How do you start a club - Fort Mill, SC

[Jermo]

I'm researching the idea of starting a club in Fort Mill, SC.
There are many areas we can potentually use for a flying field. I'll have to start talking to folks to see what we can do. I'm not talking school fields or such...
Anyway.

Anyone who might be interested in a Club in Fort Mill please let me know. In addition any information on starting a club, running a club..etc let me know. I don't want to be President but I'm willing to start the thing.

I currently belong to a club in Charlotte but we can only fly once a week on sunday mornings from 7am until about 1pm. Good folks, I have no issues. I just want more time to fly and it seems to me it would be safer to have AMA sanctioning..etc and be using a recognized/approved field.

[DavidH]

http://www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/clubkit.pdf

http://www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/535-A.pdf

http://www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/535-B.pdf

The above documents are just a few of the things involved in starting a club. Not a difficult process. Just need 5 people dedicated to getting it the process rolling.
Started our club about 14 years ago. The 5 people that started the club are still involved along with about 10 more members.

David

[ddierking]

Great links DavidH. I downloaded the clubkit, but didn't notice the other pdf's when I was on AMA the other day. I just put flyers out at a few of our local hobby shops to see if there is enough interest to start a heli club in my area.

[Wayne]

The AMA stuff is nice, but the real answer is you need a flying field. Once you have that, people will come. We're heli only, and when we lost our field 7-8 years ago the club almost died. As soon as we found a new field, membership jumped back up to 60+ members. Not to bash AMA, but don't count on them to help you start a helicopter club.

Wayne
www.flymha.com

[Jermo]

I have a field. Just need members that are AMA to start the club. It's coming together..just more slowly than I'd like.

[DavidH]

You need at least 5 members to start the club. You will need a President and also a Safety Officer.
Our club actually just has 3 officers. President, Secretary/Treasurer, Safety Officer.
That is pretty much the positions that AMA requires to be filled. It can be one person for each position or a person can hold more than one position.

I also suggest getting the extra copy of the Certificate of Insurance that is made out to the landowner of the property where the field will be located. That is another $60 that is well spent.

David