MAAC membership fee structure

I have my trainer I constructed years ago, and am looking for ways to fly it here in Toronto.

So unlike the AMA's $58 fees, MAAC requires $55 plus one clubs membership fees. I checked the huntsville club which costs $90 + $50 for a grand total of $195 to put a trainer in the air. Even once. My trainer doesnt cost more than $300.

So my first penny-pinching question is, can I get my plane in the air for lesser fees? Does any club have a winter-only membership, or one without grass, just road tarmac? Are clubs further north cheaper?

And what about disagreeing with the way MAAC is run? Any clubs out there which do not require MAAC membership and provide their own insurance with fees?

And what about the wilderness far north? If I fly something on the Belcher Islands without MAAC insurance, am I committing a crime?

I'd even take a lower cost structure for say allowing me to fly a certain number of days, or a week, or even once. I would drive south to Detroit to make it feasible, but my skin color, especially along with an 'airplane' in the trunk... I'd rather not.

Reply to
Ghazan Haider
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Some cost saving options to see if this is the right hobby for you:

  1. Find a remote spot with few trees, no cars, and a place to take off and land and just fly the damn thing.
  2. Get an introductory AMA membership and go to the local field (I don't know why they wouldn't insure you in canada).
  3. Ebay it off and get a park flyer.

Either way practice on the computer first or find someone to help train you.

Reply to
Steve Banks

Option 1 was what I was thinking of.. but I never thought of option 2 before. Sounds interesting since I would visit the US once in a while.

I already have a park flyer too, my homes close to power lines, so I crashed the first attempt on that one. Will rebuild it, but been more interested in the larger plane.

Been training on computer for 18+ months. I'm willing to take the risk given the space... so I'll look further north for an open field somewhere.

Reply to
Ghazan Haider

I don't know where you are located but if you use option 1, and many do, you have an obligation to locate the nearest clubs and make sure that you are not flying within range of them. Gord Schindler MAAC6694

Reply to
Gord Schindler

You do not need MAAC insurance or membership to fly model aircraft i

Canada. However , unless you have access to household or othe insurance, you open yourself to liability in the event of an acciden in which there is injury. Contrary to what you state "So unlike the AMA's $58 fees, MAAC requires $55 plus one club membership fees." you can join MAAC and get the benefits of their insurance for the $5 CAN (which is less than AMA's fees of $58 US) as an individual membe without Club affiliation. Mind you this may restrict you from flying a a particular Club site which requires club membership. Generally clubs provide a service to their members, which is reflected in th club fees. However, if you are not in an area where a club operates or are too stingy to support your local club, you can still fl anywhere except the club airfield for the basic $55 MAAC fee. I think basic MAAC membership is a reasonable price to pay for you insurance coverage. John O'Sullivan MAAC 5401 (since 1967

-- John O'Sulliva

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Reply to
John O'Sullivan

I think those are pretty typical fees. Most of us who join a club plan to stay in the hobby so we don't compare the price of one plane to the fees. If you have lots of open space and there is absolutely no chance you will interfere with a local club or crash into anything (lots and lots of space required) then by all means go for it. Just be aware that without insurance you are entirely responsible for any damage to others property.

I would be surprised to hear about a club that has it's own insurance policy. I think MAAC would be far cheaper. I could be wrong.

No, you are not committing a crime. You can fly your plane in the local park legally if there are no city by-laws against it. HOWEVER, should you crash into someone or something (which is certainly possible in a park and you being a beginner) you will be held accountable for all damages.

You seem to be ready to go to quite some lengths to save a few dollars. You are within your rights to do so, but I should warn you that if you get hooked on this hobby like many of us have, club fees will be a drop in the bucket :)

Vince

Reply to
Vince Hendricks

I agree. I'll add that to the checklist.

Two more questions: (1) How 'illegal' is it to fly a model airplane without insurance, or otherwise without a MAAC+club license? How much fines or jail term am I looking at? Is this an enforceable/enforced bylaw/bill?

(2) Anything else to consider flying the plane in winter? (10 to -5C)?

Reply to
Ghazan Haider

It is not illegal at all (unless there are city bylaws in place within city limits for noise, etc. not sure how to find out what all the bylaws are, maybe Toronto has a web page with those?? I dunno, I'm in Ottawa) The only problem you will have is if something goes wrong. As long as you are willing to live with the risk go for it. Please, please, please however be very careful especially if you are flying alone and you are new at this. Maybe you can find someone who is willing to show you how to fly at a non club location.

