You Can Fly: 150th flying club recognized

The city has two airports—Kalispell City Airport straddles the south, and Glacier Park International Airport is to the north. Mike Whitehill, based at Kalispell City Airport, hoped to duplicate his Minnesota flying club experience after a move out west and met with AOPA Flying Clubs Initiative Director Steve Bateman for advice.

“Lots of phone calls and encouragement” followed, said Bateman. “Because we work with individuals, we know others that have common aviation goals, and we’re able to put them together. That’s exactly what happened with Kevin and Mike.”

Bald Eagle Aviation Club operates a 1957 straight-tail Cessna 182A with a Horton STOL conversion for better performance at high-altitude airports. Monthly dues are $150, and members are charged a $120 wet rate per tachometer hour. The initial club membership is $2,050 and is transferable. There are currently seven members.

Bald Eagle’s first meeting included a photo shoot with a banner AOPA sent to help celebrate the 150th club milestone. An airplane wash and a hangar get-together are in the club’s future, and Collom said members are already talking about buying a complex high-performance aircraft.

“We love all of our new clubs,” said Bateman, who founded his own flying club in Maryland. “They went through tough times trying to find members and then they made a leap of faith,” he said. “They bought the airplane, they created the club, and as soon as other people could see that it was real, they [became] believers,” too.

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