FALLBROOK -- A small airstrip south of downtown Fallbrook has become home to a fledgling club of aviators, who recently organized and have filed for nonprofit status, the club's officers said Tuesday.

Known as the Fallbrook Flying Club, the group's 12 members range from student pilots to those who used to fly for airlines, said Fred Holstein, the club's chief flight instructor.

"We're in negotiations with an instructor at the air park, to lease his airplane, and we're ready to start flying in another week or so," Holstein said.

The benefit of flying clubs, said Charlie Rowlett, the club's president, is that it allows people who cannot afford to own an airplane to fly.

"The idea of a club is that you share a common airplane and reserve it when you want to," said Rowlett. "Really, the average person flies 50 to 100 hours a year, so most of the time they're not flying."

Rowlett said he is about two weeks away from earning his pilot's license, a lifetime goal. To take lessons, he has been driving 45 minutes to French Valley Airport north of Temecula.

"I would be flying out of Fallbrook, but there is currently no school or way to fly out of Fallbrook unless you own your own plane," he said.

Holstein said that a few details still have to be worked out before members of the Fallbrook Flying Club can begin flying, one of which is insurance -- $1 million of liability plus full coverage of the aircraft and bodily injury.

Once the club has 20 members, it will look into buying a used Cessna 172 for around $50,000, Holstein said. All the members will be asked to chip in to buy it, making each of them a part owner.

For now, though, the club will just lease an airplane.

"We don't even know what our dues are going to be yet, because we don't know what our costs are going to be," Holstein said. "Flying airplanes isn't cheap, but it sure is a lot of fun."

Holstein owns California Aero Marketing LLC, which has offices in Orange County and at the Fallbrook Airpark. He helped start a flying club in Orange County years ago, he said, and is pleased with the people who have already signed up in the Fallbrook club.

Carl Morrison, an attorney who regularly flies out of the Fallbrook Community Airpark, is another experienced aviator who helped the local club get on its feet.

Morrison, who mailed the club's papers of incorporation on Monday, said that he probably won't join because he already owns an airplane, but that he is pleased to see the airpark becoming more accessible with a community flying group.

"I'm just interested in seeing the airpark developed," Morrison said. "I think once (the club) is up and running, and people know they have an airplane, there will be a lot of interest. I think this is great for the community."

- Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 731-5799 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.