Some flight schools carry Hull insurance and claim I wont need to carry insurance to protect myself in the event of an accident. Is this true?
A. No! Hull insurance is the equivalent of Collision insurance in the auto insurance industry. It is coverage to repair the aircraft you are piloting in the event of an accident. Schools that carry Hull insurance may imply that you are protected in the event of an accident, but actually, you are not! In the event of an accident, the school will be paid by their insurance carrier, less the deductible, to repair the aircraft. The flight school will then hold you responsible for the deductible which is typically $2,500 or more. The bad news is that the insurance company has the right to subrogate against you. This means that they could take legal action against you to recover all fees they paid out to repair the damage as well as any other liability associated with the incident. The answer is simple; purchase a Renters policy to cover you in the event of an accident. The premium for such a policy is about $350 a year and completely covers the student or renter against such an occurrence w
