Membership News & Notes: AOPA Offers Drone Memberships

“Drone pilots are seeking their place in the larger world of aviation and looking for opportunities to expand their experience,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This is an ideal time to embrace these pilots and welcome them to the GA family.”

AOPA has been involved with drones and related matters for about a decade. The association has commented on most federal regulations and policies created since the drone boom began, with an eye on safe integration with manned aircraft. Many “new” drone pilots are already flying manned aircraft and many are already AOPA members. AOPA has expanded its drone expertise, adding new team members and developing expertise within its existing staff. Kathleen “Kat” Swain is AOPA’s senior director of unmanned aircraft system programs. A CFI, Swain played key roles building unmanned aircraft capabilities for the insurance industry as well as flying humanitarian missions prior to joining AOPA in April 2016.

By joining AOPA, drone pilots will support current and future efforts to make unmanned aviation safe and accessible, in the same way all AOPA members do for GA as a whole. “We’re providing the community and resources all pilots need,” said Swain.

“As newcomers to the skies, they have told us they are looking for a trusted source to help them get the most out of their flying, protect their license and their assets, and keep them up to date on regulations and issues affecting their kind of flying,” Baker added.

Drone membership benefits

Education. AOPA has a formal agreement with DARTdrones, a leader in the drone training industry. DARTdrones online courses are available free to AOPA members. Members receive a discount on the online Part 107 preparation course. Drone demonstrations and seminars will take place at AOPA’s fly-ins and at the major airshows.

Advocacy. AOPA represents GA on the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee and the association is co-chair of the 26 Coalition for UAS Safety. AOPA was an integral part of the creation of Part 107 and collaborates on proposed regulations for safe integration into the National Airspace System.

Pilot Protection Services. Enhanced membership options include legal counsel and representation from AOPA’s attorneys, and other services included in AOPA Pilot Protection and Pilot Protection Plus memberships.

Insurance. AOPA Insurance serves customers seeking protection for recreational and commercial drone operations.

News and media. Subscription to a new, biweekly AOPA Drone Pilot email newsletter is included in drone membership; nonmembers also can subscribe.

Safety. Products from the AOPA Air Safety Institute are equally applicable to manned and unmanned aviation, and new content is in development specific to drone operation.

Member Products and Services

Tips from PIC: Do I need a 100-hour inspection?

By Paul Feldmeyer

Owners often ask the Pilot Information Center if their aircraft need a 100-hour inspection. For a flight school the answer is almost always yes, but what about the person renting an airplane to a friend? What if that friend is working on a new rating using the aircraft? What if the aircraft is a club aircraft?

The regulation that covers this is FAR 91.409(b). It states that within the previous 100 hours of time in service, a 100-hour or annual inspection is required when you are operating an aircraft for hire carrying passengers (not crew) or if you are giving flight instruction in an aircraft that you provide. A 100-hour inspection is only required when the instructor/school/club provides both the instruction for hire and the aircraft to be used. To the FAA, “it makes no difference whether the person providing the aircraft is an owner, renter, lessee, or borrower” if the person providing the flight instruction is in no way providing the aircraft. The FAA does caution, though, that “if the aircraft is not owned or leased by the student the FAA may review the situation to ensure the instructor or a group represented by the flight instructor isn’t effectively supplying the aircraft.”

The letters of interpretation go a long way in helping define the requirements of a regulation that have confused many pilots, instructors, and flight schools.

The aviation experts in the AOPA Pilot Information Center welcome your questions. Call us at 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672).

Insurance Services: We do a lot for pilots

10 things to know about AOPA Insurance

1. We have access to the same carriers as other brokers, but with AOPA your premium supports general aviation. Your money gets reinvested in supporting GA advocacy.

2. We have relationships with more than a dozen A-rated insurance companies, which means better, more customized quotes for you.

3. The more you fly, the more experienced you are, and the longer you go accident-free, the lower your insurance rate, sometimes by as much as 10 percent.

4. Unparalleled customer service is what we do. If you’re in an accident or have a claim, you make one call—to us—and we take care of the rest.

5. Complete AOPA Air Safety Institute programs every six months and you can earn accident forgiveness, waive deductibles, and, if you file a claim, prevent a rate increase when you renew.

6. You don’t need to be a member of AOPA to get insurance through AOPA (but many insurers offer an additional discount if you are).

7. We are pilots and our expertise is with aviation insurance; we can match the right underwriter, pilot, and aircraft. We know what coverage is available at no extra premium depending on the options you need, such as handheld avionics and medical payments.

8. If you have coverage on an aircraft through a different broker, your insurance company will only provide a renewal quote to the current broker. But by signing a simple Broker of Record change letter, you can give us permission to get a quote from your current company.

9. We protect renters, too. A renter’s policy through AOPA Insurance provides comprehensive coverage and provides personal legal defense against lawsuits.

10. There are very few aircraft that we cannot insure. Whether it’s a Piper Cub, Experimental aircraft, jet, or helicopter, we have you covered. We cover flying clubs and hangars, too.

We also offer life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, travel assistance, and disability insurance for loss of medical for professional pilots. A new home and auto insurance program is coming soon.

Whether you own or rent, AOPA Insurance has the right policy for you. For more information or to apply for a policy, visit the website. You may qualify for a 5-percent discount for being an AOPA member.

AOPA Air Safety Institute

Easier said than done

Make the right decision at the right time

Good aeronautical decision making (ADM) requires anticipation, recognition, and timely action to correct a problem. But that often is easier said than done. Forecast marginal weather that looks like it could improve during the flight might lure a pilot into the air to look—only to find that wishful thinking put him in a perilous situation. Smart decision making means thinking about what could go wrong before it does. Consider these traps:

• Squeezing too much utility out of the aircraft by attempting to fly in adverse weather, pushing weight and balance limits, or stretching the aircraft’s fuel range.

• Pushing the limits of your skill or experience by ignoring your proficiency level, regardless of pilot currency.

• Showing off flying skills to passengers or onlookers by performing low-level flight or improvised aerial demonstrations.

Applying ADM means paying attention to things that give you pause, and that don’t fit with what you’re expecting. The sooner you recognize a problem and start thinking about how to handle it, the better are your chances of taking timely, corrective action. If there is a question or problem, evaluate your options and choose the best one. This can be difficult to do, especially if it is an unpleasant choice to make—for example, deciding to make an unplanned fuel stop because you’re getting low on fuel, even though you’re close to your destination.

ASI’s recently updated Do the Right Thing: Decision Making for Pilots course can help. Discover best practices used in decision making and learn how to develop your own set of personal minimums. This AOPA Air Safety Institute course is optimized for tablet computers, so access it anywhere, anytime.