There are a great many more 'Flying Groups' than 'Flying Clubs', and a great many flying groups would benefit using OpenFlyers software.

For every flying club in the UK, there are probably 40 groups, so by just doing some simple modifications OpenFlyers could be used by a lot more people.

We could do with allowing an option to remove some of the "club" features (such as instructors and multiple aircraft) and allow changes to the default view (eg, week view by default instead of by day).

Trystan

Hi,

We will do it with pleasure!

But, may you describe more specifically what you want? (for week view by default it's not necessary, I understood ;-)

I explain:

- you don't want multiple aircraft. But, if you create only one aircraft. It's ok! (what to remove?)

- you don't want instructors. But, if you do not create instructors... you don't have them;-)

(I may hide the instructor item in the menu, if it's only that)

Christophe LARATTE
OpenFlyers manager

A weekly view by default is necessary for groups of one aeroplane.

Yes - one aircraft can be selected but there is still a drop-down menu with a choice of one aircraft.

The installer could ask the question (or in the admin section):
Include instructor feature?
Include multiple aircraft?

If both the above answers are "no" then the default view should be one week.

Another thing, almost all groups pay an amount of money every month, not every year.

Trystan

I don't think that it's important to hide a drop-down menu only because there is one aircraft or no instructor. If you don't want it, don't use it.

But it's a lot of work to remove them.

So, I don't think that flying groups will not use OF only for this king of reason;-)

For the default "by week view". We should be able to do something.

>Another thing, almost all groups pay an amount of money every month, not every year.

And thus?

Christophe LARATTE
OpenFlyers manager

I'm just thinking of ways to make OpenFlyers more popular. If it's easier for groups to use, then more groups will use it. It's good software.

As for "if you don't want it don't use it" - it's just a thing that will confuse some users or just bug the rest. If there is only one aircraft then there should be no option to choose one. If there are no instructors then htere should be no instructor options. It could be as simple as a hidden field in the form.

>>Another thing, almost all groups pay an amount of money every month, not every year.

>And thus?

It means that the section "Annual Fees Management", "Profile(s) to be used if the annual fee has not been renewed" and "Annual fee expiration date" do not apply to Aircraft Groups. This would be better as "Monthly Fee Management" etc.

Trystan

> It means that the section "Annual Fees Management" do not apply.

I removed the word "annual". So fee may be used for annual, monthly, or any other frequency;-)

But, I'm surprised that with groups, members should renew their fee each month. It's very often and heavy to manage. I thought they subscribed for 1 year, and every month an amount of their fee is paid?

Christophe LARATTE
OpenFlyers manager

>But, I'm surprised that with groups, members should renew their fee each month. >It's very often and heavy to manage. I thought they subscribed for 1 year, and eery >month an amount of their fee is paid?

No, pretty much every aircraft group in the UK has only "monthlies" and "hourlies". A fixed fee is paid every month, and another amount (depending on hours flown) is also paid every month.

No aircraft groups in the UK as far as I know have 1 year (annual) costs.

Trystan

Ok, but, I don't speak about a "1 year annual costs".

Something sounds me wrong.

Take an example: Mr. James knocks at the flying group door. The manager of the flying group say "Hello, you are welcome".

So, I suppose, that Mr James feel a registration paper, or something like this. And after, every month an amount is asked to him. BUT, I suppose that he needn't to sign something again every month (you see what I mean?).

And how is the payment done?

Christophe LARATTE
OpenFlyers manager

Christophe,

By a "flying group" I mean a syndicate of pilots who have an equal share in an aeroplane (e.g. 10 shares for 10 people).

This is how it works in the UK:

A person buys a share off a person who is selling their share.

The pilot signs a group agreement (no payment needed).

The pilot is then billed £70 per month and £60 per hour flown.

The pilot makes an automated payment of £70 every month.

The pilot receives a bill (invoice) for the number of hours flown every month. The pilot pays this by sending a cheque in the mail.


Trystan