Goodbye Wright-Patterson,

hello MacAir...

Open Letter to the members of the Wright Patterson Aero Club

Background:

In January 2012 I was told of the Wing Commander's intention to close the Aero Club and was ordered not to make that information public or take any actions that would suggest that such a move was being considered. At the February 2012 Safety meeting we were all told by her staff that the Wing Commander was closing the Aero Club. Shortly after the meeting, the wing published a press release in the base and local newspapers announcing the closure of the Aero Club. We were informed that the Wing Commander's letter officially requesting closure was signed and submitted.

Current Status:

What I can tell you is that my best efforts working within the system to avoid this situation and to recover after it became public knowledge have been unsuccessful. Although at the February safety meeting the Wing Commander's staff told us that logistic support of the club would continue until her recommendation to close the Aero Club was approved, I have found that is not true. My requests for the required quantities of consumables (fuel and oil) have been rationed and now ignored. Nor have my requests for purchase of repair and replacement parts been honored. Further requests for necessary maintenance expenditures have been denied. Our primary recruiting opportunity, the open house, has been canceled. Regardless of the final disposition on the request to close the Aero Club, these actions will force us to suspend operations and ground airplanes as it would be unsafe to continue flying. Terminating our recruiting activities and hence the arrival of new students, the life blood of any training organization, will inexorably lead to reducing the numbers of airplanes and instructors.

Way Forward:

Lest we forget: General Curtis LeMay created the Air Force Aero Clubs to improve what was then the primary focus of the Air Force: trained pilots who can fly airplanes safely and proficiently. Though times have changed, I still believe that having access to a fleet of well maintained aircraft for personal and professional development of flying knowledge, skill and ability is, or should be, a core competency of the Air Force. Unfortunately, our wing leadership has other priorities. Change is stressful. I have given the Wing Commander's decision to close the Aero Club and the wing staffs' strangle hold on our logistics a lot of thought. My deliberations have been painful and I have not arrived at my decision lightly. I have decided to leave WPAFB effective 30 May 12, and not fight any further the Wing Commander's decision. Further, I am advocating that we resurrect the Aero Club as a local flying club not affiliated with the 88th ABW.

Please remember that while closing the Aero Club may be an inconvenience or even a hardship for you, it represents termination of employment for me and the maintenance crew I put in place to serve you. Rather than lament the current situation or fight for an unsustainable compromise, I prefer to look forward and, as seamlessly as possible, structure a future that replaces the present with a better situation for all of us. Working with a local FBO, I have developed an alternative plan that I believe will give us the best of what we had here without the management architecture above us that could/would turn success to failure if we stayed. This club would have access to facilities that meet or exceed the quality of what we now have, sufficient numbers and type of airplanes to support all the types of flying we currently do, and instructors and classes to continue the training programs we now offer.

What would be different?

The Location;

We would NOT have:

• 10,000 feet of runway (5,000 will do for our airplanes)
• A dispatching system that adds cost and workload without adding value to your preflight process
• A control tower that is operationally structured to facilitate the training of student controllers at your expense, imposing procedures that are intended for much larger and faster aircraft
• Base Operations that closes the airfield to avoid risk or cost that could/should be accepted by leadership
• A building that requires one million dollars of renovation to bring it up to OSHA health and safety code standards
• The safety issues associated with flying and landing our light aircraft in close proximity to very heavy aircraft

The Airplanes:

• Our fleet is in excellent condition, but we will have to start over to rebuild our fleet
• I have coordinated with Mac Air to arrange for the joint use of two warriors, an Arrow, a Cirrus 22 and two Cessna 172s, all nicely configured
• The owner of the Cougar has graciously agreed to move their aircraft with us for our use

The Cost:

• Right now I can only estimate how a move will impact cost. With the help of the FBO my estimates of cost are:
• Dues $34/month (wet, with insurance)
• C-172- $105 /hour
• Warriors- current Aero Club rates
• Arrow- current Aero Club rates
• Cirrus 22 TBD
• Cougar- current Aero Club rates
• Instruction $25/hour
• Notes:
  
  • You have the option to not join the new club and still rent the aircraft or take instruction as a nonmember but the aircraft rental and instructor rates would be about $10 more per hour and leave you responsible for your own insurance
  • Purchase of block time to reduce rental cost is also being discussed

The Instructors:

• All of the current club instructors will be invited to join me at the new location. Most have indicated that they will do so.

