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Pilots Should Become Part of In-Crowd

There are many reasons why you should join a type club even before you buy an airplane.

Extensively upgraded 1981 A36 Bonanza owned and operated by the ABS Air Safety Foundation to support member education. [American Bonanza Society/Brett Schauf]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Type clubs are essential resources for prospective and current airplane owners, providing make- and model-specific technical information, maintenance advice, and operational insights.
  • Joining a type club before purchase helps evaluate aircraft suitability, secure expert pre-buy inspections, and understand ownership costs, while post-purchase benefits include finding mechanics, facilitating transition training, and fulfilling insurance requirements.
  • These clubs foster community, offer continuous education, and demonstrably enhance pilot safety, with members showing significantly lower accident rates.
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If you’re serious about buying an airplane—even thinking about buying an airplane—one of the best things you can do is to join the appropriate type club.

A type club is a collection of owners and supporters of a specific type of airplane organized to share make- and model-specific technical information and hints for owning and flying the aircraft. The club may be formally organized and professionally staffed, or it may be an online presence run by a single person or collection of volunteers. Regardless, a type club is your best resource for answers to the many questions you’ll have as you evaluate candidate aircraft and after you purchase your aerial dream machine. It may save you a substantial amount of money—and it will make you demonstrably and statistically safer. Here’s why.

Thomas Turner

Thomas P. Turner is executive director of the American Bonanza Society Air Safety Foundation. A career flight instructor and aviation educator, he also publishes his FLYING Lessons weekly blog at www.thomaspturner.com. He has been inducted into the NAFI Flight Instructors Hall of Fame.

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