Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Operation Migration Grounded

The pilots are paid a (not small) salary for around 6 months of work learning how to fly with the birds, teaching them how to fly formation and then living out a trailer for 3-4 months getting up at 4:30Am and putting in a full days work. OM maintains they are paid for all the other work but not for the actually flying. It has nothing to do with some sharp lawyer. The actual complaint stems directly or indirectly from a former employee.

--- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com, Peter Walker <peterwalker58@...> wrote:
>
> Hello
> They are asking the wrong question If the expenses are covered by a 3rd party the pilot is not being paid Hell they can request he supplies a honker horn and pays a daily rate for its use in leu of wear and tear It becomes hire or reward if the pilot gets an hourly or daily rate 
>  Another way around it is to "buy" the plane on a resale contract and supply all the requirements The pilot donates his time
>
>  The FAA will not give an exemption easily Someone will twist it to a way to hire a UL for a commercial return by using it as a precedent As usual some sharp legal eagle has gone out to make his name over a non issue and is likely to be charging a fee
> Peter
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: James Bair <jimbair@...>
> To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, January 9, 2012 3:20 AM
> Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Operation Migration Grounded
>
>
>  
> The 103 regulation has absolutely nothing to do with this
> project.   I totally agree with the idea of the pilots being able to
> donate their time.  However, what I think doesn’t really matter.
>  
> Jim
>  
> From: Ralph
> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 7:13 AM
> To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Operation Migration
> Grounded
>  
>  
>
>
> The 103 regulation shouldn't be a show stopper for this this project.
> The pilots can volunteer their time similar to the pilots who fly donor organs.
> I'm sure the fuel can be paid for so they don't have to buy it themselves.
> People volunteer time for other causes, why not this one? There are a lot of
> retired pilots who would love to do this without compensation. It's an
> adventure.
>
> Ralph
>
> --- In mailto:Sport_Aircraft%40yahoogroups.com,
> "Mark C" <wannagoflying@> wrote:
> >
> > 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 mailto:Sport_Aircraft%40yahoogroups.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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