Learn to fly at the Aero Club

  • Published
  • By Amber Martin, Aero Club manager
  • 49th Force Support Squadron
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Did you know that the Aero Club is not just for current pilots or people who own their own aircraft? It is open to any member of Team Holloman.

Aero Club members include retired military pilots, United Airlines 747 captains, Eclipse Aviation mentor pilots, 50-year Airframe and Powerplant mechanics, helicopter pilots, student pilots and people who have never even flown an aircraft.

The club is a Federal Aviation Administration-approved Part 141 flight school for both private and instrument ratings which means tuition assistance will pay for formal ground school. Interested parties can even get an Airline Transport Pilot rating at the club.

Aero Clubs were formerly used for Initial Flight Screening for the Air Force before the program was centralized in Pueblo, Colo. Many of the flight school graduates have gone on to become military pilots. The club follows both FAA and Air Force rules, which has led to the best safety record in the general
aviation industry.

Currently, the Aero Club has three Cessna 172s, a tailwheel Piper PA-12, a multi-engine Piper Aztec and a Cessna turbo 210 available to fly. This means interested, aspiring pilots could get a Private pilot license with high-performance, complex, tailwheel and multi-engine endorsements all in one location.

The average price for a pilot's license at the Aero Club is $5,500 and normally takes six to eight months for an active duty member. Those who are able to fly about three times per week can knock it out in three to four month and the license itself does not expire. Off-base flight schools can charge more than $8,000, and more than $10,000 in Europe to get a pilot license.

The club also offers Airframe and Powerplant prep classes, Teen Aviation Days, FAA certified testing center, pilot supplies, flyouts and other fun aviation events.

Those interested can schedule a 40-minute Introductory flight and see Alamogordo and White Sands from the air by calling the Aero Club at 575-572-3752.