Operating Rules

The 43rd Aviation Flying Club, Inc. Hartford, Connecticut

(Amended February 11, 1987)

In these rules, the abbreviation FAA shall refer to the Federal Aviation Administration and the abbreviation NTSB shall refer to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Section I

Flying Safety

1.  Each member joining the club shall be instructed and checked out thoroughly in each aircraft and its equipment by a FAA Certified Flight Instructor acceptable to the Board of Directors before taking sole custody of the aircraft. This checkout shall be logged in the members flight log book. This checkout shall then be reported to the Reservation Officer within one week of the completion of the checkout.

2.  The Board of Directors may, at any time, require a member to be checked-out by a flight instructor of the Board's choosing before continuing to use the club's aircraft.

3.  No member may permit a non-member (other than a certified flight instructor instructing a member) to fly a club aircraft, or permit a member not qualified in a particular airplane type to fly it while the aircraft is in his/her custody.

4.  Each member shall observe Federal and State Aviation Regulations, local airport rules (at any airport he/she takes the club aircraft to), and all other regulations formulated for the operation of the club aircraft, and shall conduct himself/herself in a manner that is a credit to General Aviation and the 43rd Aviation Flying Club.

 

Section II

Scheduling and Using Club Aircraft

1.  Each member must reserve specific time in the club reservation book prior to flying club aircraft. Reservations may be made in person or by phone. When reserving in person, mark the time in pencil for the hours you expect the aircraft to be away from the home field. When reserving by phone, exercise the same care. A reservation for "all day" shall only be requested if the aircraft is to be used from 0001 through 2400 on a given day. Mark the reservation book in pencil and use the 24 hour clock to avoid misunderstanding.

2.  Reservations shall be made no more than 30 days in advance, unless written request is entered in the Advance Reservations section in the reservation book for approval by the Reservations Officer acting on behalf of the Board of Directors.

3.  Each member may schedule the aircraft for two weekend days per month without additional permission from the Reservations Officer during the months of May through October. A weekend day is defined as four or more daylight hours. This rule shall not apply to members who have approved continuous reservations of 10 or more days.

4.  In the spirit of maximizing the use of the aircraft, any member may use the aircraft on any given day, regardless of Rule 3 (above), if he/she arrives at the airport, finds an aircraft available with no reservations and no alternates marked in the reservation book for that day. The member will then mark the desired time in the reservation book, note that this rule was applied, and enjoy the flight.

5.  Each member may schedule and use a club aircraft for one continuous period of 5-14 days each calendar year. Longer periods of continuous use, or any additional period of continuous use exceeding 5 days shall require permission of the Board of Directors.

6.  A reservation shall be canceled as soon as the member is certain that the aircraft will not be used for the period reserved. Delayed starts and earlier returns also require cancellation for the periods reserved when the aircraft will be away from the home field. When canceling, look to see if any members have requested to be alternates for the same period. It is the canceling member's responsibility to make every effort to contact the alternate member to inform him/her that the aircraft will indeed be available.

7.  In the event that a member holding a reservation, fails to arrive at the airport within 30 minutes of the start of his/her reserved period for reservation periods not exceeding 12 hours, that reservation may be canceled by any other club member desiring to use the aircraft. If an alternate is listed, the member desiring to use the aircraft shall attempt to contact the alternate. The alternate shall have the first opportunity to make a subsequent reservation for any remaining time and the member desiring to use the aircraft may use any time not used by the alternate. For reservations exceeding 12 hours, the above applies if the member fails to arrive at the airport within one hour of the start of the reserved time.

8.  Additional blank pages will only be added to the reservation book by the Reservations Officer. When additional pages are added, the reservation officer will also check advance reservations and mark these in the added pages. Blank pages added by any person other than the Reservations Officer will be removed.

