MAAC question

[Oscar]

Last night, I attended the 905 club ZOOM meeting.  Max, the president of 905, brought out a topic in regards to the new MAAC information.  I was thinking to share that with the rest in TEMAC.  Please correct me if its not the case (or maybe I misunderstood some of the statements)

This year, I noticed my MAAC card has an additional information called Pilot Qualifications.  In my case, I have Instructor (FIX-WING) and Pilot (Multi-Rotor).  With this status, that means I can fly my Fix-wing as well FPV / Quad in any Club in North America.  In addition, the new agreement with Transport Canada, I can even fly my fix-wing and FPV/Quad even not in the Club field provided it's not in the restricted place.  For example, I can take the plane to the cottage and fly.  If the police officer came approach me, I can show my MAAC # and prove that I have the pilot status to fly my plane (even over 250g).  Under Transport Canada, section 25 (?), I am exempted.

I want to fly Heli.  But because my pilot qualifications is not shown with Heli status, that means I cannot fly it alone in the club without a Heli instructor nor I can fly it in a non club field unless my heli is under 250g.

To update the pilot qualification status, it has to go thru your club instructor or the club president.  They can change the member status.  (for example, from a student to a pilot). 

For Instructor, although my MAAC shows I am the Fix-wing instructor, it still need other club to promote me within their club.  Example, I am the instructor in TEMAC, but I am still the pilot in 905. 

That's my understanding.  Hopefully others can chip-in.

[davidk]

This is an interesting section on the MAAC site...

Can I still fly my glider above the Transport Canada altitude limit?
Yes, as long as you are following the MAAC Safety Code and looking to the MAAC Guidelines for best practices, and are conscious of what type of airspace you are flying in. In particular, make sure you make efforts to identify and avoid full size aircraft when flying.

I couldn't find any details about this in the Transport Canada information or in the exemption.  What does this mean... specifically?

[pmackenzie]

It is pretty simple, flying under MAAC safety rules we are exempt from the RPAS rules. No altitude limit in MAAC safety rues, therefore no altitude limit.
Unless, as in the case of TEMAC I believe, there are arrangements (such as altitude limits)  in place with the local airport.

https://www.maac.ca/en/transport_canada.php

[mawz]

Hi Oscar,

There's a lot of confusion around the Pilot Qualifications rules, but they are very simple.

The minimum you need to fly at a club or elsewhere under the MAAC Safety Rules is a Pilot qualification in the discipline you are flying.

If you wish to get a qualification in a discipline, you need an instructor to do the check flight in MSD25 for the qualification type. The check flight is very simple, and any instructor should be able to perform it for any discipline, as the flying portion requires a demonstration of safe and controlled flight, something any Instructor should be able to validate. It is however up to the club to determine who, if anyone, should be doing evaluations in each discipline, and remember that Instructor designations are club specific (I have an Instructor qualification in both Fixed-Wing and Free Flight, but not one as far as TEMAC is concerned). With regards to the lack of a helicopter instructor in TEMAC, that would be up to the Executive to decide if the CFI or other Instructors are capable of performing a chekc flight for the Helicopter discipline, even if they are not rated to instruct in it.

Note also that clubs are not required to accept any Pilot Qualifications, they may require a check flight or further instruction before allowing a MAAC member to fly at their club. The Pilot Qualifications are a mandatory minimum for demonstrating competence to Transport Canada, not a requirement for clubs to accept regarding flight privileges at their club. Clubs however do have to do the MSD25 check flight for all members who they are granting permission to fly solo.

As to flying away from a club site, you can do so as long as you fly according the the MAAC Safety Code, including the field and airspace requirements. The MAAC Safety code will not allow you to fly park fliers at your local park with people all around for example.

Pat is not quite correct about altitude limits. While there is no direct altitude limit in the Safety Code, we still require permission from NAV Canada to operate in any controlled airspace as per MAP01 - T2 & T3. That functions as a defacto altitude limit unless you are operating in Class G airspace with no Class E above it as it is difficult for an individual member to get this permission. Other airspace classes are largely irrelevant as you have to climb through class E to access them, except for Class F. You can't fly in Class F (that's Restricted Airspace and the restriction applies to all aviation). TYpically Class E starts at 700', 1200' or 2200' above ground, depending on how close you are to the control zone (it's an upside down layer cake)

There is a tool the Safety Committee is working on to allow members to easily determine what airspace they are operating in.

[Andy Hoffer]

Hi @mawz .

Great summary Adam.

Thanks for posting.

Andy Hoffer