SSA group insurance plan now permits "reciprical towing"

At the request of the SSA Board of Directors, Costello Insurance has
been able to obtain a valuable and very useful benefit for soaring
clubs that are covered under the SSA group insurance plan. Basically,
the enhancement allows a club to provide towing for hire to a member
of another SSA-insured club. Previously, coverage under a club's
policy was limited to tows of members of that club only or required
some sort of temporary membership or a special endorsement for event
coverage (like an SSA sanctioned contest).

Now, a club may provide a tow for hire to a visiting pilot who is also
a member of another club insured under the SSA group policy. For
example, if a pilot from Club A lands out at Club B's airport on a
cross-country flight or trailers in for a weekend visit, Club B can
now provide a tow using Club B's towplane and towpilot and still be
covered under the SSA group policy. (This can be either in the
visiting pilot's own glider or in his/her club's glider, but not in
the site club's glider.)

This enhancement is limited to pilots who are members of a club that
is also insured under the SSA's Group Hull and Liability Insurance
program. It does not apply to pilots who are SSA members but are not
club members elsewhere.

This enhancement does not change premiums.

Notifications are currently being officially sent to all covered
clubs. This change will become effective as soon as the club signs,
dates and returns the form to Costello.

Individual clubs must establish procedures on their own to confirm a
visiting pilot is a member of a club that is also insured under the
SSA's insurance plan. Neither Costello nor the SSA can confirm data
about another client/member. This check is vital because if Club A
gives a tow to a pilot who says he is from another SSA insured club
and it turns out that is not the case, then Club A will not be insured
if something happens during the tow. One suggestion is that clubs
willing to provide tows to visiting pilots agree to do so only if the
visiting pilot provides his or her SSA membership card (which
indicates their club affiliation) as well as a copy of the cover page
on their home club' group policy. Another possibility is that nearby
clubs periodically exchange membership roster and insurance
information.

Clubs wishing to provide tows to visiting members must also institute
their own policies to insure that the visiting pilot complies with the
towing club's safe tow procedures. Safe towing remains the
responsibility of both the towing club and the glider PIC and a club
may always refuse to provide a tow to a pilot if the club is not
satisfied with the visiting pilot's ability to be safely towed.

While there will likely be some questions arise as clubs adjust to
this new feature, we think it will be very valuable for the SSA
membership, particularly in areas where several clubs are close
enought for members to fly back and forth on routine weekend cross
country flights.

Phil Umphres, Chairman
The Soaring Society of America, Inc.