Insurance

[Paul Sharp]

My OPW actually has the same requirements.

I made a call to AIG and asked to talk to an underwriter. They said I should go through my agent. I told them I had sent a letter and received no response from my agent. So they put me on hold and called Scott Smith, who tolds them he would be glad to talk to me. So I played this game and called Scott back and went over things.

The upshot is that according to the language in my policy - note that not everyone's policy is the same, of course, so each of us must investigate our own policies to see what's up - provides that I can fly so long as I am legally the PIC and otherwise have met policy requirements. But what does that amount to?

STICKY PARTS: If I'm getting instrument instruction or doing an IPC in VFR conditions, fine. BUT if I go over the 24-month BFR time requirement, I can't legally fly my airplane any more as PIC. So I have to go get a BFR in a rented aircraft, a rather stupid practice but I can't fly my own and be covered by my insurance, because I know of no CFI around here who has 25 hours in make/model per the OPW and I can't legally be PIC after 24 months without first getting the BFR.

I think that's a sticky technicality, but it's a real one. I believe this should be clearly pointed out to pilots when we receive our policies and not left to us to try to interpret the policy language (I can generally do that but this was not as clear as it should be IMO). The statement Skysmith Ins. sends out says no dual/instruction unless the CFI meets the OPW - period. That isn't correct, except in such circumstances as the out-of-BFR situation or something similar. Who would like to be getting a BFR after the 24-mo. time frame and heaven forbid have some incident or accident and then find out that the ins. company says "Sorry, but you weren't covered"?

[hharney]

Great article in the latest Consumer Aviation on Insurance Policy and what is covered. It's a good read, I was really surprised what is really covered and that the insurance company really will pay the claim. Of course this is all off the record but I am sure that Aviation Consumer polled a lot of situations and I trust they wouldn't write an article like this without knowing what really happens out there. Anyone else read this article?