[Max]

Originally Posted by Midair

Thank you Max for the detailed explination, however, and I really don't want to belabour this, I'm not convinced that the FPV "guidelines" are as innocuous as some may believe. I am concerned that anyone not following the guideline and who experiences an incident or accident may not be covered by MAAC insurance. Please correct me if I am wrong; its the wording of the doc, specifically the requirement to be tested as an FPV pilot, not the general content that concerns me.

I think you are reading too much into the document. Again, I would ask what does your club do to currently qualify its pilots for their wings test? How/why would the FPV wings test process be different?

Originally Posted by Midair

And therein lies my primary concern. The first line of the first paragraph in the FPV Guideline states that "Any MAAC member FPV pilot will be required to observe and obey all MAAC guidelines. By title this document is called the "FPV Guideline," therefore, we as MAAC sanctioned clubs must adhere to its contents; the doc is not a recommendation, its not something that we should follow - we must follow it. By extension, therefore, we must test FPV pilots for competency; if we do not, we are in direct contravention of MAAC guidelines and therefore do we not risk the loss of insurance coverage? To suggest that clubs may decide how to implement this guideline, how to test this guideline, how to record the results of this guideline is, in my opinion, a cop out and far too "loosey goosey." This is something (testing) that we must either adhere to, or we don't.

Testing does not have to be a complex method. Make a wings test requirement, publish it to your members, have them take the "test" in the method you prescribe and witnessed/approved by whomever your club designates as the "club examining committee".

Originally Posted by Midair

The jet boys have nailed down the procedure very well to include National level testing to a specific standard and a certification process with full MAAC record keeping and accountability; FPV has not done this, yet FPV pilots are subject to the examination before they are allowed to fly.

Do you really think we need something that rigorous in FPV? National procedure? Why? Again, I think you are reading too much into the guideline.

Originally Posted by Midair

Keep the FPV Guidelines, its a good doc and makes sense, but either get rid of the test requirement, or nail down the testing procedures so that its not up to individual clubs to decide how/if to test, how or if to record test results, who to test and who is grandfathered or be required or allowed to make up their own test sheets. A test is either quantifiable, recorded, provable and recognized by an organization or group or its not.

Given your questions and concerns, I strongly recommend you contact the MAAC FPV chairman and have him address your questions. Maybe he can provide further clarification and guidance to you and your club.

If you do contact him, let us know what comes out of the discussion so that the rest of us can learn from your experience.