Dear Mr. Byars:
....

Is the airport owner concerned that he somehow would be held liable if
an aircraft (without an ELT) would crash offsite while operating from
his airport?



A much more likely liability issue would be if a volunteer participating in
a search party looking for the lost pilot were to have an accident or
injury. Then the organizer of the search party, most likely the contest
organizers, would have a very real liabiliy exposure. An ELT could reduce
the search time and thus the risk exposure for the searchers.

While I am at it, the following point was never clearly stated in this
discussion:

** ELT's are of very little use to the pilot, but they are a big help for
the searchers, organizers and loved ones. **

Best Regards

Mr Byars