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.
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.
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