What is Fox Flying Club?

Pilots from all walks of life, with varying levels of experience from student pilots to airline captains, instrument students and pilots, commercial pilots, CFI's and even the occasional "pinch hitter". We all share the same love for flying and appreciation for the best in equipment.

What are TACH and HOBBS times?

Airplanes have timers in them that are used to track operating time for maintenance and billing. For example, most small aircraft engines are overhauled after reaching 2000 tach hours. The Tach timer is connected to the tachometer, which indicates how fast the engine and propeller are turning in revolutions per minute, just like your car. This timer is set by the factory to be equal to normal clock time when the engine is at 2300 rpm (Piper) or 2400 rpm (Cessna). Therefore, when the engine is operating at low power levels, common during training, the Tach timer operates slower than clock time. The Hobbs timer records clock time whenever the engine is operating.

Generally, Tach time is 85% to 90% of Hobbs (clock) time. So a billing rate of $99 per Tach hour is equivalent to $84 to $89 per Hobbs hour. So, the difference is very important when comparing the cost of flying!

How Much?

Costs are very affordable. Initiation fee is only $350. Some clubs require members to buy a "share" that costs anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. Theoretically the cost of these shares are sold back to a new member when you leave that club. However, if you can't sell the share, you're required to continue paying dues. Some owners have had to reduce the price of their shares significantly to sell them.

Our current club dues run at a reasonable $100 per month.

Your hourly rate is billed on TACH time, not HOBBS time.

Are your airplanes equipped for flight under Instrument Flight Rules?

All of the airplanes are equipped for IFR flying and incorporate different equipment for your education and safety. For example, various planes in our fleet have GPS, intercoms and to name just a few features.

How is the airplane maintenance organized?

The club's maintenance officer oversees that all airplanes are kept in airworthy condition. In addition, club members volunteer as a crerw chief for each airplane. Whatever maintenance work is needed, it is done under FAA rules by licensed mechanics and by shops in the area that have a reputation of high quality work. Club members also perform minor maintenance as permitted by the FAA. The club's policy on maintenance is very straightforward: no compromise on safety.

Where do you keep the airplanes?

All of our planes are located in the Echo hangars along Tower Road on the west side of Dupage airport.

I'm a licensed pilot. When can I start flying?

After your membership has been approved and you have passed a club check ride for the aircraft you intend to fly, you may schedule the aircraft through our 24-hour scheduling service.

Could you teach me to fly?

Many of our members join as students with no previous knowledge or flying time. A flying club is often the very best place for a student to learn to fly because of the low cost and personalized instruction. Our Cessna 172 costs just $104 per TACH hour! If you have looked into the flight schools and Fixed Base Operators (FBO) in the area you will realize that this is about half the going rate. Once you become an Active member and make arrangements with one of the club's instructors, you are on your way to earning your pilot's certificate. See LEARN TO FLY.

What is your reservation system?

We are using Schedule Master. The service can be accessed either using a regular phone, or over the Internet using a web browser. It is available 24 hours per day, every day.

What about insurance?

The club carries non-commercial insurance through Chartis in the amount of $100,000 per passenger (pilot excepted and family members of pilot limited to $25,000 each) and $1,000,000 per accident. The member is responsible for the deductible of $1,000. You are insured as an aircraft owner and your insurance coverage is better than any rental situation.

Based on your personal financial situation, you may wish to carry additional renter's insurance. Here are some articles with good discussion on the subject: Renter Pilot Liability, Renting Can Be Hazardous To Your Wealth, and What you need to know about non-owner aviation insurance.

Instructors may wish to carry additional insurance to cover the commercial activity of instructing members. AOPA, Avemco, and NAFI have non-owned instructor policies available.