Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Operation Migration Grounded

That's to bad. As for Canada i believe you can be compensated for any flights IE fuel, wear and tear. But not at a profit.

--- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com, Helen Woods <Helen_Woods@...> wrote:
>
> Someone from this list a few years back wanted to know how Operation
> Migration was operating legally when they paid non-commercial pilots to
> fly for a non-government activity. Well, short answer is that they
> weren't. From AvWeb this morning:
>
>
> Operation Migration Grounded Over Paid Pilots
>
> The ultralight aircraft-led annual pilgrimage of whooping cranes from
> Wisconsin to Florida has voluntarily suspended operations after a pilot
> raised concerns that the flights may run afoul of federal regulations.
> The problem is that ultralight pilots are not allowed to be compensated
> for their work and Operation Migration pilots, who fly ultralights, are
> compensated for theirs. The group's annual efforts use an ultralight
> aircraft to guide locally bred whooping cranes across the country to the
> birds' traditional winter migration destination. Once there, the birds
> mix with more experienced birds that guide the return. An attorney for
> the group -- which has operated for more than a decade -- says its
> pilots don't want to knowingly violate FAA regulations and are seeking a
> resolution.
>
> What Operation Migration would like is for the FAA to formally exempt
> the group from rules banning payment of the pilots. An attorney for the
> pilots has asked aviation officials to allow compensated ultralight
> flights, saying that the group's goal is to protect an endangered
> species. A spokesperson for the FAA has said the agency's understanding
> is that the pilots are reluctant to fly in violation of the law. Nine
> birds and their handlers have stopped this year's journey in Alabama
> while they await a formal verdict from the FAA. The U.S. Fish and
> Wildlife Service is reportedly considering holding the birds at local
> refugees if the flights are not allowed to continue. Aside from the
> physical care of whooping cranes, Operation Migration participates in
> school programs, sharing its experiences with students, some of whom
> follow the cranes' journey online
> <http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html>.
>

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