This briefing reminds clubs of the need for all pilots to be members of the club and summarises the issues related to temporary membership.

1. MEMBERSHIP
BGA Laws & Rules Operational Regulation 6.10 states that: A person may not be flown in a glider owned or operated by a BGA club unless he becomes a member of that club.
While privately owned gliders are not directly covered by this regulation, under most circumstances, clubs will need to require everyone participating in its operations to be a member of the club.
UK Air Law There are numerous aspects of UK gliding operations which rely on club membership to avoid onerous commercial licensing obligations. These include instruction in gliders, motor gliders and powered aircraft, and aerotowing. These provisions are summarised in BGA Laws and Rules 2.4 and 2.5. Anyone flying as a flight crew member (pilots, instructors and students) at a BGA club (including visiting pilots, course members, trial lesson students and aerotow retrieves) should be a member of that club.
Lease Conditions Some clubs will have conditions in their leases that anyone enjoying the use of the premises must be a member of the club.

Club Insurances Clubs’ public liability and third party insurance policies will typically cover the actions of club members and clubs should ensure that individuals are covered under these policies by making certain that they have become club members.
Alcohol Licence Conditions Many clubs operate bars which are limited to serving alcohol to club members and their guests. Licensing laws for “qualifying clubs” require that there is a delay of at least two days between application and admission to membership of the club. Clubs with bars licensed under club premises certificates should ensure that their membership arrangements are acceptable to licensing authorities.
Value Added Tax This briefing is not tax advice and clubs are advised to obtain their own professional advice on these complex issues. HMRC Notice 701/45 of August 2011 explains the circumstances under which supplies of some sporting services (which include some gliding activities) to members of clubs are exempt from VAT. The BGA Club Briefing “VAT Questions & Answers for Club Treasurers” at http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/ clubmanagement/documents/vatfaqs.pdf contains further information.

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2. TEMPORARY MEMBERSHIP To qualify as a “member” of a gliding club, it is not necessary that an individual is a full, flying, annual member. Temporary membership is acceptable but the individual should apply for membership and agree to abide by club rules. Most clubs run temporary membership categories for visiting pilots, aerotow retrieves, expeditions from other clubs, trial lessons etc.
For some purposes there is a minimum length of membership which is acceptable. In particular to be eligible for the VAT exemption under Notice 701/45, the supply must be to a member under a membership scheme for at least three months. For most other purposes no minimum term applies. It will therefore normally be advantageous to ensure that any temporary membership has a term of at least three months to take advantage of the VAT exemption on services (membership, launches, glider time etc) supplied to such temporary members.
Trial Lessons Some clubs find that offering a three-month membership with trial lessons makes it easier to recruit trial lesson students into full membership by inviting them to return for further (and more tailored) training during their temporary membership period. Turning trial lessons into membership is known to be a difficult task and this marketing tool may make it easier.

Visiting Pilots
Whether or not a charge is made (and some clubs make this free for members of clubs that reciprocate) it will also normally be advantageous to offer visiting pilots membership which lasts at least three months. This would apply to casual visitors, expeditions and aerotow retrieves. A concern is sometimes expressed that such membership may appear very cheap compared to the pro rata cost of full membership. Whilst it is not clear that there is significant abuse of the spirit of such membership, such concerns might be allayed by offering a class of temporary membership which allows flying at club rates for (say) a day or a week but requires the payment of a facilities fee for each day flown thereafter. This will make it unattractive to use temporary membership as a cheap alternative to full membership.
BGA Affiliation Fee Clubs should not forget that they are required to remit a fee to BGA for each temporary membership they offer to a visitor, if the visitor is not a member of another BGA club that pays an affiliation fee on his/her behalf.

Edition 1 June 2012

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