OK, my question is this to all those who feel that the person "responsible" for the shoot down should pay in all cases...

If I am barely able to afford the basic costs of living and marginally maintain a model to fly and I shoot down a $10K airplane which I obviously can't afford which is evident when you see my car that has rust holes all over, it's missing the hood and the muffler is about to fall off, how do you expect me to pay the $10K?

I think we're all well aware that people make mistakes. We also know that most clubs are very casual. We also know that the cost of the average RC plane in the air is probably less than $500.00 completed and ready to fly.

Not necessarily true, but probably true is that the guy flying the $10K airplane has more expendable income than 99% of all participants in this hobby. When I drive I drive like everyone else wants to kill me personally. I have never been in an accident.

If I had an Indy car you would not see me driving it on the road with the average person knowing that he could probably not afford to replace my car. I don't care whose fault it is. I don't want my car destroyed.

The same goes for my models. If I spent a year building a model, which I do sometimes, I don't fly it when the known yahoos are at the field. It won't matter to me if I can blame him for destroying my plane. What matters is that a year's work is destroyed and no court in the world is going to compensate me for my time. The materials in the plane are probably about $500.00 and I'd be lucky to get that.

Everybody here seems to think it's all about money. There's not one guy in my club who can build to my standards and therefore nobody can replace one of my planes.

It's my responsibility to protect myself.

All of this is going on the assumption that it was a true accident. If the guy walked over to my plane and jumped on it or I knew for a fact he deliberately shot me down, I'd want blood, but that's as far as it would go. I still doubt I'd get anything.

I can tell you right now that if I shoot down a guy's $10K airplane he'll never see the money. I would offer to pay what I could afford and I would offer to do some work for him. That's what I can do.

My suggestion is to look at the average member of your club and try to make a determination of what they could compensate you. Then weigh the risk of bringing your plane out. If you're willing to take the risk then take responsibility for taking it.