BMFA membership Poll

[Russ_H]

It';s a no brainer from my point of view, the insurance cover alone is worth at least twice the membership fee, but nowt queer as folk, so lets see.

[guest325]

As I';m a member of a club I have no choice but do think it';s very good value for your money.

[rotorx]

Good sound advice, Out of interest I wrote this on the site back in 2014 in reply to a similar topic;

Having been a Responsible R.C. flyer, fixed wing and Heli/multrotor  since I cant remember when, I would strongly urge anyone to seek out a local recognised club and Join it for the following reasons.

1 You will have the legal right to fly (within club rules naturally)
2 You will be afforded insurance protection as most clubs include Insurance
3 You will be affiliated to the BMFA and have national support, and recognition from the CAA.
4 You will be recognised by local councils and other government bodies as having rights to enjoy a recognised hobby.


I think it worthwhile adding to this, and that is say I cannot Imagine the situation where I would risk flying in any public place not for my own ability, but that of unforeseen circumstances, electronic/electrical/mechanical failure which could/would result in injury to the public. No more than I would drive a car without Insurance.

Join that BMFA affiliated club for your own peace of mind and strengthen the multirotor section of that club from within as this is the best place to be heard.

It is the world we live in, but when you consider the alternatives It makes sense.

Even truer today then it was when first posted I think

[Fletch]

I am insured through FPVUK

I tried to join a local club, they hummed and hawed about the MR competency test for over a year before i gave up asking and reminding them they promised to get back to me!

[iRobot]

Yes, I';m standard country member not in a club. I would rather have insurance than not.
Value for money,,,,hmmm,,,,i';ll sit on the fence for that ! I gain nothing from it, and loose nothing. Just get a mediocre magazine every month with very little about drones in it.

[Ern Stock]

Yes.
One is a country member.
[emoji4]
As previously said its cheap insurance.
Not to mention the magazine.
For a while they seemed very pro multirotors. .....

[XH558]

I have never - and would never - turn a prop without full BMFA Country membership and have been a member since I was 10 - it was then called the SMAE (Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers) [there';s a mouthful ]


It gobsmacks me that anyone would even contemplate flying any model plane or copter WITHOUT insurance cover of some sort, and that shops sell them without even mentioning that insurance should at least be considered.

[Rammylad]

Iv';e been flying model aircraft since I was 14 or was it 15 not right sure now and now at nearly 70 year old, seeing that more and more people are flying and that we are being watched by more and more people with a lot of the members of the public who are anti (Drones) multi copters fueled by the media. It is essential that we fly responsibly and protect ourselves with insurance, I don';t live in an area that has any clubs near bye  so I became a Country member of the BMFA but I hope that I never have to use a claim form.

[Hands0n]

I was with FPVUK but have let it lapse since I joined a club relatively nearby and conditional for membership is BMFA membership and insurance.  So I';ve got that now.

I fly 99% at the club but still like to venture out [responsibly of course] to fly in places of interest to me.  And I have a small list of sites that I simply must get some flight footage of. 

[atomiclama]

I';m insured through FPVUK as well.

But seeing as alot of the flying I do is outside the rules I';m sure the insurance is not worth the paper it is printed on.

[iRobot]

I';m insured through FPVUK as well.

But seeing as alot of the flying I do is outside the rules I';m sure the insurance is not worth the paper it is printed on.

Your spot on....if the poo hit the fan, would they pay out ?
The sort of flying people do nowadays, especially with multis is a whole new ball game. Modern times with modern tech, and it';s totally different than just flying around a field, flying a fixed wing in a club environment doing circuits and talking about fuel, tuning and glow plugs,,,,,,it';s all GPS , follow me, loiter, fpv, fc';s and KV motors now , things have moved on !
I personally don';t think bmfa could/can cope with the complexity of modern rc flying styles.
Every where I go nowadays I';m seeing people flying multis (mainly DJI';s  ) , people really are just going to the shops, thinking ';I want one'; and walking out with an amazing capable machin/toy , then hitting the sky and having a blast ! Lots of people have disposable income, so why not go out and by that heli, plane or whatever you dreamed of as a kid. Not everyone wants to go to a club and fly around a field (same field) on a Sunday morning, that';s one thing I';ve learned over 12months of flying quads. It gives you fredom to go to places where you shouldn';t fly, where it';s totally alien or remote from the norm, or meeting and racing being sat in the driving seat of your machine viewing through some crazy sci-fi type goggles......it blows my f...in mind what';s possible  ::)

[Elmattbo]

Well it';s not that the BMFA have a lack of imagination when it comes to what is covered - it';s much more simple than that. If it';s illegal, it ain';t covered. Read the small print on their website. Not sure if fpvuk has the same small print, but it doesn';t state it on their cover note.


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[hoverfly]

I';m insured through FPVUK as well.

But seeing as alot of the flying I do is outside the rules I';m sure the insurance is not worth the paper it is printed on.

Insurance is what you pay for to find out what you are not covered for when you need to claim.
Did you check every soldered joint/ insulation/screw  /nut bolt was tight. before flight. well your fkcued.

