IBA account is $20/year. No pay = No iFly

INTRODUCTION OF IBA MEMBERSHIP FEES
With effect from 1st May 2023, there will be an annual $20 fee to be an IBA member.
Since the IBA was formed in 2003, it has been free to all members. This enabled us to support
the growth of the community by providing a range of different benefits to both instructors and
flyers. Since then, we have continually improved the safety and flight training content. This has
been an important and meaningful investment in the safety of our membership, and we plan to
use the new membership fees to continue this safety-focused journey by providing many more
updates and benefits.
If you have a current IBA account you will be required to pay the $20 membership and will be
prompted through the payment system when you first login after the 1st May 2023. New
accounts opened after this date will follow the same process.
The key change for you to note is that if you choose not to subscribe then you will be unable to
access your dashboard and use the logbook and flight progression system. In addition, an
instructor will be unable to approve your flight skills unless you have a paid account. Also, at
some wind tunnel facilities, you will be required to have an IBA account to demonstrate your
competency and currency and you will not be able to do this unless you subscribe.
We realize that this change may be frustrating, and the transition will take some time to settle,
so we suggest you act early post 1st May 2023. Attached is a Key Facts document to guide you
through the main changes. This will be available on the IBA website. Thank you for your
continued support in maintaining the high safety standards that we enjoy and if you have any
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]

lol

The IBA should at least publish a magazine if they're charging dues.

I believe there's a fair chance of it being reconsidered, or maybe that is just wishful thinking.

10 hours ago, sundevil777 said:

The IBA should at least publish a magazine if they're charging dues.

Technically, they do. Although I've never been a fan of the "pay or else" marketing plan.   

Just now, BIGUN said:

Technically, they do. Although I've never been a fan of the "pay or else" marketing plan.   

It's not without value. Your IBA card and 10 bucks will get you a beer in any bar.

Ifly tunnel in OKC won't let you step foot in the tunnel unless you're an IBA member.

Yeah, I mean spending $300/week on tunnel coaching is one thing, but I do draw the line at 20 bucks per year!

I just encountered this at my local iFly tunnel. Basically, I now must be an IBA member to use the tunnel and IBA will charge me an annual fee for that membership.

Kinda sucky that I have to now have to pay an annual fee for the privilege of being an iFly customer.

iFly is a corporation and without you it will fail. Let that sink in. All of the instructors that dangle their feet in the door while you fly? Gone. All of the insistence that training teams pay peak rates because there are no more overnights? Gone. The mandatory employee coaching regardless of your coach's credentials? I think you get my drift. We'd be left with a wasteland of franchised tunnels where literally anyone could come and learn bodyflight. Don't worry. I just shuddered enough for all of us.