Flying without insurance

[kevin814]

Hi,

Just curious how many of you fly without insurance, or without full coverage (hull insurance). I've tried getting several quotes, and the few that said they would insure me wanted 1800-2000 per year.

Also, when trying to get life insurance, they ask if I'm a pilot, then they ask if I have a plane. When I tell them I have a Sonex, they go check with somebody, then come back and tell me they won't insure me. They seem to prefer certified aircraft, and Private pilots (Im a sport pilot).

I worry about wrecking my plane, because without insurance I won't be able to afford to replace it, which means if I'm still alive my flying days would be over, and i don't want them to be over.

If I die, I have enough insurance to get cremated in a coffee can, and my wife will be ok, but I would like to get more.

Kevin K.
Sonex 3300

[nwawingman]

I had liability only insurance for the first year from USUA for my first year. It was around $450 I think. After the first year I was able to get full coverage for about $1075 a year from AIG.
http://www.usua.org/Insurance/

Check with EAA or AOPA for life insurance quotes. They fight be able to help.

[Gripdana]

I have life insurance from before I was a pilot and am covered on that policy. I also purchased additional accindental death insurance through AOPA . I have full coverage on the airplane and it cost about $1,000.00 a year I got that police from EAA.

[Bryan Cotton]

I appreciate this discussion on insurance, as I am clueless on the matter. One other question that comes to mind is renter's insurance bundled in with your Sonex insurance. Do they do this? Though I forsee most of my flying in the Waiex, I would gladly rent the local C172 or Arrow if I needed the seats.

[Waiex 49]

Just my personal opinion:

Flying with or without insurance is a personal decision. You might want to consider your ability to accept risk. Can you afford to replace your plane if it gets damaged? Can you afford to pay for lawyers to defend you in case you are sued as a result of an accident? Could you afford to pay the damages if you were in an accident, were sued, and lost?

I think a lot of this depends on where you live. If you are in a sparsely populated rural area it might not matter as much. I live in California where everyone seems to have a therapist and a lawyer on call.

Personally. I won't fly a plane unless I have full coverage and a million dollars liability. I just don't want to end up on the wrong end of a lawsuit without insurance. Also, out here it seems difficult to rent hangar space or get a tie down spot without showing proof of insurance.

Your results may vary.
Fly safe!

Don Bowen
Viking Waiex N49YX

[kevinh]

> million dollars liability

Where can you find this on an experimental? I'd be super interested. The best I could find for my old policy was a $100K per occupant limit (which will likely be hit well before the total limit of $1M).

[Waiex 49]

My insurance is through Falcon.
I have $35,000 on the plane and a million in liability.
It started out at around $1,500 a year and slowly dropped to around $1,100.
I am a private pilot with instrument rating, approx. 450 hours total and about 140 hours in tailwheel aircraft. I also holds an A&P license but I don't expect that figures into the rates.
I believe in insurance, having recently been sued for $1,000,000 over a very small fender bender auto accident.
We prevailed, but the costs of hiring attorneys to defend yourself can be astronomical.
I carry $1,000,000 liability on my car and would do no less on my plane.
I live in California where people will sue you for anything and everything.
Just my opinion, your results may vary.

[n982sx]

One other question that comes to mind is renter's insurance bundled in with your Sonex insurance. Do they do this?

In my case yes, but there is a limitation. You are insured when flying a non owned aircraft with the same number - or less - of seats! As a Waiex owner you would be covered in a 152 but not a 172.

My insurance is through Falcon (EAA). I did not cover the hull in motion for the first couple of years but I do now for just under $1000 on my Tri-gear Sonex.

[kevinh]

My insurance is through Falcon.
I have $35,000 on the plane and a million in liability.

You might want to double check that. I was using falcon and though their insurance claims $1M liability, it has a per occupant limit of $100K which in most cases (except for rare injury to someone on the ground) the most 'real' coverage you will get is $100K. (Just mentioning in term that clause is also in your contract - I think it is in all experimental av policies)

[Waiex 49]

Yes, that is correct. There is a limit on personal injury to passengers. Not a problem for me as I seldom fly with passengers other than my wife. I never offer rides to anyone because of liability concerns. Far as I'm concerned, if they want to experience the joys of flight they can go take a lesson.

What I am referring to is legal liability to others. This is a real liability exposure and I have a million dollars coverage against this. There are too many opportunists out there with ambulance chaser lawyers just waiting to sue for distress and damages.

As you might have guessed, I am somewhat risk averse. People in these parts are lawsuit happy so I want all the insurance I can get.