You need to understand that there are two broad types of flying clubs. There are non-profit flying clubs and there are for-profit flying clubs.
Non-profit clubs are generally situations where a group of people got together, pooled their money and bought a plane to share. All members are part owners of all the assets and all costs are divided among all the members. Because of this, you usually have at least some say in how the aircraft are maintained and how/when they are upgraded. Want a garmin 430 put in? If you can get enough of the other guys to agree with you, and you're all willing to put up a few hundred bucks, you can make it happen.
Then there are for-profit clubs. These are buyers clubs like Sam's and BJ's. Members are really nothing more than customers and don't own any club assets. In most cases, these end up being something of a discount FBO. Cheaper than a regular FBO but usually a little more expensive than a non-profit club. And you are a customer, not an owner, so you have no say in how the equipment is maintained or upgraded. OTOH, you won't have to pay a dime out of pocket to fix a major unexpected repair as can often happen in non-profit clubs.
When investigating any flying club, the first thing you want to do is figure out which type you're dealing with. Non-profit clubs tend to be cheaper than for-profit clubs. But they carry some additional risk in terms of having to write an extra check now and them in order to keep the planes flying, even if you're not the one flying them at that time. That being said, I was a member of a non-profit club for many years and I thought it was a great value. I'm relocating next month and once I get settled in our new home, looking for a non-profit flying club will be one of the first things I do.
