Membership Services
Did you see us at Summit?
AOPA held its annual convention in September in Hartford, Connecticut. The weather was crummy (a technical aviation term), but the city and its citizens were warm and hospitable, the energy and enthusiasm was high, and AOPA Aviation Summit was once again a success. From where I stood, aviation was in good favor, and it was fun!
In the AOPA Members Products aisle of the Exhibit Hall, attendees were asked to visit the booths and answer a true/false question to earn a stamp and a chance to win a great prize. The question posed at the Legal Services Plan booth was: “All airspace is subject to some VFR minimums”. The answer to our question was “False”. Did you get it right? Do you know why?* There will be another challenging question at the Legal Services Plan booth at next year at AOPA’s Summit in Palm Springs!
There was a lot of activity at the Legal Services Plan booth at this year’s Summit. In addition to an AOPA staff member who helped members to join or renew membership in the Legal Services Plan and to discuss the recent addition of a new level of coverage, there was also one of our Plan panel attorneys available to chat about any aviation legal question you may have had in mind. And, a member of the Legal Services Plan staff from Yodice Associates was on hand to talk with attendees. There was a steady stream of people dropping by, and there were many robust discussions.
We fielded questions about tax issues in owning an aircraft, the various ownership structures, liability concerns, the fine line between Part 91 operations and operations for compensation or hire, the allowances for reimbursement of flight costs for the private pilot and the commercial pilot, the terms that should be considered when signing an aircraft sales agreement or a hangar/tie-down lease, FAA ramp checks, the NASA report, talking to the FAA, and FAA enforcement. All good questions.
Membership in the AOPA Legal Services Plan can help you get answers to many of these questions. Part of being a prudent pilot is staying informed on aviation matters that affect your flying, including the legal issues that you could face. Too often, we hear “Gosh, I wish I had called you sooner.” Call us! That’s what your Legal Services Plan membership benefits are for. The bonus: if your question is not one specifically covered by the Plan, there is still a benefit for that – a free half hour of legal consultation on any aviation-related legal matter from one of our more than 600 panel attorneys across the country.
Thank you for being a member of the AOPA Legal Services Plan. Now, get off whatever electronic device you are on and get out to the airport!
*VFR flight is not permitted above 18,000 feet therefore there are no applicable VFR minimums in that airspace.
October 21, 2011
