MAAC INSURANCE!!!!!

[AndrewS]

I copied this from a post by Al Coolen on the ASRCM site


I received this e-mail from the zone director yesterday. So for the guys who haven't seen this please read.
It was the subject of debate today at HRCC.
This to me is a very strong indicator as to the state of MAAC. Huh
In a nut shell, the only place we can now fly is a MAAC santioned field.
Alan

Hi Everyone
Please Forward to all Members (In French and English)
SVP aviser tous les membres
Very important, here are the latest changes to our Insurance policy made recently by our broker Aon.
Tres important,voici les dernier changement a notre police d'assurance faite par Aon
It already shows on MAAC's website.
C'est deja sur le site de MAAC
This has been going on since the last few weeks and we hoped be able to work out an agreement at the AGM but they decided have to notice out for everyone to be aware.
Anyhow it will be the major item on the agenda to get a much better deal for all of us.

Regards
Regis Landry
Atlantic Zone Director


INSURANCE LIMITATIONS
NOTICE TO ALL MAAC MEMBERS

Following ongoing dialogue with our insurance broker Aon, it has been clearly stated by them that our current liability insurance policy basically covers:

1. MAAC
2. Member clubs
3. Members while engaged in modeling activities at registered fields and at MAAC or club events.
4. Volunteers
5. Property owners of the club fields or of other MAAC or club event properties.
6. Warning Signs are mandatory at MAAC sanctioned events and at registered club fields (in Canada) with the Safety Code adhered to at all times.

The actual policy wording taken from a very important endorsement that is the subject of this message is copied below:

MEMBERS AS ADDITIONAL INSURED
APPLICABLE TO THE COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY FORM:
The following is added to Section 11- WHO IS AN INSURED -as item 2. (e):
“The Named Insured's members and affiliate members in good standing of the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada, but only while engaging in the operation of model aircrafts, model watercrafts, model vehicles or model rockets at events and activities organized by the named Insured.

This means that ‘individual’ or ‘casual’ members operating models when essentially ‘unorganized’ at a park, a school yard, their home property, someone else’s property, or at a pond or lake are not covered by MAAC insurance.

We have sought coverage extensions without success so far and our broker has advised us that this is unlikely to change in any major way.

Members will have to look to their own personal public liability insurance usually found in a homeowner or similar policy for coverage in these non-club and non-club/MAAC event circumstances. The homeowner policies usually have common ‘aircraft’ exclusions but policies seldom have the term “aircraft” defined in the policy. Our broker points out that when this is the case there is a good argument that Transport Canada’s definition for “model aircraft” basically that being any recreational aircraft that is less than 35Kg, would apply and that “model aircraft” could then be covered by homeowner type policies.

Members may feel that they do not need MAAC insurance if their homeowner policy provides them with coverage. Unfortunately, no coverage would be provided for MAAC, their club, or landlords. It is important that this is clearly understood. As in the past, members’ homeowner insurance could be called into play in any claim.

There is continuing dialogue with our broker to address some language issues on our policy, essentially housekeeping items that we hope will avoid further confusion in the future.

To Summarize:
The current liability insurance provided by MAAC is not intended to cover the modeling activities of members when they are 'on their own', such as the operation of models in their back yard, on someone else’s property, in a park, at a school yard or lake. In other words, whenever the activity is not MAAC or club organized.

Members will have to look to their own personal public liability insurance usually found in a homeowner policy for coverage in these circumstances. If such coverage is available, please be aware that it does not cover MAAC, property owners or clubs.

Members are therefore advised to consult with their own insurance broker for confirmation that their personal insurance policy does not limit their coverage.

It is worth repeating that coverage is basically limited to:

1. MAAC
2. Member clubs
3. Members while engaged in modeling activities at registered fields and at MAAC or club events.
4. Volunteers
5. Property owners of the club fields or of other MAAC or club event properties


We are working to see what additional coverage can be affordably obtained to cover the ‘individual’ or ‘casual’ members’ modeling activities at private locations when they have the property owner’s permission. It is most unlikely that coverage for the operation of models in public locals such as parks will ever be obtained due to the very high, perceived risk by the insurers.

Disclaimer:
Please note that this document is not intended as a full explanation of our insurance coverage but rather as a summary of the salient issues that the Board wants all members to fully understand. The full insurance policy is on the web page.
PLEASE NOTE: FRENCH LANGUAGE VERSION OF THIS LETTER WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW

I wonder how this will affect us with the City.
Andrew S

repeated in general news

[retiredVTT]

My reading of the MAAC policy in the past has always led me to believe that you needed to satisfy some basic MAAC rules to consider yourself insured while flying RC aircraft.
Certainly number one on the list was to have the property owners permission.
If at a public site, MAAC has required SIGNS for the past few years.

I never felt that the MAAC card in my pocket granted me MAAC insurance automatically, however I found that others would debate this with me.

If we obtain permission from HRM to use certain lands at certain times and provide the required signage, and submit these facts to MAAC, I would think that the insurance will be available to us.

EDIT DECEMBER 14/10 ....check the post below for an update on this Insurance matter.

Bill

[JohnOSullivan]

Original official Statement from MAAC President
http://www.maac.ca/view_news.php?itm=355

Don't take any re-quotes from other sources as being of any merit as relaying through such sources can often lead to misquotes and misinterpretations.

