Hi Guys,
Fred, you might check in here and if you do here is what I have taken from many insurance discussions.
I have had in-depth conversations with Liam Butler, the MACI treasurer who currently negotiates the insurance and with Liam Broderick who used to. The mere posession of a MACI card with B certificate status does not extend the group scheme to cover you flying in a public display. MACI has a special form that is used to extend the group scheme to cover public displays and there is much detail submitted on this form. A public display implies that there will be a public gallary or gallaries densely populated with spectators... a very dangerous thing to hit! At a meeting, fly-in or competition event, the spectators are incidentally there as opposed to being the raison d'être.
Basically if you have paid up your MACI subscription to include insurance you have public liability insurance in Ireland, UK and Europe. It was explained to me like this...
MACI insures the global risk associated with approximately 1000 paid up members. The risk is based on the majority of these being paid up members of affiliated clubs. To affiliate as a club your field and general safety rules must comply to the guidelines supplied by MACI. Each individual person flying with insurance must have taken at least an A certificate or must be supervised by a person who has. As the A test includes questions specifically relating to the MACI code of safe conduct, then the A certified pilot or person supervised by this person will typically conduct themselves in accordance with the code of safe conduct e.t.c.
You can see that there is some attempt made by MACI to keep people within certain limits of behaviour and this is the risk that is covered by the policy. There are also additional notified risks that are globally covered by the insurance including flying from non-permanent sites (hillsides) and the temporary cover of us when we fly abroad.
There is no question that if you fly at an event that is organised so as to be comply with the guidelines of the local insurance (i.e. with formal organisation, controls, safety plans e.t.c.) and you find yourself liable for thrid party damage or injury then your MACI policy will cover you. It is used by all sorts of fliers overseas at events and competitions.
Why do I feel I know the answers?
I had a long conversation with Liam Broderick who used to negotiate this policy and was interrested to know if we were covered flying on the slopes of south wales. I was told YES
I have since spoken about how the cover is "implied" to a visitor or new guy in our club when they are taking instruction from me. Even though they have never submitted their name to MACI, my cover transfers to them because I have an A & B certificate (have answered the code of safe conduct questions) and they are flying at a site that complies with the MACI guidelines. In theory the additional risk above that negotiated is negligeable within these constraints... i.e I am not going to stand there doing or saying nothing while a novice standing beside me howls around the heads of bystanders and thrid party property.
A little bit wordy... sorry! Hope that this gives you some comfort.
Garry
