R.Hubbell wrote:

FBO rentals are usually scary. Clubs if run properly are better
maintained.

This is not necessarily correct. For one thing, clubs aren't required to do
the 100 hour; rentals are.

But beyond that, there's a mentality to be found at either an FBO or a club.
Either can let things slide, or not.

I've seen fairly dramatic differences between FBOs. One where the gear was
something I'd never take into IFR (and, in some cases, non-local VFR), and
another where I'd no concerns at all.

I expect that the same diversity exists in clubs, but I lack the experience
of this myself. The club to which I belong does a good job, I think, but
for some items deemed too small to warrant taking a plane "off the line"
for unexpected maintenance. I haven't always agreed with that decision,
but I do understand that my priorities may be different than others'. The
people responsible for maintenance have to try to find the proper balance
between the priorities of all the members.

- Andrew