IMC Clubs?

[John Pleisse]

Could a few members on this board offer some feedback about IMCclub.org? Seems like a lot of reward-benefit driven rehash of the great work the FAA Safer Skies/Wings and AOPA already do, many of whose events and memberships I enjoy. As one of the many benefits of membership, you get a free subscription to IFR Magazine. Is this another revenue arm of Balfour or are they only related by the subscription offered?

 

Do a lot of you enjoy membership to this organization? No doubt there is benefit and their purpose is righteous, but membership seems a little heavy and, of course, their website is adorned with many ads, clearly making money. Are they a non profit with a track record? Or a non-profit that meets the minimal standard? Or did they just obtain a dot-org URL?

 

Thanks,

 

John

[Marauder]

Ask Brett (bnicolette) about them. He mentioned something to me about them at our fly-in. 

[gsxrpilot]

I've joined but have yet to attend a meeting. I plan to attend our local chapter meeting in Feb.

[DrBill]

I am the Charlotte area president.   I joined when it first started and was free.  My partner at the time was a CFI and he was the chapter CFI. We held about 6 quarterly meetings until the attendance dropped to 3 or 4. Then I stopped planning them (too much work for 3 people).  I met with the President at OSH 2013 and he offered to come to Charlotte to kickoff a new year but we never could agree on a schedule.  I've emailed the "group" of about 30 asking if anyone wanted to be "president" and start up a new season.  No takers.  I do have a couple guys who will assist in setting up a meeting but it's still up to me to get a program and a place.  We used to rotate meeting at one of these airports  Monroe, Concord or Wilgrove. So far I've planned nothing for 2015.

My opinion is that the weather is too nice in this area to get a consistent bunch of pilots together talking about IFR flight and just forget about the IMC club ladder of doing approaches. No one here was interested in that. I think I'm still classified as a member but I pay nothing and get nothing.   Works for me.

Bill

[yvesg]

A local flying club has IFR meetings Ned and I have attended. When these things start up, attendance is good but as time passes, things get in the way and eventually the attendance drops and the thing dies. Our lives are so busy we have to choose what events we can afford (timewise) and the offering is high.

Yves

[John Pleisse]

AOPA holds safe instrument flying seminars at their office and at local hotels....so does the FAA Safer Skies Instrument programs. They are usually packed houses. I just noticed on the IMC Club website, there is a "brown jacket" award and other seemingly rote, lollipop type of incentives. However, I would never want to miss a great opportunity and would never undermine it. Likewise, if this is just frivolous and is more a revenue generator for a few publishers and the like, sorry, not interested.

[Cruiser]

The meeting that I attended was hosted by an EAA chapter and open to the public. Of course they offered membership to IMC Club before and after the meeting 

There were about 25 to 35 people there and they used the scenario series from Pilot Workshop, http://pilotworkshop.com/ifrmastery/IFR mastery series.

 

We watched a video and then discussed the options. It was interesting to hear the different views some of the participants had in how to handle the situations. All and all a valuable event that can get you thinking about flying IFR and maybe learn some things you wouldn't otherwise consider.

 

p.s. I never went back, mostly because of the driving distance to the meetings, but the content was good. 

[ArtVandelay]

AOPA holds safe instrument flying seminars at their office and at local hotels....so does the FAA Safer Skies Instrument programs. They are usually packed houses. I just noticed on the IMC Club website, there is a "brown jacket" award and other seemingly rote, lollipop type of incentives. However, I would never want to miss a great opportunity and would never undermine it. Likewise, if this is just frivolous and is more a revenue generator for a few publishers and the like, sorry, not interested.

I'm curious why doesn't AOPA hold them at airports instead of hotels and offices that requires you to drive....seems counterintuitive to me?

[DrBill]

Our FAAST team has great presentations about quarterly at local airports.  Last week they had one on winter flying and it was well attended (20-30) .

 Bill

[DonMuncy]

I have very experience, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I have been to a couple of IMC Club meetings (local Dallas area), and was a little disappointed. It seemed to be primarily guys telling war stories about IMC flights.

I suspect there is a lot of variations between different areas of the country. 

[Hank]

I'm curious why doesn't AOPA hold them at airports instead of hotels and offices that requires you to drive....seems counterintuitive to me?

I've often wondered this myself. Fly somewhere for a meeting, then have to get across town and back to the airport afterwards. Must be nice for pilots who live in the couple dozen meeting cities, p1ss on the other 550,000 of us.

This goes double for the FAA, but they have some meetings at airports, just not many.

[John Pleisse]

I'm curious why doesn't AOPA hold them at airports instead of hotels and offices that requires you to drive....seems counterintuitive to me?

 

They are so successful, it is a function of venue size. Because AOPA is local, FAA is local and there is a large GA base, the DC area seems to be a hot bed. 

 

There was an FAA seminar for an uncontrolled airport opening a class D tower. 500 people, standing room only in a massive hotel ball room. Good to see.