Alameda Aero Club
Rules and Regulations

A. Member Status, Checkouts & Proficiency, Students

1. Admission to the Alameda Aero Club (Club) requires payment of a seven hundred fifty dollar ($750) refundable deposit, two hundred fifty dollar ($250) non-refundable initiation fee plus the first month’s dues, for a total of $1080.

2. Only active members may fly Club aircraft (A/C). Dues for active members are $80 per calendar month. Dues for inactive members are $25 per calendar month. A member may change status from/to inactive only once in a 12-month period.

3. A Member may resign at any time by completing the following steps:

1. Email the Club Membership Officer of their intent to resign.
2. Verify and share their U.S. mailing address in Flight Circle and email the Club Membership Officer that this has been completed.
3. Badged Member: Surrender their Port of Oakland AAC ID badge in person at the ID Badging Office, obtain a receipt for the surrender, and email an image of the receipt to the Club Membership Officer.

A ~6-week waiting period will commence when:

• Unbadged Member: The Club Membership Officer receives an email notification of the Member’s intent to resign.
• Badged Member: The Club Membership Officer receives an email containing the image of the receipt for the badge surrender. 

During the waiting period, outstanding expenses incurred by the Member and charged to the Club will be charged to the Member’s Flight Circle account. At the end of the waiting period and once all accounts have been settled, the Club’s bank will be instructed to send the member a paper check for the remainder of their deposit. The check will be sent to the Member’s U.S. mailing address via the U.S. Postal Service. Any Member who resigns less than six months from the date they joined the Club will forfeit their deposit.

4. All members must be checked out and approved for solo flight by an instructor designated by the Club’s Board of Directors (BOD) before soloing any Club A/C. A prospective member may fly with a Club instructor prior to joining the Club, but the prospective member must actually join the Club (that is, have paperwork/money submitted and gain the approval of the BOD) prior to solo flights in Club A/C. Any flight instruction given in Club A/C must, without exception, be provided by an approved Club instructor. Aircraft checkouts will be in accordance with Club insurance requirements.

5. If a member has not logged flight time within 90 days (there is no mandate that it be accomplished in a Club A/C) in the same category and class of A/C (e.g., SEL), the member must perform a check ride with a Club instructor prior to flying any Club A/C.

6. Student pilots will require two stage checks, at intervals to be determined by the student’s instructor. Flight plans must be filed with the FAA for all student solo cross-country flights in excess of fifty nautical miles. Student pilots shall not fly Club aircraft solo when surface winds are gusting above 15 knots and/or the crosswind component exceeds 10 knots, nor fly outside the local traffic pattern when weather conditions are less than 3000 feet ceiling/5 statute miles visibility, without the approval of the student’s instructor.

B. Scheduling, Flight and Operating Rules

1. Aircraft may be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis through the Club’s web-based scheduler, FlightCircle. (A comment that describes the flight – such as “VFR local” or IFR MRY” is required.) Diamond N22QT and Piper 8312H may not be used for primary training.

2. Since A/C may be unexpectedly ‘downed’ for maintenance/safety reasons, the Club regrets that it cannot guarantee reservations, or the successful completion of any planned mission. The Club is not responsible for incidental expenses (e.g. lodging, transport, etc.) involved with any flight.

3. A member may make up to five (5) advance reservations. Back-up reservations are allowed, and will be honored in the order in which they were placed. Failure to appear one-half hour after the reserved time will result in the cancellation of the reservation. Members who cancel a reservation on short notice (e.g., for weather or other circumstances) are expected to notify other Club members (using the functionality of FlightCircle) that the A/C is available.

4. Members of the Club shall comply with all Federal Aviation Regulations, as well as State, Airport and Club rules while operating Club A/C. Violations of these regulations/rules may result in a determination by 2/3 of the BOD that the member be suspended or expelled from the Club

5. Members must perform a thorough pre-flight inspection (to include a visual determination of the fuel quantity, and verification that the Airworthiness and Registration certificates, appropriate Weight & Balance information, and Operating Manual(s) are in the aircraft) prior to commencing flight. Any damage or discrepancies discovered by the member will be assumed to be the responsibility of the last user unless it has been reported previously in the Squawk Log. Members will be held responsible for any negligent act (e.g., Master Switch left on) that causes unnecessary loss of revenue. If a condition is discovered which may affect the airworthiness of the A/C, it shall not be flown until cleared by a Club-approved maintenance mechanic (i.e., A&P). No member, except a licensed maintenance mechanic, may perform any maintenance on Club Aircraft (other than pre-flight inspections) without authorization from the Club Maintenance Officer. Members may not hand prop Club A/C.

6. All aircraft operating limitations must be observed. Aerobatic maneuvers, except those that are permissible when the aircraft is operated in the Utility category, are prohibited.

7. Smoking is prohibited in all Club aircraft.

8. Except in emergencies, Club A/C shall be taken off from and landed on airfields listed in the Airport/Facility Directory. Pilots may land at private airfields provided advance approval is obtained from the airport owner/manager. Any member with less than one hundred (100) hours flying time who lands on an unapproved field must call the Club President, Chief Pilot, or Maintenance Officer before attempting to take off alone. That member may also elect to remain with the A/C until a better qualified pilot arrives.

