BMFA insurance

[gazza131]

just a quick one, as i find looking for details a pain wondered if someone can answer for me, does my BMFA insurance, cover me to fly in a public park
if not what kind of public places does it cover me for if any?

[Mike W]

It covers you anywhere to fly as long as you have permission to fly there and there are no by-laws prohibiting flying in that area

[Mart61]

If you're not sure about the bye-laws that affect your local parks, take a peek at an "idiots guide" to searching for the laws that I put together a while back:

http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/main-d...g-legally.html

[scuba steve]

is it actually a legal requirement to have BMFA insurance....a need to have or a nice to have ?

i mean, if your in a public area (not your own property) and something happened.....could you be prosecuted ?

[Mark_T]

is it actually a legal requirement to have BMFA insurance....a need to have or a nice to have ?

i mean, if your in a public area (not your own property) and something happened.....could you be prosecuted ?

Let's say your heli severely injures an upcoming young model jogging through the park who has just been signed as the new 'face' of a top fashion house. The injuries end her career and she sues you for the several million she was due to earn ...

Extreme case, but substitute young child, student, mother, anyone really. Could you afford to pay out the size of claims that could result from a person getting hit by a heli going full speed?

So no it is not a legal requirement to have insurance, but it is a darn good idea.

Doesn't matter if you fly on your own property either, if the potential exists for someone else to get injured or other people's property to get damaged it is worth having.

[Angelos]

It covers you anywhere to fly as long as you have permission to fly there and there are no by-laws prohibiting flying in that area

... and follow the BMFA rules. In which case most RC disciples are not compatible with most parks. But if you find a large enough space that is safe to fly the BMFA insurance will cover you.

is it actually a legal requirement to have BMFA insurance....a need to have or a nice to have ?

i mean, if your in a public area (not your own property) and something happened.....could you be prosecuted ?

No it is not a legal requirement to have RC insurance. But you can have criminal and civil charges brought against you. Criminal could be if the accident is deemed to be caused as a result of negligence and civil to seek compensation for damages, injuries, disability etc caused by your actions. Having BMFA insurance and following the BMFA rules will cover you against this.

-Angelos

[Big A]

... and follow the BMFA rules. In which case most RC disciples are not compatible with most parks. But if you find a large enough space that is safe to fly the BMFA insurance will cover you.

What BMFA rules? There aren't any, there are recommendations but they have no influence on insurance at all.
Insurance is only a legal requirement if the take off weight of the model is over 20kg. However not having insurance when it's so cheap would be rather silly.

[Angelos]

It is generally known that BMFA insurance only covers you when you obey the BMFA rules/recommendations or whatever you want to call them. Perhaps I am wrong but something tells me that they won't be very forthcoming if I crash on a car while flying outside my house over the street.

-Angelos

[Big A]

It is generally known that BMFA insurance only covers you when you obey the BMFA rules/recommendations or whatever you want to call them.

In that case people are generally wrong then, it is simply not the case, in fact it is probably more the opposite of the actual position.

Perhaps I am wrong but something tells me that they won't be very forthcoming if I crash on a car while flying outside my house over the street.

-Angelos

Actually, unless it is classed as illegal it would most likley be a very straight forward situation and you would be liable for any damage and as the insurance is liability insurance it would pay out.

Have a look here
http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/main-d...ance-true.html

and here

BMFA Mag Insurance article.

May make things clearer

[Angelos]

Here is a little text from the BMFA handbook:

(b) It is the duty of the insured to exercise reasonable care to see that their models are sound and in proper order and that all reasonable safeguards and precautions against accidents are provided and used.

Considering the BMFA is the UKs largest, most recognised, professional RC body the insurance company can use the BMFA handbook as a guide to RC safety. If you are not following the BMFA recommendations then perhaps "all reasonable safeguards and precautions against accidents are not provided and used".

As always there is a threshold to what you can get away with but you can't go fly in the middle of a busy park and expect the insurance to cover you. If you follow the BMFA rules you can prove you have done everything possible.

-Angelos

[Gate88]

i mean, if your in a public area (not your own property) and something happened.....could you be prosecuted ?

I wouldnt be too worried about the prosecution aspect, what puts the fear of God up me is all these "No Win No Fee" solicitors that are springing up all over the place.

To cut a long story short one of my neighbours is being taken to the cleaners after knocking into someone with a supermarket trolley, the victim is claiming that he drives for a living but cant work at the moment because of the pain in his ankle.

If that can happen with something as innocent as a tescos trolley just think about your levels of exposure when youre flying a heli!!

[Big A]

Here is a little text from the BMFA handbook:

(b) It is the duty of the insured to exercise reasonable care to see that their models are sound and in proper order and that all reasonable safeguards and precautions against accidents are provided and used.

Considering the BMFA is the UKs largest, most recognised, professional RC body the insurance company can use the BMFA handbook as a guide to RC safety. If you are not following the BMFA recommendations then perhaps "all reasonable safeguards and precautions against accidents are not provided and used".

As always there is a threshold to what you can get away with but you can't go fly in the middle of a busy park and expect the insurance to cover you. If you follow the BMFA rules you can prove you have done everything possible.

-Angelos

Indeed, but if you go fly in the middle of a busy park it isn't any BMFA rule or guideline you are breaking, but articles of the Air Navigation Order, the ANO is law, if your breaking that no insurance will cover you.

If however, for example your flying an over 7kg model without holding a B cert and there is an incident and you are liable for any damages the insurers will pay out, despite the BMFA recommending you hold a B if flying over 7kg.

Simply put, if your breaking the law of the land, the insurers won't pay, if your not following a BMFA recommendation and are not breaking the law, they will.

[Flyboy101]

What does the bmfa insurace cover, is it me the flyer if I have a massive crash or if I damage someone or something else and the insurance covers them?

[Mslater]

It covers your liability for damage or injury to a 3rd party or their property

[electricsceadu]

also you have personal injury insurance whilst carrying out any modeling task
a chap I know got paid out for cutting his hand whilst building a plank and was signed off work for a couple of weeks