Peter,

I want to clarify and perhaps disagree with a point you are making...

If the recovery pilot is not a commercial pilot, but is doing the club's
bidding in returning the aircraft, I dont see the problem with the club
billing the FLIGHT TIME of the recovered airplane to the ABANDONING
pilot. The abandoning pilot would have had to pay the flight time to
return the aircraft if he had flown the plane home hisself. I am of the
firm conviction if you abandon a plane 3 hours from home, you should be
prepared to pay for the flight time (i.e. WET RENTAL RATE) of that plane
to get it home, and I dont see where a commercial certificate comes into
play.

Our club does not pay any kind of stipend to members who perform a
recovery, regardless of their rating.

In this particular recovery, though, there appears to have been
instruction (revenue) which muddies the whole who pays what issue.

In the two instances where I have left club planes out, my first phone
call was to the owner of the aircraft (they are very involved, actively
managing the planes) and letting them take lead on deciding how to
handle it. Our club's maintenance officer can only authorize up to $300
in maintenance without owner approval anyways, and as a general rule,
our club's maintenance officer's routine duties involve maintenance at
the base. Any situations that deviate from the norm fall back on the owners.

Dave

Peter Duniho wrote:

"Geoffrey Barnes" wrote in message
ink.net...

That's the way that my vote will probably go as well. Again, I agree with
every point you make but I still come down on the other side of the issue.


Obviously, I disagree. But as long as the club is clear about the policy, I
guess they can set whatever policy they want.

However, just keep in mind that, just as the private pilot renter would be
required by FAR to pay for the flight back, should he choose to stay with
the plane until it's fixed, the club can only legally bill back the cost of
having someone else fly the plane back if that someone else has a commercial
certificate. Otherwise, the person flying the plane back is required to pay
for the flight.

Pete