The facts are, that we have finally received a definitive ruling (well nearly anyway) on where we can fly and it conflicts dramatically with what my 43 years of MAAC membership has said. However this is the recent ruling by the Insurance Company and as everyone knows they bend the rules on a daily basis and they expect us to go along with it. (ask me how I know after a disastrous house fire four years ago in which I am in a court battle over a $120,000 claim). Bottom line is that you are fully insured as long as you don't make a claim!!. They leave the loose ends dangling to wiggle out of claims like a slimy snake.

It turns out that for people other than those MAAC members flying at registered MAAC fields we are UNINSURED. Even those long time members who dare to fly their WalMart Helis in their living room are "Operating Outside The Law".

It makes me wonder if MAAC is serious about obtaining realistic Insurance coverage for their members. The average "Club Flier is catered to, provided he flies at a registered field. The "non club" flier eg. Free Flight, Sailplane, Control Line, or independent R/C flier who does not have an official registered site is blackballed.
The MAAC claims to represent Model Aviation in Canada. What is it doing to support these people? They form a part of the MAAC membership and are now told that their supposed "National Organization" is not interested in providing the most basic need for them.
I can't do a tour of the Cabot Trail and put my model up to get some pictures. I can't take my grandson to the local park and fly a hand launched Free Flight Glider.
I think MAAC has a fundamental DUTY to their individual members to PROVIDE a suitable coverage to ALL their members. If they will not do this they have no right to
present themselves as the National Organization.

It won't be too long before insured model flying is confined to steel fenced compounds with Guantamo Bay type security and armed guards.
Imagine if Car insurance only covered you for driving within HRM city limits or Airline insurance only covered you within aerport limits.

Seriously considering dumping MAAC after 43 years.

John
MAAC 5401

[AndrewS]

When we get "official" Permission to use Shannon for example, we should be able to register it with MAAC as a Club field and post it as per MAAC regs with flight lines, pilot stations, signs etc, and thereby be covered by the MAAC insurance policy as it will be a CLUB FIELD just like Beaverbank and Stewiacke.

A park booked by HEFA with the proper fee paid to HRM should be the same as another club renting the field they fly from.

At least that's what I think.

Andrew S

[JohnOSullivan]

When we get "official" Permission to use Shannon for example, we should be able to register it with MAAC as a Club field and post it as per MAAC regs with flight lines, pilot stations, signs etc, and thereby be covered by the MAAC insurance policy as it will be a CLUB FIELD just like Beaverbank and Stewiacke.

A park booked by HEFA with the proper fee paid to HRM should be the same as another club renting the field they fly from.

At least that's what I think.

Andrew S

It appears from the latest information from the MAAC President that unless the field is registered with MAAC we are not covered. They used to tell us that as long as we had permission to use a site, we were covered. This is no longer the case and shows the moving target we have to contend with. The soccer indoor site would no longer be considered an insured site.
John

[RocketManRC]

Yes we have to get the fields approved and that is exactly what we should do. I'm not sure what it means for indoor flying now though...

Rick

[greghatt]

Rick, I believe, if you register the indoor flying as a Club Event, you will be covered. We just need the signs up at the facility.

[JohnOSullivan]

Rick, I believe, if you register the indoor flying as a Club Event, you will be covered. We just need the signs up at the facility.

So far HEFA is not a MAAC registered Club and we will not be able to register a field until then.

The MAAC AGM is in Sydney on Sunday with additional meetings Thursday to Sunday. Is anyone interested in attending? It has been close to 20 years since the last AGM in Nova Scotia, and this gives the opportunity to meet the Big Wigs and get some answers on our insurance coverage. Facts seem to be that even they don't know for sure and the Insurance company is hesitant to clarify the details (which leaves them wiggle-out room)
From the looks of things as stated by Barlow we would not be covered at the Soccer stadium.

This is a very serious situation and we must have MAAC get things clarified as soon as possible.
John

[retiredVTT]

This is the latest statement from MAAC President, Richard Barlow, on the MAAC liability Insurance coverage, and I quote him from page 6 of the DECEMBER 2010 issue of MODEL AVIATION CANADA magazine:

"YOU ARE NOW COVERED FOR FLYING AT ANY SITE WHERE THE LANDOWNER'S PERMISSION HAS BEEN OBTAINED."


This one statement is certainly much clearer than some of the previous posts and is a credit to the MAAC Officiers who worked to have this policy updated to benefit us all. This change took place a few months back.


Bill

[JohnOSullivan]

Read and assimilate the contents of these previous posts in a serious manner as they are important in the safety aspect of our flying.
Up to March 2009 we were allowed to fly with landowner permission to fly with MAAC coverage on any field.
In March 2009 the insurance was changed to allow coverage ONLY on MAAC registered fields. This eliminated many of the casual fields that we used to fly on.
However, earlier this year the insurance was modified to allow flying on non-MAAC registered fields as long as owners permission was granted. This brought the coverage back to what it had been before March 2009. This is a very good thing, but it still requires that MAAC safety regulations are adhered to on these sites. The MAAC insurance committee with excellent guidance from our President Richard Barlow, worked hard and long to bring this reversal about.

John