How to join a flight club in Japan
What is a flight club?
Flight Club
A flight club in Japan, is an organization that you can join to rent out an aircraft. Unlike flight schools, most of them are non profit and are generally open for anyone to join. By joining a flight club, you can rent out an aircraft to fly (if you are eligible to fly in Japan), as well as participate in flight training, study sessions, and more.
Flight clubs in Japan serve as the primary way for pilots to access aircraft for recreational flying. For people in Europe, it might be easier to imagine an aeroclub. It is more or less the same concept.
Unlike many countries overseas, Japan doesn't exactly have traditional flight schools. While there are a few schools that offer flight training, most of them are very expensive and are more tailored to those who want to fly professionally. As a result, the general practice for Japanese people is to go overseas (commonly Guam, USA, or Canada) to obtain their pilot license, and after returning to Japan they will convert their license to JCAB. Once licensed, flight clubs become the main avenue for continued flying.
How to Join a Flight Club?
Joining a flight club is straightforward. Here's how to get started:
First, refer to our flight clubs list and find a flight club that is the most accessible to you geographically.
The best way to contact them is via phone, email, or their contact form if they have one. Many flight clubs intentionally do not put details on their websites, and many do not wish to publicly disclose all information online. The best way to get specific information about membership, requirements, and costs is to reach out to them directly.