Welcome back Don! Yes, Glenn and Rob departed Corpus together and then split off, a short while later he radioed Glenn that he had experienced a catastrophic engine failure and was making a forced landing. Glenn doubled back to make sure he was ok, kind of how Glenn rolls, a good friend to have.
Something that won't affect most of our folks here, but it's one of the most critical components of my business, the ever tightening liability insurance industry. Seems that the major players, Hartford, Lloyd's, Inland Marine, etc., have been backing away from the liability market for over a decade. A policy like the one I have with Hartford no longer exists, particularly if anything a photographer does involves any facet of aviation. The recent tragedy in the Hudson River doesn't help the underwriter perception of the risks we take, one more big nail in the coffin.
I'm surprised that every client doesn't insist on proof of liability, and that's probably not very far off, but many of my clients wouldn't consider working with a photographer who doesn't have a minimum of $2M in coverage and most of mine require $5M before you step onto the job site. Years ago I lost a Gulfstream assignment to a lowball bid by someone I had never heard of. The difference wasn't signifiant, maybe $800.00 on a $6000 shoot, but the client thought it was a big enough deal to go with the lower bid. The photographer placed a light too close to one of the windows and it warped it, in a split second the 800 buck savings flipped into a 25K + deficit. Imagine what it would cost if a light stand fell over and grazed the side of even a used jet. Can't imagine why anyone would hire a vendor who didn't have the ability to cover a mistake, but they do.
These are the same companies that went hook line and sinker for the Ponzi scheme known as Obamacare, but now they only want policies that have premiums and no risk, makes you wonder about the magnitude of the under the table deals that were cut to push that Obamanation past us. I digress, the bottom line today is, if you are a commercial photographer/cinematographer and you have an aviation image on your website, the chances of getting liability coverage is slim to none.
Finally received the iPhone Movi stabilizer that I pre-ordered six months ago. I'm not a big fan of iPhone captures but I thought it might be a fun thing to fool around with. Coincidentally Halle came over to spend the night on Tuesday so we took it to the park and made a fun movie. Yesterday morning I left for an early assignment west of DFW, but a client has needed a particular drone clip for an important presentation and it's just bee too windy to fly it. The presentation is for Chinese investors and he's leaving Friday to make it in person so time was growing short. I looked at my new Movi case sitting on my front seat as I pulled away from the house and wondered if I might be able to pull off what he needed with a little creativity, so I drove to the site and brainstormed a bit. Turned out that the Movi was the perfect answer, this was shot from my open sunroof. I captured it, edited the clip, sent it to Vimeo and forwarded the link to the client as I drove to Southlake for my assignment. The client was ecstatic, and I paid for my new Movi gizmo in 15 minutes, love it when things work out!
First day on my new route yesterday, and in the afternoon, I heard a familiar plane engine overhead. Couldn't see the aircraft then, but it flew over a few more times. Finally saw the tail, and there's a B-25 flying around (Three days without a post here?)
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Something that won't affect most of our folks here, but it's one of the most critical components of my business, the ever tightening liability insurance industry. Seems that the major players, Hartford, Lloyd's, Inland Marine, etc., have been backing away from the liability market for over a decade. A policy like the one I have with Hartford no longer exists, particularly if anything a photographer does involves any facet of aviation. The recent tragedy in the Hudson River doesn't help the underwriter perception of the risks we take, one more big nail in the coffin.
I'm surprised that every client doesn't insist on proof of liability, and that's probably not very far off, but many of my clients wouldn't consider working with a photographer who doesn't have a minimum of $2M in coverage and most of mine require $5M before you step onto the job site. Years ago I lost a Gulfstream assignment to a lowball bid by someone I had never heard of. The difference wasn't signifiant, maybe $800.00 on a $6000 shoot, but the client thought it was a big enough deal to go with the lower bid. The photographer placed a light too close to one of the windows and it warped it, in a split second the 800 buck savings flipped into a 25K + deficit. Imagine what it would cost if a light stand fell over and grazed the side of even a used jet. Can't imagine why anyone would hire a vendor who didn't have the ability to cover a mistake, but they do.
These are the same companies that went hook line and sinker for the Ponzi scheme known as Obamacare, but now they only want policies that have premiums and no risk, makes you wonder about the magnitude of the under the table deals that were cut to push that Obamanation past us. I digress, the bottom line today is, if you are a commercial photographer/cinematographer and you have an aviation image on your website, the chances of getting liability coverage is slim to none. ...Show more →
That's a very sad situation, Jim. I'd like to think that the commercial photographers in the UK are well covered, but I suspect some (most?) have little or minimal cover. If they are a UK Limited Company they will have statutory third party, but likely little elce that is trade specific. As an IT contractor I had £2M cover - third party and profesional liability cover, and that was ten years ago. I've had the lowball squeaze put on me once or twice. Strangely, the thumb screws came out after they'd looked at my insurance certificate. I supose they figured that they where paying for unnessisary, expensive insurance? Either way I was happy not to work for them.
Well Jim, I had that down as a kind of visual notebook type tool. I see that you've allready extended that a little.
I stumbled across this "FlyJacket soft exoskeleton - drone controller" and just instantly had a vision of your good self doing the Texas two step, whilst flying your drone camera on a mission for one of your Real Estate clients.
