I used to fly out of a small residential airpark in Wisconsin. One
beautiful fall evening, on turn to final I spotted the kids riding their
bikes on the runway. On spotting me, one of the tigers jumped off his bike
as they all scrambled away, leaving it on the runway.
It didn't quite divide the strip in two and I had plenty left in the
denominator to land on -- but I made sure to fetch the offending bicycle.
Eventually the fellow came up to claim it and I got to give the airport
safety lecture over the intercome while he sat on the left seat and wore a
headset.

I asked if he had ever ridden in a plane and suddenly kids sprang out of
everywhere (his cohorts were clearly spying out the whole event to
see how much trouble he was in). I announced that any kid who could
produce an aquiescing parent would get one official EAA "Young Eagles"
flight. The airpark was a close part of the community so it was not too
outlandish (although I did have one mom inspect my logbook).

It was a really cool few laps around the pattern. Nobody barfed.

Once when I was very young, I followed a hot air balloon. At time time, I
am sure I followed it for ten miles, but I am sure
we only spanned a few soybean fields. The balloon landed, and the pilot
offered me a ride. We threw my bike in the chase truck
and off we went. I was terrified that we would be carried miles and miles
from home and I would certainly "get in trouble."
I refused the ride home and blasted off on my bike after the landing. My
parents never found out till many years
later into adulthood. Man, you would never think of something like that
being acceptable today, for the child or the pilot!

Is anyone there an insurance agent? How do conventional umbrella policies
accomidate the risk? There was a previous post by someone
who had given up all of flying becuase he could not carry sufficient
liability in the airplane and it somehow voided his umbrella. I realize
this
may be policy vendor dependant, but what are the general rules?

Todd