 

Section III

Billing Minimums

1.  All members shall be required to fly at least one hour per month unless circumstances arise to prevent this. Members shall be able to carry one month's minimum flying time to the next month, provided it is paid for in accordance with the club's normal billing rules. Accrued flying time will be the first to be accounted for by the club treasurer. Any member who is unable to meet these minimums shall present his/her situation to the Board of Directors. In these cases, the Board may authorize accrual of minimums beyond one month, recommend that the member apply for a leave of absence, or take any other steps deemed necessary.

 

Section IV

General Rules

1.  Each member is responsible for completing a pre-flight check of the aircraft prior to flying it. Squawks shall be reported in the flight time log or in a separate squawk log if the Maintenance Officer for that aircraft chooses to use one. Major squawks shall be reported to the Maintenance Officer or other Board member at once, and if sufficiently serious, ground the aircraft, and ensure that arrangements are made to correct the problem.

2.  Maintenance of the club aircraft is the sole responsibility of the club Maintenance Officer(s). Maintenance shall only be authorized by the Maintenance Officer for that aircraft. An exception will be made in the event that emergency maintenance is needed away from the home airport so a club member can safely return to the home airport. In this case, the club member will make every effort to contact the Maintenance Officer for that aircraft, or failing that, any other Board member before authorizing emergency maintenance.

3.  All members shall be thoroughly familiar with the weight and balance data for each club aircraft they fly and will be particularly cautious when loading the aircraft.

4.  A member may accept an offer to share the cost of a flight. The member shall however take particular care to ensure that the flight cannot be construed as a charter.

5.  All fuel tanks shall be topped off after each flight of more than one hour. If the flight is the last flight of the day, the fuel shall be topped off regardless of the length of the flight. Since the oil takes a significant period of time to drain from the crankcase back into the oil pan after the engine is stopped, the responsibility for ensuring that the oil is at the optimum level shall lie with the pilot pre-flighting the aircraft prior to his/her flight, not with the pilot returning from a flight.

6.  In cases where the aircraft must be left at some airport other than its home base due to weather, mechanical difficulties, or any other valid reason which would make flying the aircraft hazardous or contrary to the Federal Aviation Regulations, the pilot must notify the club via the best means possible. The pilot shall make every attempt to notify a board member and the reservation desk. The aircraft shall be secured and locked. It will be the responsibility of the pilot to return the aircraft on the first VFR day (over the entire route). Failure to do this will result in the club arranging for its return. All costs incurred by the club in returning the aircraft to its home base will be borne by the pilot leaving the aircraft. In special cases, including incapacity of the aircraft or pilot, the Board of Directors may make alternate arrangements.

7.  In the case of an accident, the pilot responsible for the aircraft will take full responsibility for making all required reports, including those to the FAA and NTSB. The pilot will also report the accident to a club officer or board member as soon as possible. The pilot will be responsible for the deductible portion of damages.

8.  Each member shall record the actual starting tachometer reading in the log book before starting the engine. (This will also ensure that the member reads any squawks logged by other members.) At the conclusion of the flight, after the aircraft is returned to the tie down or turned over to another member, the member shall record the tachometer reading after the engine is stopped. At this time, the member shall also record total elapsed time, fuel and oil consumption, any squawks noted, comments as appropriate and their signature.

9.  Each member is responsible for securing the aircraft, tying it down, locking the controls, closing the windows, and removing all trash from the interior following each flight.

 

Section V

Penalties

The Board of Directors may suspend, fine or expel without reimbursement any member for violation of club by-laws, Operating Rules, or FAA Regulations.

Philosophy

It shall be understood that the reservation system is designed first, for proper club operation; second, for maximum availability of the aircraft to club members; and third, for maximum use of the aircraft.

Advance reservations are intended for vacations and special events only, not for reserving weekends on speculation.

If rearranging the reservation schedule will solve a particular problem or need, members should feel free to contact the members involved to discuss the matter. It may be preferable to call on the Reservations Officer to assist in the rescheduling or any other reservation concern.

 

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