NightOwl Cat wrote:
First day on my new route yesterday, and in the afternoon, I heard a familiar plane engine overhead. Couldn't see the aircraft then, but it flew over a few more times. Finally saw the tail, and there's a B-25 flying around (Three days without a post here?)
Sorry for falling down on the posting, Laura. I hope you had a great first day.
Did a dawn shoot this morning at Stow Maries aerodrome in Essex, UK. A truly ungodly hour to get up at, followed by a 4.5 hour drive home afterwards, means desperately needing my bed but couldn't resist trawling through the shots to see if I got anything decent.
First one below, hope there will be more to follow
Nick, you’re right on the money re: the insurance thing. I could kick myself because ultimately the whole deal is my own fault. My State Farm agency asked me six months ago if I had liability coverage, I said yes, with The Hartford. They proceeded to tell me all the reasons I should incorporate their liability package into the plethora of coverages I already have. Fast forward through months, multiple assurances that my new policy will take effect on the date my Hartford expires, and was counseled to file a letter of termination for that date, 4/18/18, and I foolishly complied . So, on the morning of the 16th, on the way to a three day shoot for my most liability conscious client, the agent who put all of this in motion calls me to say State Farm won’t write the policy because of my aviation work. What ensued has been a week of constant shooting, punctuated by an all out search to procure the coverage that I already had! I’m pulling all of my insurance from the agency as soon as I have a second to breath, I’m obviously livid!
Good news on the last day of a very trying week, I have two companies that will write what I need, my legal department is reviewing the policies before I make the decision to go with one. Bad news is, compounding my frustration, the policies are four times what I had been paying, grrrrr!
Jim, sorry about your insurance problems. That racket has to be one of the biggest legal scams around. Great service when it comes to their taking your money, but like a concrete life preserver if you ever need them! As for Obamacare, it's the mess it's in because it has been actively sabotaged at every turn from day one by the Republicans.
ELinder wrote:
Jim, sorry about your insurance problems. That racket has to be one of the biggest legal scams around. Great service when it comes to their taking your money, but like a concrete life preserver if you ever need them! As for Obamacare, it's the mess it's in because it has been actively sabotaged at every turn from day one by the Republicans.
Erich
We are on a website dedicated pretty well to US war planes, paid for by the US taxpayer for national defence against internal or external attack, ie a 'socialised' system, that is never used, but at the same time it is complete anathema in the US for tax dollars to pay for a 'socialised' defence against illness and disease, which affect the whole population every day and crippling so it seems. There is also a 'socialised' police force in all states, paid for by taxes.
There has to be a logic somewhere, but it totally eludes me
MDE
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Good Afternoon/Evening Everyone,
Nick, you’re right on the money re: the insurance thing. I could kick myself because ultimately the whole deal is my own fault. My State Farm agency asked me six months ago if I had liability coverage, I said yes, with The Hartford. They proceeded to tell me all the reasons I should incorporate their liability package into the plethora of coverages I already have. Fast forward through months, multiple assurances that my new policy will take effect on the date my Hartford expires, and was counseled to file a letter of termination for that date, 4/18/18, and I foolishly complied . So, on the morning of the 16th, on the way to a three day shoot for my most liability conscious client, the agent who put all of this in motion calls me to say State Farm won’t write the policy because of my aviation work. What ensued has been a week of constant shooting, punctuated by an all out search to procure the coverage that I already had! I’m pulling all of my insurance from the agency as soon as I have a second to breath, I’m obviously livid!
Good news on the last day of a very trying week, I have two companies that will write what I need, my legal department is reviewing the policies before I make the decision to go with one. Bad news is, compounding my frustration, the policies are four times what I had been paying, grrrrr!...Show more →
OK ... we need you to chill.... it's the weekend and you've been flat to the floor all week. Cut yourself some slack.... chill. Lots I could say, none of which would make any difference / sense. Very glad you have the family help looking at the replacement cover. Insurance over here in the UK is (IMHO) a total zoo. We have agents and brokers wall to wall. They
add no value, as far as I can see - they write no business - but they sure take a cut for the "service".... and so it goes.
I respectfully disagree Erich, it's a mess because we were blatantly lied to at every turn, could never in a million years support itself, and began imploding financially from the day it was passed. Never, ever has it made anyone's health care premiums "affordable" nor did the average $2100.00 annual savings we heard about for the average family materialize. I realize that in certain rare instances, my younger brother for instance, kept the uninsurable insured.
Your supposition that republicans (which I am not) sabotaged it is a pipe dream. "Republicans" are the most ineffectual, impotent group of self devourers ever to walk the planet. They could do, would do, nothing about it when the hoax was being foisted on the american people, and even now with the control they've been given, haven't been able to do anything substantial re: "Affordable Healthcare". If the plan has helped you, I'm glad and can't think of a nicer guy to help, but it's just another governmental mess that can't sustain itself unless it's propped up with money they do not have.
Sure seems like a country as great as ours could come up with a healthcare system that is fair to all, "affordable", and unpartisan, but I don't see any evidence of that capability from either of the idiotic factions that run this country and toss the football back and forth every couple of years. I'm sure we'll be in much better shape when 16 year olds are given the vote, it will be all unicorns and rainbows from that point on...............sheesh!
