Aircraft Insurance for the older (80+) pilot in the U.S.

[builderflyer]

Anyone older than 80 having any luck obtaining Aircraft Insurance at a reasonable rate with reasonable requirements? If so, please let me know with who ASAP as I can't easily accept what my current underwriter is demanding. Thanks.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[bcharlton]

80 is the magic number. Just renewed my insurance on my Waiex. $1900, an increase of $600.

[bobc170a]

Hi Art,

My insurance went up about 150.00 because I'm 76 now and not 75. However I have only liability and property.
I get my insurance through AOPA.
Hopes this will help.
Bob Ohlson......Sonex TD Jab3300.....#1325......in Florida

[builderflyer]

80 is the magic number. Just renewed my insurance on my Waiex. $1900, an increase of $600.

I was told I'd see a rate increase when I turned 81 so that wasn't a surprise. What I wasn't told was that I'd now need an annual medical exam by a FAA approved medical examiner and an annual flight review in each airplane I own (2).. Since i can't currently meet those requirements, as of the 24th of this month I'll be grounded unless I choose to fly uninsured or find a different underwriter.

Thanks for any and all responses.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[Bryan Cotton]

I had the opposite problem - getting my son insured in the Waiex as a new pilot. Somebody on the forum had recommended Victoria at Aviation insurance resources and she worked to find a provider that would take him on.
vneuville@air-pros.com
http://www.air-pros.com/
I flew uninsured for a year. Adam flew uninsured until he had 100 hours total and 50 tailwheel. The total time was his limiting factor. Victoria had to find another underwriter to get Adam added to the policy.

[N190YX]

When my broker querried 12 insurance carriers only one provide a quote and it was very high. The broker, bless her heart, suggested I try AVEMCO who quoted one half the premium of the other quote, but I must have an FAA physical every 12 months and a flight review every 12 months (not a problem for me), flying a Beech Debonair (retractable). Late 70s here.

[builderflyer]

When my broker querried 12 insurance carriers only one provide a quote and it was very high. The broker, bless her heart, suggested I try AVEMCO who quoted one half the premium of the other quote, but I must have an FAA physical every 12 months and a flight review every 12 months (not a problem for me), flying a Beech Debonair (retractable). Late 70s here.

I'm currently with Avemco and have been with them since the 1960s covering various aircraft over the years. When I queried them several years back regarding the aging pilot Avemco assured me that the only change I'd see was a rate increase when I turned 81. When I spoke with them this morning they said that beginning in November 2023 they instituted a new policy that a pilot over the age of 75 would experience the requirements that you mention and what I am experiencing with my renewal on January 24th.

This puts me in a bind because I don't have an appointment to see my personal physician until March and there is no one to give me a flight review in my Sonex anywhere close to where I live. I also own a Cessna and there is no problem getting a new flight review in it. So the temptation to fly self insured over the long term is real, especially in the Sonex.

In any event, if I choose to fly either of my airplanes for the next couple of months it'll apparently have to be without insurance. At this point in my life it will take me more than an insurance company to keep me from flying as it remains my principal passion in life and not one that I'll give up on easily. Aging sucks.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[Onex107]

I built my Onex when I was 80 and flew it until I was 90. My Cessna had been insured through AOPA for many years, so I stayed with them for the Onex. The Cessna policy stayed around $500 per year with full coverage. The Onex policy jumped to $1200 and continued to increase with the years. I was told, on the phone with an idiot, that it was because I didn't have a certified engine, namely Cont. or Lyc. And the next quote I received required me to only fly with and instructor, in a Onex? The last few years I dropped the full coverage went with liability only for around $700 and when that started to rise, I dropped it all together. This is one of the biggest problems with experimental airplanes.

[daleandee]

Don't know if it will help any of the older pilots here but I have had excellent service and fair prices from Victoria at: https://air-pros.com/

Dale
3.0 Corvair/Tailwheel

[builderflyer]

I am having ongoing discussions with Avemco and until they fully change and/or clarify their new requirements regarding the aging pilot, I would not recommend having an aircraft insurance policy through them. For example, previously the FAA and Avemco said I needed to complete a flight review with a CFI once every two years. Now Avemco says I need to complete a flight review in each of my airplanes once a year (I have two airplanes). So that now means I have to have four flight reviews in the time span that previously one was required. My next door neighbor has had four airplanes so as an aging pilot, Avemco's new requirement would mean that he now would have to have eight flight reviews in the time span that previously one was required.

Additionally, when I received a recent renewal quote, Avemco indicated that an annual medical examination by an FAA approved medical examiner was now required for each of my airplanes including the Sonex which could previously be flown as light sport with a drivers license serving as a medical. I now have gotten Avemco to change their medical requirements language to indicate that an annual "basic med" physical would suffice for the Cessna I fly and that no special medical requirement would exist for flying the Sonex under light sport rules.

Avemco's upper management clearly hasn't carefully thought through these matters before instituting their new requirements last November. This is all very discouraging to have happened with a company that's been in the aviation insurance business for over 60 years. I haven't yet decided as to how I will proceed with insuring my airplanes.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261