The Deschutes Flying Club does not own its aircraft, but instead we choose to lease aircraft from their owners. One of the main reasons for this is that it reduces the club initiation fees, since we didn't have to raise all the money to purchase aircraft up front. But it also allows us to add aircraft more easily to fit the needs of the club members. Our hope is to have a collection of aircraft to fulfill the various types of missions you might be wanting to accomplish (initial training, instrument training, cross-country flights, etc.)
If you are an aircraft owner, or know one, for a quick summary, leasing a plane to the club means that the club will cover the costs of the hangar or tie-down, the insurance for the aircraft, the 100-hour inspections, fuel, oil, etc. The owner gets paid a lease rate (typically 5% of the aircraft value per year) plus an hourly fee over that based on our use of the aircraft.
If you own an aircraft, know anyone who owns one who isn't flying it as much as they might like to justify the expense, or if you are interested in purchasing an aircraft to lease back to the club, reach out and let us know!