Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

Can anyone tell me what the deal is with training? If I train my friend with a buddy box, and I am AMA covered, is my friend covered during the flight as well, or does he need AMA right away? My airplane, and I have him on a trainer switch for instant take-over in a pinch.

Also, I was told that the AMA issues a card that says "Trainer", or "Instructor", something like that. Is this true, and if so what are the requirements to get one?

Thanks for your help, I know that I should just read everything but was hoping that someone could just break id down simply for me.

Crashem

If you are part of the Intro-pilot program then for a 30 day period your friend is covered when flying on the box using your equipment. Since you don't seem to have a clue about the program I'd bet you are not one.
In that case then your friend needs his own AMA card to be covered.

To Find out the requirments why don't you look on the AMA web site?

abel_pranger

Your buddy is not covered by AMA insurance. Now let me ask you, why does it matter? It's your airplane and you are the pilot in charge, with the ability to seize control instantly as you sense the need or desire. You are responsible if a liability situation should occur. It's no different from tooling around in your rider-scale Cessna 150 and allowing your unlicensed passenger to take a turn the controls. It's done all the time and AFAIK there are no rules against it, and I doubt anyone would seriously argue that it is a safety or liability issue as long as you remain in charge and ready to retake control.

AMA has an Intro Pilot program. A $10 fee is paid by the club to designate an individual (or several, at 10 bucks each) an Intro Pilot. There are no pilot qualifications required by AMA for an IP, but since the club is in control of who is designated, they may apply some criteria, following AMA recommendations or their own set of hoops. Under the IP's direct supervision, a trainee can fly during a period of 30 consecutive days and be covered by AMA insurance. There is some paperwork required of the IP and new pilot, basically intended to enforce the 30 day limit. The trainee is only covered at the IP's club site. It is a good next step after the buddy-box flights (actually singular, as only one allowed per customer by AMA at this time), as it allows for the trainee to use his own model and equipment, and use of the buddy-box is optional. Downsides are the need to find an Intro Pilot whose schedule and motivation matches up with the trainee, the administrivia involved, and the fact that if you are not an IP, you are turning your friend over to a stranger for his instruction, and that negatively impacts the social aspect of flying model airplanes. Also note that the IP program is only open to AMA clubs, which leaves the (about) half of AMA members that don't belong to clubs ineligible.

Da nada.

Abel

J_R

Crashem

About 16% of AMA chartered clubs have Into Pilot programs. The pdf document, 535-E, sets suggested guidelines for the trainer, but they are not a requirement. Form 906 outlines the program and the issuance of the license marked “Intro Pilot”. Training MUST take place a club chartered site. Paperwork MUST be kept on each trainee.

Why is this program necessary? Would it be advantageous for the AMA to allow training on a buddy box (so that insurance is not an issue) for any non-AMA member at a chartered club field? Are Intro Pilots in some way better trained that non-Intro Pilot instructors? It would appear that 84% of the chartered clubs are using non-Intro Pilot instructors to train pilots. The difference being that the trainee MUST be an AMA member. Is an AMA member somehow less of a risk to train than an AMA member? Is there some reason this should be limited to 30 days of training?

How many people are being turned away from the hobby because of this policy? How many clubs just ignore the rule and train the non-AMA member anyway?

Crashem

JR thanks for the statistic though I'm not sure why its addressed to my instead of the original poster??

J_R

Just because! Actually, because he apparently has little or no knowledge of the program and you do.

Crashem

Thanks

JR Do you know if the changes made to allow for paid instructors actually got approved and if so, what if anything are they (AMA) going to do about the Intro program if anything?

J_R

The insurance covers CASUAL paid instructors. Not commercial instruction. The .pdf doc is here: http://www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/500-H.pdf

The Intro Pilot program remains “as is”. If I understand correctly, at the last EC meeting Rich Hanson, D X VP, raised the issue of buddy box training. It was not considered because Dave Brown had asked to be present for any discussion on the subject. Hopefully, it will be raised again at the next meeting. From the EC January 2005 EC minutes: “An item that was handed out re AMA promotion of buddy box use will be discussed at the next meeting when the President is present.”

Crashem

Thanks JR

Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

So is there no Instructor card issued by AMA, where it actually says something to that effect on the card?