The International Cessna 170 Association

It's not too often that you find a club with a Tailwheel, let alone C170A. But the stars aligned and I found one! I finished checking out in this beauty today!

That's great Bryce!

Got me to wondering why there aren't more 170 flying clubs....

Congratulations Bryce! You have found a really rare treasure. I don't think I have ever seen a 170 in a flying club. Where is the flying club located?

Kyle Wolfe wrote:That's great Bryce!

Got me to wondering why there aren't more 170 flying clubs....

Because people treat rental airplanes like rental airplanes. There is a flying club in Oxford, ME that had a 170A for about a month before someone tore it up.

The only thing that made me comfortable with other people flying my family's 170 with the current owner using it for tailwheel training are that the only people allowed to fly the airplane solo are me, the owner, and the main instructor that has several thousand hours tailwheel time.

hilltop170 wrote:Congratulations Bryce! You have found a really rare treasure. I don't think I have ever seen a 170 in a flying club. Where is the flying club located?

Thanks! I recently took a new job in Michigan. I was checking out clubs on the rare chance that one would have a TW to fly and build time in (I just finished my TW endorsement this past summer). I was also checking to see if there were any partnerships in TW. Michigan seems to be filled with opportunity--I found both. But once I found out the club had a 170A, and that it was in great shape, I was thrilled!

The club is located at KMBS in Saginaw between Bay City and Midland. There is a VERY active flying community in this part of Michigan. The club also has a C172 and an Archer II. So there are nice options. The club values the plane. The checkout process was rigorous and fun, about half the time it took me to get my endorsement, which made me comfortable with the plane and the club. Only a handful of members fly the plane and there about 30 members in the club.

I am very passionate about flying TW and equally as passionate about flying the C170, so I feel very fortunate to have a wonderful plane to build time in with my wife and others, in an economical manner.

Kyle Wolfe wrote:That's great Bryce!

Got me to wondering why there aren't more 170 flying clubs....

I looked into starting a club with a 140. The insurance was astronomical cuz it was a taildragger.

Kyle Wolfe wrote:
I looked into starting a club with a 140. The insurance was astronomical cuz it was a taildragger.

I did look into this back in Ohio. I was looking at insuring a Luscombe 8A with a 6 member club. The insurance actually wasn't too bad. Each pilot needed to spend 10hrs with instructor with at least 20 landings to a full stop, except for one potential member who had 500 TW hrs. I believe the insurance came to about $2,100 a year.

In a larger club, where fixed expenses are spread over a larger group, the impact is not as bad. But obviously more than just adding another C172.

Bryce, it would seem you are a very lucky person to find such a club and it be in your back yard.

I belong to a club of two. Between us I have two airplanes, the 170 and my Cub. My partner only flies the 170 occasionally. It would be nice if my "club" had a faster traveling airplane and a few more members to share the cost.

We have a group of about 10 of us at the airport with fairly common interest and between us, we own more than one plane per person. 80% of the time we are flying together, often sharing rides cause it is boring flying by your self. We sometimes muse about forming a club and reducing the aircraft by getting ride of a few of the duplicate aircraft. There are several Cherokee's, a 177, a C210, 2 Mooneys, 2 Cubs, a Champ, and a Beech or two. But when it comes down to it, no one wants to give up their aircraft.

Welcome to Michigan, Kyle! I haven't been here very long myself. I'm at the Brighton Airport (45G), about 60 miles south of Bay City. I found a couple of rental taildraggers in the area but never got around checking them out. There was a Rans at Lapeer (I think) just of Flint, and a Luscombe down at Lenawee County.

If you're ever out and about, come down for a visit. (Just note that our runway is only 24ft wide...) I'm probably still a few months out from getting my 170 back from rebuild, but a friend just made a deposit on a 140 that I will hangar for him until my 170 comes home, in exchange for flying privileges.

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote: But when it comes down to it, no one wants to give up their aircraft.

Not surprising. Not too many pilots, who love their planes, would give them up. Owning a plane allows a lot of freedom.

cessna170bdriver wrote:Welcome to Michigan, Bryce! I haven't been here very long myself. I'm at the Brighton Airport (45G), about 60 miles south of Bay City. I found a couple of rental taildraggers in the area but never got around checking them out. There was a Rans at Lapeer (I think) just of Flint, and a Luscombe down at Lenawee County.

If you're ever out and about, come down for a visit. (Just note that our runway is only 24ft wide...)

Appreciate the welcome to Michigan, Miles! I look forward to meeting other members on the association.

There's one at Cable Airport in Upland,CA.

http://aviatorflighttraining.com/our-aircraft.html

aerodynamic aviation at RHV (San Jose, CA) has a 170B for rent as well as a variety of other tailwheel aircraft

(Used to be known as Amelia Reid Aviation)

The Draggin' Tail Pilots are based in Zelienople, PA, just north of Pittsburg. Two 1952 170B's -- it doesn't get better than that! Very cool!