> 
 > Don't belive everything you hear about the AMA. We have AMA at our club a
 > it
 > is because the flying field is an old Air Force base and the only way we 
 > could
 > get the field is to be AMA. The people that controll the base took the AM
 > and
 > went over it with a fine tooth comb and said as long as we have it we wil
 > have a place to fly.  
 >  
 Del,
Being prior Air Force I know how they went over the AMA and what kind of 
comb they used.  In addition I've taken adavntage of my retiree privilages 
and had the two policies looked at by AF leagal beagles here in DC.  
Priciple concern for the AF is liability.  IOW who was going to pay when 
someone or something gets broke.  Military bases are usually willing to let 
modelers fly as long as they are confident they will not be held responsible
for any damage or injury.  AMA and SFA can both qualify but let me make a 
few points here.  
I say they CAN both qualify because it really boils down to the individual 
group the base is dealing with.  I'll wager you have something in your club 
bylaws that states you, the club, will not hold the base and or DoD 
responsible for damage and/or injuries.  However, if it is not stated that 
you, the club, also TAKE responsibility for injuries and damage then some 
smart lawyer can make the AF pay for any spectator that gets hurt or passing
car that gets smacked.  I'm sure there are some other rules of operation 
imposed by the base.  Possibly something like no spectators or at least a 
well defined spectator area.  Things like that.  Possibly too, the powers 
that be were familiar with the AMA from before and simply wanted to go with 
what they knew.  There are a lot of current and former modelers/AMA members 
in the Air Force.  And they might not even be aware of the SFA.  Lots of 
variables here.
Something I'd like to have looked at is this.  Technically the Air Force is 
self insured, drawing on it's own funds to cover liabilities.  Technically 
too the AMA insurance is Excess to all others.  Therefore, does the Air 
Forces self insurance have to run out before AMA insurance takes over and 
pays?  Unless there is a waiver of liability somewhere in your agreement 
with the AF even a cheap lawyer could make them pay first.  For anything 
that happens there.  And even with a wiaver some smart lawyer might be able 
to argue it and still make the AF pay.  Sounds like the AMA has a good deal 
here, limit claims by flying off government land.  Thank our litigious 
society for this.  SFA OTOH can be set up as primary coverage.  So in theory
SFA could pay for that C-130 someone smacks in the tail with a model.  
I learned this from experience.  In 1974 my roomate at Keesler AFB punched a
hole through the vert fin of a C-130 with a .60 size Ugly Stick.  AMA did 
not pay because the AF insurance had to be exhausted first.  I hope your 
zoomie landlord is aware of this.  
There is no consistency in how modelers are treated by military bases.  One 
base may have a near open policy while another just down the road bars them 
from using any of the 3000 unused acres of land.  Different people and 
diferent attitudes.
This would be an excellent place for the AMA or SFA to really do something 
for their membership.  Get with the Sec Def office and hammer out a policy 
and guidlines for civilian model operation on a military installation.  A 
basic agreement outline could be included in a package with instructions and
such.  Then the AMA or SFA could provide this package to any club seeking to
fly on a military base.  It would:
1. Give the base comander some precedence and approval from higher authority
in the positive.
2. Provide the base comander with guidance as to what is and is not 
acceptable for this activity to proceed.
3. Give the leagal beagles on the base guidance from higher authority so 
they don't have to make up their own minds.  Big stumbling block here.
4. Establish once and for all who is and is not responsible for what ever 
happens.
5. And finally but certainly not last, perhaps answer a lot of questions and
open up a great number of potential new flying sites.
Unfortunatly something like this would have to be generated from AMA or SFA 
HQ.  Or at the very least looked into by someone with authority to act in 
the stead of these two august national organizations.  I for one have little
faith that something like this will ever happen.  You can draw your own 
conclusions from that.
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 * QReader 1.10 * UNREGISTERED EVALUATION VERSION
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