Di3L]@ P3PI3IFY AMA Legal Counsel ph Gelwicks JD number flying sites country located property owned governmental entity such county municipality Academys liability insurance policy provides primary coverage site owners addition AMA provides million dollars liability coverage chartered clubs sanctioned events individuals AMA does provide liability coverage non-AMA members Meantime possible obtain AMA sanction also sanction same event some other national modeling organization similar AMA offering insurance second sanction voids AMA sanction Quite simply cannot double-sanction event because safety code other organization going involve some significant differences importantly AMA coverage apply AMA National Safety Code must followed Generally other organizations have safety codes contain differences AMA code eg no 55-lb weight limitation contained AMA code Most sanctioned events run AMAchartered clubs AMA By-Laws article 3 section 2 mandates chartered club members operating models must current AMA members Because realities insurance situation question occasionally arises whether AMA club can keep non-AMA members flying public property answer quite simply YES depending rules established agency owns/administers property fact property public does mean public has unbridled unrestrained use property 24 hours day 365 days year However certain restrictions permissible cannot restrict flying field men exclusion women restrict races people allow another race people use property categories gender age few others have determined Supreme Court United States inherently suspect criteria because abridge constitutional rights grand scheme things constitutional issues simply dont come up whole lot talking about modeling activity So talking about constitutionally protected right restrictions permissible long meet test reasonableness restriction reasonable does further legitimate aim goal As result governmental owner property routinely imposes certain restrictions Usually use field restricted daylight hours Depending nature property use could some other restrictions recommended county require users maintain minimum million dollars liability coverage AMA members now have very common legitimate requirement user has applicable liability insurance coverage modeling activity engaged public property Lets look AMA insurance program An insurance policy provides coverage within defined group unit particular person family company etc AMA policy does provide insurance coverage entire world motor vehicle coverage provides coverage people say Los Angeles County Reasonable actuarially valid restrictions permissible necessary insurance program function keystone AMA insurance program its Safety Code actuarially sound just plain common sense following AMA National Safety Code goes long way towards ensuring modeling activity conducted safe manner Based upon rationale make realities insurance program interest public combine workable arrangement simple extent AMA club granted use public property flying site extent club has responsibility field during time using field Part responsibility ensure adequate insurance coverage RC frequency control Therefore AMA club using field has right obligation require users current AMA members thus guaranteeing AMA insurance program place AMA National Safety Code standard conduct followed fliers chartered club using field anyone else can use including other organization club individual various types insurance coverage ie homeowners coverage county wants take upon itself policing individuals ensure adequate coverage etc can certainly could assign task some other person organization nothing simple concept responsibilities following rights Since unlikely aeromodelers given area Anywhere County USA would position occupy flying site during daylight hours seven days week becomes nothing matter scheduling groups individuals use field given time arrangement individual organization can pursue activities public property unreasonable burdening person group uses property liability obligation insure two totally different things Tom Dick Jane wants fly next time someone tells certain act arrangement legal illegal first thing ought ask have license practice law has experience opinions couched terms whether something legal illegal merely indication speaker has strong emotional attachment particular opinion know strongest opinions involve matters about know very little because information have subject complex shades gray see Happy Modeling September 1992 47