What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

What to expect before flight

Jcummins

Member
Near the Finish Line With Your Van’s Aircraft?

What Happens Once Your Plane is Finished?
Important Preflight Insurance Tips for Van's Builders
Many Van’s builders are caught off guard by the often stringent training requirements and cost of insurance for the first year of flying coverage. A higher potential for loss drives insurance companies’ strict requirements, but with knowledge and planning you can meet their conditions. We’d like to offer some pre-completion advice to those of you still in the build phase.

Van’s Aircraft are proven aircraft with eight insurance companies vying for your business. However, out of those eight, only four offer coverage during the fly-off period without coverage restrictions. The fly-off period generally comprises the first 40 hours the aircraft will be flying after you complete it. The fly-off hours required can occasionally be lower depending on the propeller and engine — an RV-12, for example, only requires five hours.

Pilot Hours
Minimum pilot hours are an important factor in the process of insuring a recently completed plane. Required hours vary depending on which model you are building. It can be quite shocking to complete your aircraft and be ready to fly, just to be told you do not meet the insurance companies’ minimum pilot requirements. The information below shows our suggested minimums for ratings and hours. Note these suggested minimums will not necessarily exclude you from getting quotes, but are just recommendations to acquire the best price your first year.

RV10 Suggested minimum certificate/ratings: Private pilot
Suggested minimum total logged hours: 300
Additional suggestions: Have an IFR rating

RV12 Suggested minimum certificate/ratings: Student
Suggested minimum total logged hours: Varies
Additional suggestions: private license preferred

Other A models Suggested minimum certificate/ratings: Private pilot
Suggested minimum total logged hours: 100
Additional suggestions: N/a

Tailwheel models Suggested minimum certificate/ratings: Private pilot
Suggested minimum total logged hours: 200(15 tailwheel)
Additional suggestions: 250 (25 tailwheel) preferred

Next, make sure you understand the different kinds of coverage available.
• Ground and Flight quotes provide hull and liability coverage while the aircraft is flying,
taxiing and on the ground.
• Ground Not in Flight quotes provide hull coverage only while the aircraft is taxiing (off
the active runway) and while on the ground. The liability portion of the coverage applies
while flying, taxiing and on the ground.
• Ground Not in Motion quotes provide hull coverage only while the aircraft is not in
motion (under its own power). The liability portion of the coverage excludes passengers.

Dual Instruction
Another variable that inevitably comes up is “How much dual instruction am I required to complete?” We suggest you contact us for full flight insurance quotes well in advance of the time you’ll need them — three to six months, as a rule of thumb — so you can gauge the time and expense of training requirements. Once we work with you to select an insurance carrier, you will know how much dual instruction the insurance company requires. The quote may also list solo requirements, which you must fulfill in your aircraft prior to carrying passengers. Once you receive the quotes and select a carrier, you can start planning transition training. As you probably know, FAA regulations state that you cannot complete the training in your newly built aircraft. The four insurance companies that insure the fly-off period understand this and typically provide some leeway on the model in which you train. All training, however, must be done in a Van’s aircraft. If you plan on training in a model that you are not building, it is advised that you verify instruction in the planned model will be approved by the insurance company. Understandably this is a lot of information to digest, especially when completing the aircraft is your first priority. By planning ahead, you can make the transition from workshop to cockpit smooth. As Gallagher Aviation’s two dedicated Vans specialists, we invite you to call with any questions or concerns you may have.
 
Last edited:
Other models

Jennifer
Would you expand the table to show the other models please? Include both conventional and tricycle models.
 
That link includes this description of GNIM (ground not in motion) coverage:

"Ground Not in Motion quotes provide hull coverage only while the aircraft is not in motion (under its own power). The liability portion of the coverage excludes passengers"

MY GNIM policies (presently Global Aerospace) have always included passenger liability coverage.
 
That link includes this description of GNIM (ground not in motion) coverage:

"Ground Not in Motion quotes provide hull coverage only while the aircraft is not in motion (under its own power). The liability portion of the coverage excludes passengers"

MY GNIM policies (presently Global Aerospace) have always included passenger liability coverage.

What sort of passengers do you have when not in motion? Are you thinking of co-builders as passengers? Or people just trying out the seats?
 
What sort of passengers do you have when not in motion? Are you thinking of co-builders as passengers? Or people just trying out the seats?

Liability coverage for the GNIM policies I've had includes all phases of flight. The ground not in motion clause only restricts hull coverage.
 
I think you have what Jennifer defined as 'ground not in flight'.

Bob, these are two different coverages:

Ground Not In Motion (GNIM); hull coverage ends when the engine starts (some policies allow testing the engine if the plane is tied down).

Ground Not In Flight (GNIF); hull coverage ends when you take the active runway.

I have Ground Not In Motion (underwritten by Global with full liability coverage) because my primary priority is to insure the hull from hangar collapse due to storms or fire. Once the engine starts, I am self-insuring the hull.

I'm willing to take responsibility for hull damage while taxiing and in flight. The premiums are lower than GNIF or full hull coverage to reflect my willingness to self-insure. My GNIM policy with passenger liability coverage is why I posted about the FAQ in Jennifer's post and their web site.

But even if GNIM looks attractive, full coverage is not a bad idea for the first year or so of RV ownership if hull value is more than the owner is willing to absorb.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top