Why We Fly

Pilot pours heart and soul into flying club

What good is having thousands of flight hours if you're not doing anything with them? That's a question Nicholas Grachanin asked himself before making the decision to start a non-profit flying club in Kamiah, Idaho, in April 2003--now known as the Clearwater Valley Aero Club, the most active flying club in the state.

But how did he make it happen in an economically depressed area where general aviation was nowhere to be seen and only 1,400 people reside?

Up for the challenge, Grachanin began with ground school. A principal at a local high school offered up a room, but it was up to Grachanin to generate interest. His idea to run a press release in the local newspaper worked. About 20 people showed up for the first night of class. Three weeks in, around 60 people attended. One of them was Dave Howard, a retired airline pilot, who jumped on board to help teach. By June 2003, at least 20 students had stuck it out with a serious intent to finish.

Next on Grachanin's to-do list was to acquire an airplane for use at Kamiah Municipal Airport, which has a 3,000-foot grass runway that was rarely utilized. Some of the students agreed to buy shares in a Piper Tomahawk. "It's the best bang for the buck," said Grachanin of the two-place trainer he picked up in Long Island, New York, in September 2003. "It's the safest for me to flight instruct in, and I can sit in it all day without getting exhausted."

During the months of October, November, and December 2003, Grachanin was conducting as many as five lessons per day. The club members took over an all-but-abandoned building on the airport property to remodel, upgrade, and maintain for their use. The club was growing and word of mouth was helping things take off as Grachanin had hoped. "We had a very humble beginning and have grown and blossomed," he said. "We're the talk of Idaho. They can't believe what we're doing."

Since its inception, 25 students have acquired private pilot certificates, and the club has 50 members. The group varies in age from the youngest at 17 to pilots in their late 60s fulfilling a lifelong dream. Some members have gone on to buy their own airplanes, but the club also purchased a Cessna 172 to share. Grachanin sees no reason to let up and has moved forward to have four new hangars built on the field. In addition, the club maintains the grass runway and will eventually install fuel at the airport.

Because everyone donates their time, the cost for pursuing a private pilot certificate with the Clearwater Valley Aero Club is just $3,000, as opposed to $12,000 in the high-rent district.

Grachanin took the non-profit route because he's more interested in serving the aviation community. "This made sense and it's the right thing to do," he said. "We should all work for free. It's what you do that makes you happy, not what you have."

Once a businessman headed down the road to becoming a millionaire, Grachanin quit working for an income about three years ago. "I woke up one day and was just sick of it, wondering what I'm doing this for," he said. He has changed his mentality and lives a much simpler life with his family in the small town of Kooskia, Idaho, with just 700 people.

"We live day by day, we have just what we need and we survive," said Grachanin. "I work for free with no competition, no hours, and nobody to fire me. I work for love, giving without expecting anything in return."

Kathryn Opalewski is a former editorial assistant for AOPA Flight Training magazine.