9. Members are responsible for returning Club A/C to the Oakland airport. A member who cannot return the A/C as scheduled must contact the Club President, Chief Pilot, or Maintenance Officer. Two-way communication must be established; messages left on answering devices are insufficient. If the issue is (a) mechanical and can be repaired within 24 hours, or (b) weather-related and improvement is forecast within 24 hours, the member shall be responsible for returning the aircraft to Oakland. If the member opts to abandon the A/C, all expenses incurred by the Club in returning it to Oakland shall be borne by that member.

10. Aircraft reservations that last for 24 hours or longer will be subject to a minimum daily rate per additional 24-hour period after the first day, at the following rates:

–N52789, N739UL, N734BN, N6605D: two (2) hours flight time per 24-hour period

–N8312H, N22QT, N747JS: one (1) hour flight time per 24-hour period

There shall be no minimum charge for the first 24 hours, or for periods less than 24 hours. The maximum duration of aircraft reservation is seven (7) calendar days; exceptions must be approved by the Board of Directors. (For example: If you take an A/C at 0900 Tuesday and return it at or before 0900 Thursday, you will be charged a minimum of two (2) hours or total flight time, whichever is greater. If you return after 0900 on Thursday you will be charged four (4) hours or total flight time, whichever is greater.)

11. The Cessnas must be refueled if the total flight time since last refueling exceeds two (2.0) hours tachometer time. Refueling at other airports is encouraged when the price is significantly less than at Oakland. Should the member elect not to refuel when the tach exceeds two (2.0) hours since last refuel, the member must add two tenths (0.2) of an hour to the flight slip, and use that figure as the next member’s starting tach. The Pipers should be returned with filled approximately to the tabs after each flight. If a Piper has been flown more then one (1.0) tach hour since filled to the tabs, the member must add two tenths (0.2) of an hour to the flight slip, and use that figure as the next member’s starting tach.

12. Members are required to plan to land with a minimum of one hour of fuel remaining (assuming cruise conditions).

13. After shutdown the A/C must be tidied up (waste materials and charts, etc. removed, seat belts and shoulder harnesses dressed, sunscreens in place), de-energized (Master and Avionics Master switches Off), properly tied down (with control lock and chocks, pitot cover and cowl plugs in place, propeller in a horizontal position), and doors locked. Members are reminded to use the tow bar for ground handling.

14. Power out and pull through parking is prohibited at the AAC ramp. This rules applies to AAC aircraft tied down in positions T12, T13, T14, T15, T18, T19 and 906-2.

For pilots departing the AAC ramp, the aircraft must be pulled out of the tiedown spot using a tow bar and turned onto the nearest taxiway prior to engine start.

For pilots parking at the AAC ramp, the aircraft must be stopped on the taxiway adjacent to the tie down spot and pushed back into parking using a tow bar.

Pilots and CFIs must remain vigilant during the use of the tow bar to ensure it is safely stowed before startup. A good rule- if your hand is not on the tow bar, it should be stowed in the rear of the aircraft.

Powering out of a tie down position or taxiing into a tie down through an adjacent tie down position is prohibited.

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15. Club aircraft are not permitted to fly to 88NV (Burning Man).

Notes
Please bear in mind that we are a Club, not an FBO. Your fellow members are also your fellow co-owners of your airplanes. Let the Golden Rule be your guide.

A.2. Contact the Membership Officer to change your status from Active to Inactive, or vice versa.

A.5. This documentation requirement is primarily for insurance
purposes. Failure to comply may result in the suspension of
flight privileges.

B.2. The half-hour rule is a courtesy to other Club members (and fellow A/C owners). If you’re running late but want to fly, change your start time. (After all, you’re only cutting into your scheduled block of time.) If you’re going to release the A/C, use “My Club” on the scheduler to advise the membership. Be sure to always honor the next member’s start time. Play nice.

B.3. The member may appeal such determination to the general membership: it may be reversed or upheld by a simple majority of the members present at a meeting called by the BOD for such a purpose. The vote shall be by written, secret ballot.

B.4. “…unnecessary loss of revenue” means that if a member does something negligent that causes the A/C to be ‘downed’, that member will be responsible for reimbursing the Club for any expenses incurred in bringing the A/C back to the ‘up’ condition. For example, if you run the battery down to doornail-dead (that is, it can’t be recharged) because you left the Master Switch on, you’re liable for the costs (including labor) of replacing the battery. If the A/C sits idle while repairs are being made, the member is not responsible for the hours that could have been flown if the A/C had remained in the ‘up’ condition.

B.8. When a problem (flat tire, failure to start, etc.) occurs away from Oakland, call one of the Club officers whose contact information is kept in each aircraft (probably in the seatback pocket). Please don’t spend any money (for which the Club will reimburse you) without authorization from them. (It may sometimes be less expensive for the Club to fly an in-stock part to you, rather than buy a new one.) If a part/service must be purchased, hold on to the paperwork.

B.10. Members may not block out an aircraft for a period of time, and operate it out of Oakland, to the exclusion of other members. For an example of how the multi-day cost works: If you take a club Cessna at 0900 Tuesday and return it at or before 0900 Thursday, you will be charged a minimum of two (2) hours or total flight time, whichever is greater. If you return after 0900 on Thursday you will be charged four (4) hours or total flight time, whichever is greater.)

B.11. Please help keep the fuel price listing in the clubhouse up to date.

Revision Effective 01 OCT 2024