[atomiclama]

 

Insurance is what you pay for to find out what you are not covered for when you need to claim.
Did you check every soldered joint/ insulation/screw  /nut bolt was tight. before flight. well your fkcued.

That';s how I look at it, I only got the insurance as it was a prerequisite for flying at a club field that I never got round to visiting and I may one day fly with a spotter.

The rest of the time if something goes wrong in the places I fly, the only thing that is like to get damaged is me or the quad. Trees and goal posts don';t count.

[insx]

That';s the thing, if I';m flying where there are no people, I';m very unlikely to do anything that needs an insurance claim. If there are people in the vicinity, I';m probably breaking the law (or regulations if there';s a difference).

[Hands0n]

That';s the thing, if I';m flying where there are no people, I';m very unlikely to do anything that needs an insurance claim. If there are people in the vicinity, I';m probably breaking the law (or regulations if there';s a difference).

There are very clear CAA rules about flying where "...there are people in the vicinity".  Which basically means that you can, as long as you are in compliance with those rules.  You really don';t have to be stood like a scarecrow in the middle of a gazillion acre field. 

[Big A]

Insurance is what you pay for to find out what you are not covered for when you need to claim.
Did you check every soldered joint/ insulation/screw  /nut bolt was tight. before flight. well your fkcued.

That is a misunderstanding of how liability insurance works. Its there to protect you and your financial interests. If you are shown to be liable it pays out as long as you are complying with the ANO (in the case of BMFA insurance). For example, you take off with an aircraft and the receiver pack fails, because you didnt charge it before flight, and you have no control and your aircraft causes damage/injury you are clearly liable so they pay. If liability is established they pay. To be liable you have to have done something wrong.


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[guest325]

There are very clear CAA rules about flying where "...there are people in the vicinity".  Which basically means that you can, as long as you are in compliance with those rules.  You really don';t have to be stood like a scarecrow in the middle of a gazillion acre field.

Exactly, and provided that the people in the proximity are made aware what you';re doing and told to make sure that they know where your aircraft is at all times and not to allow themselves to get into a position in line with its trajectory then they may be considered to be under your control thus satisfying the regulations.

[insx]

OK, so if I hit the person I';m supposed to be more than 50m away from, am I covered because I was liable?

[Big A]

OK, so if I hit the person I';m supposed to be more than 50m away from, am I covered because I was liable?

If you are shown to be liable, yes.

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[atomiclama]

OK, so if I hit the person I';m supposed to be more than 50m away from, am I covered because I was liable?

Well your competent spotter would have seen them, warned you about them and you would have avoided them and landed.

No spotter, well you';re stuffed, not flying within the rules.

Well that';s how I see it, but I';m no expert  ::)

[insx]

 

[richardg6paj]

Well your competent spotter would have seen them, warned you about them and you would have avoided them and landed.

No spotter, well you';re stuffed, not flying within the rules.

So your spotter didn';t see them and you hit them. It';s the spotters fault. Could be the people';s fault for not getting out of the way. So many scenarios!

[atomiclama]

If you are shown to be liable, yes.

And that';s the thing you won';t know until it happens and the lawyers get involved.

[atomiclama]

So your spotter didn';t see them and you hit them. It';s the spotters fault. Could be the people';s fault for not getting out of the way. So many scenarios!

But here you are flying with the rules and an accident happens so I would say you are covered.

But as you say so many scenarios.

[Big A]

And that';s the thing you won';t know until it happens and the lawyers get involved.

Well certainly it doesn';t work that way with the BMFA insurance which is undoubtedly the best available.

In the event of an incident a BMFA member contacts the office who send out a form that you complete (honestly) and then return to the office, there is no excess or admin fee. If the 3rd party then makes a claim against you the insurers investigate the incident to establish liability, at this point there are no lawyers involved, part of that investigation involves checking the form you completed, if you have said that you werent at fault in any way the insurers will defend that position, usually the form identifies what caused the incident and usually there is clear liability so the insurers pay out to the third party. If the insurers conclude that you were not liable they will not pay out to the third party.

At that point the third party may decide to take the matter further and get lawyers involved and push the claim through the courts, not a problem for BMFA members as the insurers will defend the position and provide the lawyers to defend the case, if the outcome of the case is that you were liable the insurers will then pay out. Either way the BMFA member does not have to pay anything out apart from the annual BMFA membership fee, which for £25 million civil liability cover and the personal accident cover is an absolute bargain.

[atomiclama]

That';s clearer thanks.

the insurers investigate the incident to establish liability,

Ok so not the lawyers but the insurers establishing liability.

[Big A]

Yes. The important thing is that if you are shown to be  liable they pay out. If you arent they dont because they dont have to.
Either way you don';t have to pay out anything.
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[atomiclama]

So what happens if you are flying outside the rules?
Say with no spotter.

I';m assuming that the insurers would say that the insurance is void and you would be left to deal with the claim on your own.

[Big A]

So what happens if you are flying outside the rules?
Say with no spotter.

I';m assuming that the insurers would say that the insurance is void and you would be left to deal with the claim on your own.

Works the same as the third party element of your car insurance. For example if you are driving while under the influence the insurers will pay out to the third party if your liable, however you have given them an opportunity to recover the monies from you.

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