C170B w/180hpCS POH

[GAHorn]

I don't understand, Richard.
I know that even without the law in Canada...you're the kind of responsible person who carries insurance. So why the resentment of the law?
Personally, I think some sort of liability-responsibility should be mandatory here in the U.S. too. The number of people who operate airplanes around other people and other expensive airplanes...but don't carry liability insurance consarnes me.
I cannot imagine any reasonable excuse for the kind of behavior which places others at such risk without conscience, especially since it only costs about the same as a half-dozen hours of flying a single engine airplane.
Anyway... since you carry the insurance anyway for your own purposes....why does it irritate you to have to carry proof of it?

[hilltop170]

George-
Insurance was not what I was referring to. I have full coverage and although I don't like paying the outrageous premiums, it is my option and I pay them not because some government requires it but because I choose to.

What upsets me is the radio station license which is totally unnecessary and which the gov't mandates, then charges us for it. It is totally unnecessary, does no good at all. I'm a little more sensitive than most perhaps because I tried to do the right thing and get the permits for four airplanes at the same time.

The application process was practically impossible to complete correctly because of confusing instructions without decent explanations. When there was a mistake, 6 weeks later I got a letter back from the FCC telling me my application was rejected because there was a mistake, they refused to tell me what the mistake was so it could be corrected, and they told me they were keeping the money and there would be no refund.

After getting Senator Ted Stevens involved, I finally got a refund after 9 months. Yes, that is right, I called Ted Stevens and he rubbed their noses in it until I got my refund. Idiots! A simple explanation of the problem could have solved it probably over the phone and that would have been that. But no, the government that is supposed to serve the people conspires against us. I can safely say that government screws up everything it touches. Not saying nothing works in government, but it is screwed up. Private enterprise could not stay in business operating like the government.

That is what I was upset about, not insurance or the Third Class Radiotelephone Permit I have had since 1970 and also have never been asked to present in 42 years by anyone.

This topic has sure ricocheted from its original intent!

[blueldr]

Hell Richard, I've got you beat. I got my 3rd class RT permit back in 1944 and no one has ever asked to see it since. They never even asked if I spoke english.
They always said I had to have it flying through Canada, and the Canadians only seemed to be concerned about the two or three oranges I had aboard. I guess they were concerned about some sort of orange disease effecting their orange growing industry. I always suspected that the confiscated oranges were quickly consumed by the confiscating officer.
On my last trip through Canadian customs, the inspector seemed convinced that I had a stash of handguns somewhere on my airplane. He almost wet his pants when I told him I had a 37mm "Very Pistol" on board. He didn't have a clue that it was an emergency signaling device. Ottawa finally OKd it.

[hilltop170]

BL-
As one BSer says to the other, that ain't nuthin'!

The last time I flew my buddy's SM-1019 Turbine Bird Dog from Alaska to Oregon, (it had crossed the border seven times before) when I was clearing US Customs in Oroville, Washington, the Customs guy brought out a geiger counter and waved it all over the airplane. When he got to the engine it went off and I opened the cowl for him. He ran it around the engine and asked me what I had hidden in the engine. I told him there were all kinds of engine parts in there. What else do you have hidden in there he asked. I told him he could plainly see there was nothing else in the cowling but the engine and he had watched me fly in. He then impounded the airplane. I told him there were thousands of these engines and maybe he should call his boss as I was pretty sure this was not the first time one had crossed an international border. I asked him if I was impounded or just the plane. He said the plane, you are free to go. Two hours later, after I had called the owner and told him his plane was impounded and they were going to crush it and bury it and I was taking the bus back to Alaska (just for the fun of it), the Customs guy comes out and tells me I am cleared to take the plane and leave. He was clearly upset and disappointed he had to let me go. Another good example of "guilty until proven innocent government mentality". He wouldn't tell me anything, like if they know what caused the radioactivity, except the radioactive element was Thorium 232, and it was below the threshold level for residential households. Luckily it started and I got the heck out of there.

And, he never asked for my Radio Station License, Third Class Radiotelephone Permit, or authorization to be flying an experimental exhibition aircraft more than 600 miles from its home base.

[blueldr]

Richard,
Up until now, I've been curious about how that SM-1019 was registered.