Experimentals

The key to understanding aviation insurancecosts is the term “loss ratio (LR).” The LR is the ratio of money paid out inclaims, compared to the money taken in through insurance premiums. The loss ratio ingeneral aviation insurance has exceeded 1.1 to as much as 1.25 or more for the lastseveral years. This means that most […]

At the insurance agency where I work, we talk with hundreds offellow pilots every week about aviation and insurance. I am amazed at the number of pilotsthat do not know whether or not their life insurance covers them if they die in a generalaviation accident. Do you? For example, many employers provide group term life […]

Insurance can be one of the most expensive elements in the fixedcost of owning an aircraft. It can be, but it doesn’t always have to be. Before we go further into the cost issues, I should caution that the least expensiveisn’t always the best choice. Aircraft insurance is not heavily regulated, except in ageneral way. […]

Why do pilots pay more for life insurance? Why? Ever sit down and study an Insurance Mortality Table? Probably not. Well,unfortunately for pilots, the folks who set and approve insurance rates (they’re calledactuaries and underwriters) rarely pilot aircraft. If they did, they’d understand that pilots in general are pretty good risks. They’dunderstand that pilots as […]

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Missouri — From where Dennis Fetters sits, it’s frustratingto try to deliver a low-cost, relatively simple kit helicopter only to have people getupset when problems arise, as they have been wont to do this year on the Mini-500helicopter kits his company, RevolutionHelicopter Corp., manufactures. “We work hard to put together the most-affordablehelicopter kit […]