Some of my fondest memories from my youth are from 1963-1964 when I would fly with my Dad in Naval Air Station Alameda, California, Flying Club aircraft. Our aircraft of choice was usually a Beechcraft T-34B Mentor but we also occasionally would fly in Cessna 172s. As an aviation enthusiast it was great to get a little informal instruction in piloting skills from my very experienced pilot father.
As I recollect, my brother and sister were not that interested in aviation, so I got the lion's share of flights.
The U.S. Navy had flying clubs at most Naval Air Stations. Sailors could take flying lessons at a significantly lower cost than off base. Most of the aircraft were typical general aviation airplanes, like Cessnas or Pipers. The T-34B was a special case -- the Navy had bought 423 T-35Bs during the 1950s to serve as the primary trainer for Navy, Marine and Coast Guard student pilots. Apparently, they bought too many, because they loaned T-34Bs in small numbers to Navy flying clubs here and there. Alameda was a good-sized NAS and I think they just had the one T-34B.
Anyway, it was a thrill to sit in the back seat with a clear canopy all around and a control stick rather than a wheel. The flying club T-34s had civilian paint schemes and wore civil registration but were still technically owned by the Navy.
Two interesting flights stand out: On one occasion we flew cross-country north to Redding; while there we saw surplus Navy TBMs and F7Fs -- both of which my Dad had flown in the 1940s -- being used to fight wildfires. The other was a big thrill for me as my Dad did an aileron roll right over the middle of San Francisco Bay in the T-34B. (While the T-34B was used to teach student pilots aerobatics, the flying club rule was no aerobatics.
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Navy flying clubs still exist today, though the T-34s are long gone; the clubs purchase their own aircraft, and the club members pay dues and pay for rental and instructor time and gas. But I suspect it is still a good deal for somebody who wants to make progress toward a pilot license.