Stephens, who has logged 20 years service on the committee, said the club was in good spirits.
''We have a really good chief flying instructor. James Churchward is an amazing young guy with heaps of enthusiasm.''
Churchward and the club's other instructors were currently training 50 to 60 students - part of a membership that now numbered more than 150 flying members and 50 social members.
''We are doing really well.''
Stephens put part of the club's success down to social media. Whenever a pilot got their private licence, the club splashed it on Facebook and it went from there to inspire others.
''People see it and say, well if he can do, I can too. Social media is a good tool these days.''
The improving financial position meant the club was able to pay cash for the latest $200,000 addition to its fleet of six Cessnas - a 2005 Cessna 172.
She said the club also flew four Cessna 152s, with the other 172 still going strong after 44 years.
''They are an ideal training aircraft, they take a fair bit of punishment.''
Social members were those who no longer flew but enjoyed the comradeship of aviation - including 97-year old life member Dr Alan White.
Another advantage of membership was cheaper hires of club aircraft. ''It is cheaper to hire than to buy your own aircraft.''
The discounted hourly hire for a Cessna 172 was $225 - enough time to fly to Pauanui in the Coromandel and back again. And if pilots cost-shared with two or three passengers it worked out to be pretty reasonable.
''It is the lower end of prices in New Zealand.''
The length of time needed to get a Private Pilot's Licence depended on the depth of student's pockets. One student pilot from Hong Kong who sat his six exams online whizzed through in six weeks.
The youngest students were aged 14 to 16 including members of the Aero Club's Young Eagles Club. Youngsters interested in flying were taken aloft on the second Sunday morning of every month
The club's original airstrip was on hard sand at the base of what was now Tauranga's downtown. The clubhouse was still there and photos proudly display renowned transtasman aviator Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith posing with his aircraft in front of the clubhouse.
When Hilda Hewlett organised the shift on to the current site, people in Tauranga thought she was mad taking the club into the ''boonies''. This was before an airport was established on the land.
Tauranga Aero Club success at national flying competitions:
Jubilee Trophy, intermediate aerobatics, Steve Geard 1st; Streamer cutting, David Campbell 1st and Isaac O'Kell 2nd; Pam Collings Trophy, recreational aerobatics, Trish Stephens 2nd; NZ Herald trophy, senior navigation, David Campbell 2nd; Bledisloe Cup, junior navigation, Nicola Williams 3rd; WA Morrison Trophy, three-man formation flying, Tauranga 2nd; Sir Francis Boyes Cup for landing, Daniel Campbell 1st; Airways Corporation Trophy, junior air exercises, James Hunter runnerup.
Wigram Cup: senior landing Daniel Campbell 1st; junior landing Dale Radford 3rd; non-instrument circuits Isaac O'Kell 2nd; instrument flying Ike Stephens 2nd.
North Shore Trophy for club with most points: Tauranga team 1st
Tauranga Aero Club Membership costs
Social member: $40 a year
Flying member: $140 a year
Partners of members: $20 a year
