AOPA Foundation Marks 300th Flying Club Through Initiative, Lake Missoula Flight Club in Montana
Why It MattersClub ownership spreads fixed aircraft costs across many pilots, so a program reaching 300 clubs in 45 states shows shared ownership operating as a lasting route into general aviation flying.
What happened
The AOPA Foundation announced Wednesday that the Lake Missoula Flight Club in Montana has become the 300th flying club established through its Flying Clubs Initiative. The program, launched in 2015, has helped establish clubs in 45 states.
The club is based at Missoula Montana Airport and has 30 members, aged 22 to 75. It operates five aircraft: two Cessna 150s, a Grumman AA-1C Lynx, a Piper Tri-Pacer and a Cessna 182. It began accepting members in August 2025 and completed its AOPA registration earlier this year. AOPA representatives recognized the milestone during an Oct. 8 visit.
Local pilots had discussed forming a flying club in the area for more than five years before it came together. Founding members Joe Featherly and James Wasem helped organize the group, which operates as a nonprofit social club.
AOPA acting Co-President Katie Pribyl said in the association's announcement: "Putting together a flying club is a ton of work, but the benefits are just as great." She noted that sharing fixed costs such as hangar expenses, insurance and annual inspections can make aircraft ownership more affordable for participating pilots.
Wasem told AOPA: "It is one thing to go to meetings, it is another to actually get in the airplane and do something." He said the founders wanted to build a general aviation community that would let local pilots keep flying for years to come.
Industry impact & what to watch
A flying club is a cost-sharing structure. Hangar space, insurance and annual inspections do not shrink when an airplane flies less, so spreading them across 30 members changes the arithmetic of owning an aircraft. The Lake Missoula fleet, built around older, simpler types such as the Cessna 150 and Piper Tri-Pacer alongside a Cessna 182, reflects the kind of aircraft that fits that model.
The larger signal is breadth. Reaching 300 clubs across 45 states within about a decade shows the club model repeating in different local markets, not depending on one region or one airport. For general aviation, that matters mainly at the entry and retention end of the pilot pipeline, where cost is the usual barrier.
The Lake Missoula club is also young. It began accepting members in August 2025, so what will show whether the model holds is how it keeps its membership and keeps five aircraft flying through the years its founders say they are aiming for.