Wear a toque dude! :P

Vince

Reply to
Vince Hendricks

Add hard starting/running to that and apparently cold monocote makes a cool ping sound when it shatters ;)

Reply to
Steve Banks

In re-reading your msg I have come to realise a couple of things. 1. It sounds as though you'd like to fly around Huntsville which means you have lots of room to fly...if you can find an open space in the bush. ;)

  1. You have a trainer and are not yet a competent flyer. Re: #1. Other folks have made the point about insurance/flying near other clubs etc. Re: #2. YOu have considerable $$ invested and are itching to fly the darn thing now. Well, If you have never flown, the life of your 'plane is generally measured in seconds...about 30 or 40 on average. Now, I'm not saying that you can't learn on your own -many of us have- but the odds are against doing it without incurring substantial damage to the A/C and maybe even losing it in a fly-away.

So, lets look at the positive aspects of this. Joining a club provides you with flight instruction for free. This means taking your 'plane home everyday in one piece. Joining a club provides you with a field to fly in that is maintained...grass cut, a place to get yr butt out of the hot sun/cold wx. Joining a club provides you with the collective knowledge of all the other members. There is more to flying than drilling holes in the sky. How to start a motor when it is 10' below, for example. Joining a club provides you with a safe environment. Flying alone is not reccomended. There has been lots of serious damage done in just a flash by a spinning prop. Joining a club provides you with camaraderie...a group of folks who share the same interests...meetings to discuss flying etc...coffee and donuts sometimes....maybe a picnic or two. You don't have to participate but, for many, it makes the hobby a whole lot more fun. For example, the Huntsville club participates each year in the air show at Gravenhurst airport. If you are flying near Toronto, the local clubs participate in the Oshawa air show as well as many other venues through the year.

I could go on but I think the point is made. You don't have to join a club but in the initial learning stages it makes a lot more sense than going it alone just to save a few bucks. Gord Schindler MAAC6694

Reply to
Gord Schindler

Thanks everyone for the comments. Cleared up a lot of misconceptions.

I started building the plane not knowing about any central authorities like MAAC or AMA. I thought it was a larger toy, a simple hobby that you can use within your own risks, and it seems I was right. I was next introduced to the AMA in the US and later MAAC. It appears to a beginner, that flying any plane anywhere in the second largest country requires you to pay a central non-government authority which has monopoly over the matter. Its the principle of that matter that bothered me.

Doesnt anymore.

I'll be happy to pay for space, and I'll consider paying for insurance depending on the flying location and my confidence. $90 even is cheap for the space, mowed lawns, facilities etc, it is nevertheless too expensive for a one-time flying (Think golf). It also seemed like the auto insurance institutions which have no checks and balances in Canada, and are charging ever-higher prices.. became a major election issue. MAAC seemed like a runaway organization till I knew I didnt 'have' to register to fly. That is fair.

Option number 1 sounds best for me till it seems I wouldnt want to drive 2 hours north to fly, in which case, paying for a club becomes feasible. If the club does not 'require' the customer to buy insurance from MAAC, all the better. Riding a BMX on a cliff or skydiving shouldnt be illegal either.

Thanks for all the help.

Reply to
Ghazan Haider

| I started building the plane not knowing about any central authorities | like MAAC or AMA.

I'm not familiar with the MAAC, but the AMA is not a central authority. It's not an authority at all. It's an organization, and they offer insurance. They have no authority outside of AMA clubs and what you give them when you sign up with them.

| I thought it was a larger toy, a simple hobby that you can use | within your own risks, and it seems I was right.

Yes, you were. Some will say they aren't toys, but it's really an issue of how you define toy. To many, sports cars, boats, guns, full scale planes, etc. are all `toys', but they're also toys that require care or they can be dangerous.

| I was next introduced to the AMA in the US and later MAAC. It | appears to a beginner, that flying any plane anywhere in the second | largest country requires you to pay a central non-government | authority which has monopoly over the matter. Its the principle of | that matter that bothered me.

Well, that belief is misguided, but the AMA certainly doesn't seem to mind. After all, their membership cards do say `license' on them.

Reply to
Doug McLaren

Its the principle of that matter that

To fly yr 'plane one time is easy but you may get 'hooked'. Why not drop me an e-mail. Depending on where you are, it may be possible to get an instructor to check yr plane out and take you out for a fly at a sanctioned field. Then you can have some 1st hand gab, a crack at the controls, and maybe decide if it is something you would like to persue. Maybe even go to a club meeting. None of this would cost you anything. MAAC, BTW does not in themselves insure flyers. MAAC's mandate -in this regard- is to negotiate the best possible rate from the insurance companies. Something that has become more and more expensive now that they are still trying to recoup their losses from 9/11. Individual clubs simply don't have the resources nor the membership base to even get the insurance companies to talk to them. Gord Schindler MAAC6694

Reply to
Gord Schindler

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