People and Programs:

• Craig Kern, chief pilot has indicated that he will join me at the new location.
• We will be able to offer the advantages of the Part 141 school operations at the new location
• I plan to offer positions to all the maintenance personnel that want to move
• Those programs that add safety or address risk will be replicated at the new location
• There are state-of-the-art simulators at the new location
• CATS testing is offered
• Students' current hours and accomplishments will be credited at the new club

Is there a down side to my decision to leave the WPAFB Aero Club and attempt relocation of a flying club off base? Yes. I have been told by my current management that if I leave they will suspend operations, not try to fill any of the required positions and close the Aero Club. To some this gives the appearance of capitulation. However, my intellect, not emotion, is the only reliable way for me to differentiate the long term "right choice" from all the other options. For those of you wanting to fight, regardless of how satisfying it would be to "win" this battle, it is my opinion that is in the best interest of all the Aero Club members to join me in this move. Please join me.

As the date of 1 June 12 comes closer I will be putting out further information and guidance on how to become a member of the Mac Air Aero club and will keep you informed of the goings on with the transition. The KEY to any flying club is without a doubt its membership. I want to Thank everyone who over the past 5 years has been right there by my side as we brought this aeroclub to what it is today. The open houses, the formation flying, the fly outs, movie nights etc would not have been possible without you; the member! I am excited about the move to Mac Air and with the enthusiasm of their organization from the CEO on down, and with our members we will make aviation bigger and better than it has even been in the Dayton area. With the help of our Chief Flight Instructor Craig Kern, we will continue to bring you top-notch airplanes and second to none flight instructors.

Once again thanks to everyone who has made my job as the Club manager enjoyable and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces over at I19 this summer. Keep 'em Flying!!!

Joe
Aka, Moses

MacAir Aviation Services

Dear Wright-Patterson Aero Club Member,

As a friend of flight in the Dayton region I was disappointed, as you must be, to learn that the Wright-Patterson Aero Club will be closing. I want to take this opportunity to share an option that will let you continue flying with no interruption. We invite you to join the MacAir Aero Club.

MacAir has been a fixture at the Greene County Airport for years. The MacAir Aero Club has formed to offer flying activities and training courses identical to what you have enjoyed with the Wright-Patterson Aero Club; but with easier access and fewer restrictions. Your current Manager and Chief Instructor Pilot will be employed in the same positions at the MacAir Aero Club. MacAir has completed all pre-requisites as a Part 141 training school. The FAA has told us that obtaining the Part 141 school designation will be a quick process since we will use the same people and training syllabus as the Aero Club. Thus we will be able to quickly offer VA flight training, including transfer and continuity of service for any students in process. Those pilots who are working on a license can just bring their training records with them to the MacAir Aero Club so you may continue your flight training with no interruption in continuity. If your CFI joins the MacAir Team, as we hope will be the case, you will even be able to fly with the same instructor.

If you are already a licensed pilot The MacAir Aero Club will offer several aircraft for you to fly. We will have two Cessna 172s, two Piper Warriors, a Piper Arrow, and an SR-22. We also expect to lease the Grumman Cougar that the Aero Club currently uses. More airplanes are in the planning stages and will be purchased or leased as required to meet your needs. To keep your skills current you will be able to get the same training courses as currently offered by the Aero Club, fly formation, attend ground school, use the simulators, and get CATS testing at the MacAir Aero Club.

Regarding our fee structure, while costs are not yet finalized we expect that dues will around $30 per month plus $4 per month renter's insurance charge. We will rent the 172s at a member rate of $105 per hour and other airplanes rental rates will be similar to the current Aero Club rates. The instructor rate will be $25 per hour. If you do not care to join the MacAir Aero Club, you can still have access to our airplanes. The non-member rental rate for the 172 will be $114/hour, flight instruction will be $33/hr and you will have to purchase your own renters insurance if you choose to have it.

We know that the Wright-Patterson Aero Club has a long history and started in Greene County. The MacAir Aero Club honors that history and is committed to carrying on their traditions. An open house that we will host in June will be a perfect opportunity for you to begin flying with us. We hope to see you all there! For further information please contact Lia Ayoob, MacAir Director of Operations at 423 946 0927.

We hope to fly with you soon!

Lia M. Ayoob
Director of Operations
MacAir Aviation