x93local\x94 trips with limited hours planned are discouraged. The club will work with the member to ferry the plane back during the time the plane would not be used.
   6. Reserving a plane for multiple days in order to ensure \x93as-needed\x94 availability will not be permitted.
4. Violation of reservation policy
   1. Any reservation violating this policy may be immediately stricken by the board of directors.

Article VI \x96 Insurance

1. Liability: All club aircraft are included in a policy that includes liability protection for the club and its individual members that arise out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a club aircraft. Such coverage will include protection for club members who are liable for the injuries to another passenger or bystander club member. Coverage limits are to be determined by the consensus of the club members, and availability of coverage. Individual pilots/club members are not protected for their own injuries. AOPA members may purchase life insurance and/or accidental-death-and-dismemberment coverage at their own and separate expense. The insurance company will allow for inactive or social members without charge, subject to reasonable restrictions. Club members are required to provide accurate and current flight hours, as well as dates of recent fight reviews and renewal of airman medical certification.
2. Hull: All club aircraft to be insured against loss or damage as determined to be necessary by the consensus of the club.
3. Director\x92s and Officer\x92s Liability: Some clubs may desire to purchase a separate (non-aviation) policy called Director\x92s and Officer\x92s Liability Insurance. This coverage, usually called D&O, provides protection for the officers of the club (or the organization itself) for defense costs or losses that result from alleged wrongful acts in their capacity as club officers.
4. The club aircraft policy will include limited coverage for damage to rented or leased hangar facilities.
5. Medical Payments: Insurance to include medical payments for medical, surgical, and dental services.
6. Policy Territory: To include U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Central America, and Islands of the West Indies.