Adds Drone Insurance As A Member Benefit

SAFE is asking its members to help aspiring commercial drone operators with current information on proper use of the devices to minimize hazard to aircraft.

“The new FAR Part 107 gives great freedom for aspiring unmanned aviators,” said David St. George, SAFE Chair, “but the peril will be more activity in the airspace and virtually undetectable conflicts for larger aircraft.” He pointed out that CFIs are more likely than most aviators to be exposed to low-altitude hazards due to requirements for teaching turns about a point, S turns across a road, takeoffs and landings and other low-altitude maneuvers.

St. George said that a short FAA information sheet summarizing the information for commercial drone operators is available free from the FAA, and that aviation attorney Jonathan Rupprecht of Palm Beach, Florida has a well-organized drone website that includes a free FAR Part 107 test study guide. A guide for pilots operating near drones is available free from SecureAV, where the organization also has a PDF poster warning pilots of the growing drone population.

One of the new issues in drone regulation is that while commercial drone operators are restricted within five miles of a towered airport, there are NO limitations for drone operators around non-towered airports, which make up the bulk of airports where flight training takes place.

Meanwhile an endorsement for instructing in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operations is now available free for all SAFE CFI policyholders from Starr Insurance. It is the latest SAFE membership benefit.

The endorsement adds up to one million dollars of UAS coverage for liability for negligent instruction, property damage, bodily injury and use of a non-owned UAS.  It also covers the insured CFI for noncommercial use of a non-owned UAS. Physical damage to the UAS itself is excluded.
 
"With the new FAA rules governing UAS vehicles, effective August 29, flight instructors can - and are - becoming CFIs for the new commercial drones," said David St. George, SAFE Chair.  "This new endorsement automatically added to all SAFE CFI liability policies extends that protection to instructors working with drone operators."
 
There is no additional charge for the extra SAFE insurance, and it will be automatically included in all SAFE CFI liability policies issued on August 30, 2016 or later by Starr Insurance.

(Source: SAFE news letter. Images from file)

FMI: www.safepilots.org