I got my instruction for free but I believe there are circumstances where paid instruction is warranted. The instructor providing the field and equipment is one situation. We had someone who said he was only going to be around for a couple of months and wanted to learn to fly in that time. When we asked him to pay the club membership ($20) he wasn't sure he wanted to. He offered to make a donation. (I don't know how much but less than membership).

We told our head instructor to give hime a free membership but go ahead and charge $25/hour for instructing. He has now paid the membership and didn't even show up last weekend, which was perfect weather. He'll probably blame us for not learning. Oh well!

The problem with free is that some get it for free and never work off the debt, others get it for free and pay back over the next x years with 100's of hours of donated time. If you could figure out which was which at the beginning it would be great. One way would be to charge a fee and refund it over the next two years based on work bee attendance and other point earning things. I personally like that idea. That way we workers get to drive good mowers paid for by someone else. I guess that system is just too logical for people to accept.