Aviation insurance is something that is probably just what you guessed it to be, insurance specifically tailored to those to meet the needs of aviators.

Besides the obvious there are many types of policies available just as there is a large variety of aircraft and pilots that can fly different kinds of planes. When it comes to the laws about aviation insurance they are fairly ambiguous when compared to that of say; auto insurance. It is for that reason that it can be a difficult thing when trying to find both the right policy and the carrier to write that policy.

For those pilot that is not familiar with the particulars of then before you make the decision to purchase any policy you should talk with an experienced pilot or an insurance broker that is experienced with all types of aviation policies.

Levels of Coverage

Like insurance policies for other types of vehicles there are going to be varying levels of coverage; including:

• Liability
• Theft and Loss
• Life Insurance Riders
• Cargo
• Other Types

As you can imagine, the more types of coverage you take out on the policy the more expensive it is going to be. Another thing that will affect the insurance premium is going to be the type of the craft being flown; such as:

• Helicopters
• Sports Planes
• Commercial Airliners
• More

All of the listed craft and the others not listed are going to have different coverage taken out as well as premium amounts. For instance, a commercial airliner is going to have a lot more liability than a helicopter as there is a lot more risk taken on should something happen to that plane.

Owning v. Leasing

Those that own and operate their own type of aircraft will almost always purchase aviation insurance which will cover them for a wide variety of problems that could happen as well like if their craft should need to be repaired or replaced, lost or stolen. Additional, owners might also purchase insurance if they rent out, lease or hire others to fly their aircraft. The pilot in the last example will need to likely have their own insurance policy in order to have coverage in the event of an incident.

The people that will lease or rent an aircraft will get aviation insurance also. This is if something should happen while the aircraft is under their control. The insurance is going to cover things like:

• Replacement
• Repair
• Liability

You’re going to find that if you’re a pilot looking to rent or lease an aircraft you’re likely going to be ask for some proof of insurance before you’re allowed to rent or request that you purchase a temporary increase in coverage should it be a specialized aircraft.