> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pcflyers.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Applying for membership
> The four-step membership application — what you need before you start, what you pay, and what happens after you submit.
**Where to find it:** Apply → Membership Application ·
[www.pcflyers.org/apply/membership-application](https://www.pcflyers.org/apply/membership-application)
**Who can use it:** Anyone. No login required — and former members should use this form too.
## What this page is for
The **New Member Application** is how you join Pacific Coast Flyers. It is a four-step form that
collects who you are, your aviation background, your agreement to the club's terms, and your
opening payment. You complete it in one sitting.
## Before you start
Have these to hand. The form will not let you past the steps that need them.
* **A government-issued photo ID** — you enter its number and details.
* **Your pilot certificate details**, if you hold one. Student pilots and people who have not
started training are welcome; the form asks and adjusts.
* **An emergency contact** — name and phone number.
* **A credit or debit card** for the opening payment.
## The four steps
A progress bar across the top shows **Step 1 of 4** and how far through you are. You can move
**Back** at any point without losing what you have typed — nothing is submitted until the final
step.
### Step 1 — Have you been a member before?
Answer **No** or **Yes**.
Answering **Yes** is not a problem and does not slow anything down. The form shows a welcome-back
note and carries on. It matters because the club reconnects you to your old account rather than
creating a second one.
### Step 2 — Personal information
Your name, contact details, address, and your government ID.
As you enter your email address and ID number, the form quietly checks whether the club already has
a record that might be yours. If it might, a **Confirm Your History** box asks you to confirm
whether you have been a member before.
**This check never reveals anything about anyone.** It tells the form only that you should be
asked the question — no names, no account details, nothing about any existing record. If you are
sure you have never been a member, say so and continue.
### Step 3 — Aviation background
Your certificates, ratings and experience, your emergency contact, and a set of disclosure
questions the club is required to ask. Answer them honestly — a "yes" is not automatically a
problem, but an inaccurate answer found later is.
### Step 4 — Agreement and payment
Read the **Member Agreement** and accept it, then pay.
You will see a summary of exactly what you are being charged before you enter any card details:
* an **application fee**,
* a **key deposit**, and
* your **first month's dues**.
**The current amounts and the total are shown on the form.** They are set by the club and can
change, which is why they are not repeated here — what the form shows you at the time is
authoritative.
**Your card details never reach the club's website.** They are sent straight from your browser to
the club's payment processor, which returns only a one-time token that the website uses to take
the payment. The club's systems never see or store your card number.
## If you are a former member coming back
**Sign in first, if you still can.** Retired members keep their login. When a retired member opens
this form:
* the form skips Step 1 — it already knows;
* your personal details are filled in from what the club holds and shown read-only, so you cannot
introduce a mismatch with your old record;
* you still complete the disclosures, the agreement and the payment.
If you cannot sign in, apply as anyone else would and answer **Yes** at Step 1. The club will
reconnect you to your old account when it processes the application.
## What happens after you submit
You see an **Application Received!** confirmation, and:
1. **An application receipt arrives by email**, with your next steps.
2. **You attend an orientation.** These are held at Palomar Airport every **Sunday at 1:00 pm** and
every **Wednesday at 5:30 pm**. You do not need to book a particular one through this form.
3. **The club processes your application** after your orientation, and sets up your account in the
club's operations system.
4. **You receive a welcome email** with your login details once your account is live. From that
point you sign in with those credentials — see [Logging in](/start/logging-in).
**An application that sits open too long is marked inactive**, and you will get an email
reminding you. It is not a rejection — it usually means the orientation has not happened yet.
Reply to that email or
[contact the club](/start/getting-help) and it is picked back up.
## Troubleshooting
**The form will not let you move to the next step.**
Something required is missing or not in the expected format. The field is marked; scroll up if the
**Next** button appears to do nothing.
**The Confirm Your History box appeared and you have never been a member.**
Confirm that you have not, and continue. It asks rather than assumes.
**Your payment was declined.**
Nothing is submitted and no membership is created. Check the card details and the billing address
— the billing address must match the card, which is a common cause. Then try again.
**You are not sure whether your application went through.**
If you saw the **Application Received!** screen, it did. Check your email — including spam — for
the receipt. If nothing arrives,
[contact the club](/start/getting-help) rather than applying a second time.
**You applied and have heard nothing.**
Come to an orientation. That is the step most applications are waiting on.
## Related
What happens to your account once you are a member.
Signing in once your account is live.