From: cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)
Newsgroups: rec.models.rc,rec.models.rockets
Subject: Re: Insuring your events
Date: 11 Sep 92 20:22:57 GMT
Followup-To: rec.models.rc
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.

In article <BuE9B7.Gwv@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib) writes:
> Fair's fair. My impression of the whole thing was based on a posting
> in rec.models.rc a few months ago touting SFA. The person seemed to 
> be quoting from some kind of SFA brochure and it said something about 
> C/L having a bad safety record.
> 
> Still, at least at this point in time, if you fly _any_ control-line,
> SFA is simply not a viable option. Besides, you don't get Model Avia-
> tion with your membership, something I consider a high-value item.

[Doug Pratt of SFA replies:]

Clearly, if you fly Control Line, you need to be an AMA member. If you
like Model Aviation, you need to be an AMA member. That's fine with us..
we have nothing against AMA. The people who founded Sport Flyers took
the whole program to AMA two years before going public with it...and we
would STILL like to work with AMA.

AMA members are welcome to fly at any flying field insured by SFA, and
AMA members are welcome to be members of any SFA-chartered club. That's
the way we think it should be. We want to have two strong organizations
in this industry, serving different needs, and competing with each other.
Competition is a good idea; Darwin thought well of it. The ultimate
benefactor is the consumer.

By the way, I should clarify something. SFA is NOT an insurance company.
Like other membership organizations (AAA comes to mind) we don't own the
insurance company, but we're real good friends with them! Our underwriting
comes from General Agents Insurance Company of America (GAINSCO), a highly
rated company that was founded by a model airplane flier. So, your insurance
is a benefit of your SFA membership; SFA isn't selling you insurance
directly.

[I loosely and erroneously used the phrase "SFA insures..." in my
 original posting; my mistake.  --cdt]

We would like to be able to cover CL. We don't like to discriminate against
any kind of model. Right now, it's not possible; we're working to make it
possible. As for insuring certain kinds of models for less money, why not?
There are a lot fewer claims from rubber-powered free flight models and
model rockets.

> Still I find it strange that SFA will cover Free Flight, even assigning
> a lower rate to those who fly certain kinds of Free Flight model. If 
> they are having trouble gathering data on Control-Line, I wonder how
> they got any data on Free Flight rubber. After all, if someone thinks 
> there isn't any risk involved in flying rubber Free Flight, consider 
> all the tree climbing and negotiating catwalks in blimp hangers when
> retrieving the things, D/T fuses can set off fires, and ATV's can flip
> over. There are several manufacturers who sell lots of C/L and FF kits,
> including SIG.
> 
> I don't see why they couldn't just collect data on MODEL AVIATION in 
> general and be done with it. After all, how far can we break down the 
> sport? Will the 2-meter glider pilots be complaining that ducted fan
> and quarter scale models are far more dangerous (which is intuitive
> if not immediately provable) and demand that SFA charge less to cover 
> 2 meter gliders?  Wouldn't it be feasible to collect statistics on 
> liability claims on Ugly Sticks and figure out a separate rate for 
> Ugly Stick pilots? What happens if a 2 meter glider pilot also dabbles
> in quarter scale once in a while? (You could say the same for Control-
> Line).

[Doug:] 

We would like to be able to cover CL. We don't like to discriminate against
any kind of model. Right now, it's not possible; we're working to make it
possible. As for insuring certain kinds of models for less money, why not?
There are a lot fewer claims from rubber-powered free flight models and
model rockets.
--

cdt@pdp.sw.stratus.com      --If you believe that I speak for my company,
OR cdt@vos.stratus.com        write today for my special Investors' Packet...
Newsgroups: rec.models.rc