Permits, Insurance, Bonding, Lots of Money. Not Going to Jail - Priceless

[trireme]

So I live in a pretty big city. What is required by law in order for my to offer AP services.

What should I do beyond the requirement of law to cover my ass?

Thanks for any input!

[crewchief]

So I live in a pretty big city.Gee, I guess! Of course, if you said L.A., it could have been Lower Alabama.

It costs me $1200/yr to insure my Mooney 4-seater airplane, including passengers, liability and loss, and it costs me $1400/yr to insure my T-Rex, liability only. Nevertheless, I consider it a good thing to be able to get insurance for this kind of endeavor. So I'd consider insurance to be the primary concern - trying to get clarification on all that other stuff is like trying to nail jelly to the wall.

[trireme]

Gee, I guess! Of course, if you said L.A., it could have been Lower Alabama.

It costs me $1200/yr to insure my Mooney 4-seater airplane, including passengers, liability and loss, and it costs me $1400/yr to insure my T-Rex, liability only. Nevertheless, I consider it a good thing to be able to get insurance for this kind of endeavor. So I'd consider insurance to be the primary concern - trying to get clarification on all that other stuff is like trying to nail jelly to the wall.

Other then insurance, do you have any permits or licensing? AMA I assume. Do you get a shooting permit for the day? Or is that not needed?

[crewchief]

AMA, RCAPA, etc., are voluntary memberships. You need permission to shoot some venues, such as Spy Glass in Monterey (the old twisted pine tree is a registered trademark). We got yelled at for taking pictures of the Hotel Coronado in San Diego. Sometimes permission is needed for security reasons, or for airspace concerns, such as TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions) around fires, or visiting dignitaries, etc. I'm sure some of the guys have had some interesting special cases, but there's no general rule that requires those things for RC/AP, at least that I've heard of. Common sense goes a long way. Rather than deal with the red tape sometimes people figure it's easier to ask forgiveness afterwards than to ask permission beforehand, but again, just stay away from any activity that could endanger people or property, especially considering the FAA's current mindset.

[trireme]

Right. I completely agree. I am hoping to do mainly real estate to start. I just wasnt sure if I was gonna be crossing any lines with law, flying near houses, if a neihbor complained, or near business, in commercial zones. Shooting films around here, the police are alway on top of checking for permits with them. They pay for traffic control, fire marshalls, and permits. I am hoping I can just shoot, as if I was using a tripod.

Safety is a huge concern, I think we are all concerned about this hobby being damaged by one freak with a remote control.

The AMA provides insurance if I where to say, fall out of the sky into a car, no? Why pay for the additional insurance? Does the AMA not help you if you are working instead of playing?

Most of my flight practice has been on private property(not mine) like parking lots, and parks, and I have never been hassled, just want to do it right, when it comes to operating a business.

Thanks for you help.

[crewchief]

The AMA is for hobbyists, not for commercial applications. I wouldn't rely on their insurance. The RCAPA is more for business interests. At a minimum, the old 1980's era FAA AC 91-57 is a good guideline:

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/1acfc3f689769a56862569e70077c9cc/$FILE/ATTBJMAC/ac91-57.pdf

If you missed it, I recently asked about insurance here:

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=44385

[trireme]

The AMA is for hobbyists, not for commercial applications. I wouldn't rely on their insurance. The RCAPA is more for business interests. At a minimum, the old 1980's era FAA AC 91-57 is a good guideline:

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/1acfc3f689769a56862569e70077c9cc/$FILE/ATTBJMAC/ac91-57.pdf

If you missed it, I recently asked about insurance here:

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=44385

thanks! great link

[trireme]

When photographing businesses, how does everyone feel about flying over an open roadway in order to get the shot? Have you been able to do this without any problems?

[KarbonBird]

When photographing businesses, how does everyone feel about flying over an open roadway in order to get the shot? Have you been able to do this without any problems?

Depends on how busy the roadway is! May be possible to do an early morning, weekend shoot but if there was regular traffic using the road I would not do it as it's just too risky.

[trireme]

early morning, thats a great idea.