Our fleet
IFR-capable aircraft that handle both training and real cross-country trips, maintained to a high standard and added to as the club grows. Hourly rates are set per aircraft and include fuel.
See the Fleet →What membership gets you
- Aircraft booked online, several reservations at a time, up to four months out
- An hourly rate that includes fuel, insurance, and maintenance
- Club instructors for checkouts, flight reviews, and instrument work
- Monthly safety meetings, fly-outs, and hangar days
- A member roster and group chat, so you can always find someone to fly with
$1,200 to join · $120 per month · hourly rates by aircraft
Ready to fly with us?
Apply online, complete your documents, fly a checkout with a club instructor, and you're on the schedule.
Apply for MembershipA flying club at Warren County Airport
Gem City Aviators exists so pilots around Dayton can fly regularly without owning an airplane, and without feeling like a customer at a rental counter.
We keep the fleet in excellent shape, keep scheduling simple, and keep the group small enough that members know each other's names.
What the club does
An hour, one topic, sometimes a guest instructor or examiner. The kind of thing that keeps everyone sharp and gets members talking to each other.
A breakfast run or a day trip most months. Some members fly together, some take their own airplanes, everybody lands at the same place.
Wash-and-wax in the spring, oil changes with the mechanic, and a standing excuse to spend a Saturday around airplanes.
Every member and instructor in one place: who's flying when, what the weather's doing, who needs a safety pilot.
How the club runs
Gem City Aviators is operated by GCAOG LLC. A Safety Officer oversees checkouts, currency, and flight operations. A Maintenance Officer oversees airworthiness and coordinates all maintenance. Members are consulted on the things that affect them, from scheduling rules to what aircraft we add next.
Only members fly our aircraft.
What we expect
Fly safely. Treat the fleet better than you found it. Report squawks honestly. Help make this a group other pilots want to join. The Operating Rules cover the details, and every member agrees to them when joining.
Join the club
One membership. Everyone has the same access and the same rates.
| Initiation fee | $1,200, one time |
| Monthly dues | $120 |
| Hourly rate | Set per aircraft, wet (fuel included), billed on tach |
Current rates for each aircraft are on the Fleet page and in the scheduling system. Rates are set by the club and adjusted only with at least 30 days' notice.
What's included
- Access to the club fleet, on the same schedule as every other member
- Fuel, oil, insurance, and maintenance in the hourly rate
- Online scheduling and billing, with a monthly statement
- Safety meetings, fly-outs, and hangar days
What's not
Flight instruction is arranged and billed directly by club instructors, separate from the hourly rate. Landing, tie-down, and similar fees on your trips are yours.
Fuel bought away from home base is credited back to your account, up to 120% of our home-base price. Keep the receipt and enter it at check-in.
How to join
Apply online. Create your account and tell us about your flying. About ten minutes.
We review it. We look at your certificates, currency, and flying background, and reach out with any questions.
Complete your membership. Once you're accepted, the initiation fee is charged, you sign the member agreement and release, and you upload your certificate, medical, and flight review.
Fly a checkout. A checkout with a club instructor in the aircraft you want to fly, then you're on the schedule.
Who can join
- Pilots 18 and older who hold at least a Private Pilot certificate, or who are actively training toward one with a club instructor
- A current medical or BasicMed, and a current flight review, before acting as pilot in command
- A checkout with a club instructor in each aircraft you fly
- Applications are reviewed with your authorization to check FAA airman records and aviation insurance history
Not current? Plenty of members come back after a break. A checkout with a club instructor doubles as your flight review.
Our fleet
Aircraft that work for training and for real trips, maintained to a high standard, available to every member once you're checked out. Hourly rates are wet and billed on tach time.
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Common questions
Do I need to be a pilot already?
You need at least a Private Pilot certificate to fly on your own. If you're still training, you can join and train in the fleet with a club instructor.
What if I'm not current?
Common, and easy to fix. You'll fly with a club instructor until you're current and checked out, and that flight can double as your flight review.
Can I finish my instrument rating in the club?
Yes. Our aircraft are IFR-capable and our instructors work with members on instrument training. Instruction is arranged and billed by the instructor.
Can I bring my own instructor?
All instruction in club aircraft must be given by a club-approved instructor. It keeps training consistent with how our aircraft are operated and insured.
How does scheduling work?
Everything is online. Book your time, take the airplane, enter the meter readings when you're done. Hold several reservations at once and book up to four months ahead.
How does billing work?
Dues post on the 1st. Flying is billed by tach hour at the wet rate, so fuel is already included. You get a monthly statement and can pay online.
Is there a monthly minimum?
No. Fly as much or as little as you like, though we'd rather see you often.
Who maintains the aircraft?
The club does, through FAA-certificated maintenance providers, overseen by our Maintenance Officer. Members report squawks in the scheduling system, and any member can ground an aircraft they believe is unairworthy.
How many members are there?
We keep membership at a level where the schedule stays workable, and we add aircraft as we grow.
Where are you based?
I68, Warren County Airport in Lebanon, Ohio. About 25 minutes from Dayton, 35 from Cincinnati.
How do I leave if my situation changes?
Give us written notice. Dues stop at the end of that month. No long-term commitment.
Get in touch
Ready to apply, or want to talk it through first? Send a note and we'll follow up, usually within a day or two.
