Aircraft owners / operators are required to have at least a minimum level of aircraft insurance cover for up to four different types of liability risk. Third party and passenger liability risks apply to most aircraft, while baggage and cargo liability risks can also apply to those operated commercially.

Rather than arranging separate amounts of cover for each type of risk, the Combined Single Limit (CSL) is a single value for liability cover intended to encompass them all. As well as being simpler to arrange, the CSL provides more flexibility in paying claims for liability, especially if passengers are injured, but little damage is done to third party property on the ground. The exception to this is cover for liability for loss or damage to cargo carried commercially which is limited to the minimum level required by EU regulation.

We use the information you supply (e.g. aircraft max. take off weight) to estimate your minimum legal CSL requirement. However you should check the minimum cover you need by visiting the CAA Website where you simply enter your registration, click 'Search', scroll down and click 'Minimum Insurance Requirements'.

IMPORTANT – When arranging your aviation insurance you should consider purchasing more than just the legal minimum liability cover because if you are responsible for an accident which results in damages that are greater than the cover you hold, you will be liable to pay the difference. 

For example, imagine an owner who arranged a CSL of £3.5 million as this was the legal minimum required for their aircraft. If they are subsequently responsible for an accident in which the courts award damages of £4.5 million, the policy will pay out the CSL of £3.5 million but the owner would still be liable to pay the uninsured £1 million, possibly requiring the sale of other property to meet their liability.

When you perform either a new or renewal aviation insurance quote we use the information you supply (e.g. aircraft max. take-off weight) to estimate your minimum legal Combined Single Limit requirement for liability insurance. This should ensure you never arrange a level of liability cover which is less than the minimum requirement.

The minimum requirements are defined at the EU level and are expressed in terms of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which are converted daily in to a Sterling equivalent. As exchange rates fluctuate, the minimum legal requirements can also change, so there is the risk that if the value of Sterling falls too much, the level of cover an owner has arranged under their aviation insurance can fall below the minimum requirement.

We have therefore included an ‘Exchange Rate Fluctuations’ clause that means that even if the level of liability cover you have arranged at the outset falls below the minimum requirement during the policy year, you will still be covered for at least the minimum requirement.

This clause appears in your Aircraft Insurance Certificate and in our later policies is also included in the Policy Booklet.

You can choose one of three geographical areas within which your aircraft insurance policy will provide cover:

• Home based: Cover is only in force within the home base country of the aircraft.
• Europe Zone 1: Includes all European Union member states plus Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City and transit Airspace between these countries, principalities and territories.
• Europe Zone 2 Plus Selected States: As Europe Zone 1 plus Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan (excluding Ngorno-Karabakh), Belarus, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Egypt, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Lebanon, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Russia,(West of 60 degrees East but excluding Chechnya and Ingushetia), Serbia (excluding Kosovo), Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, and transit Airspace between these countries, principalities and territories.

In addition, coverage is included under Europe Zone 1 & 2 for flying over any excluded territory, where the flight is within an internationally recognised air corridor and is performed in accordance with ICAO recommendations. However coverage is excluded for any flight into any country where such operation of aircraft is in breach of United Nations Sanctions

Note that for the purposes of the above geographical area definitions the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man are seen as part of the United Kingdom.

It may be possible to extend your aviation insurance cover to fly outside the policy's geographical limits, subject to agreement from the underwriters.

When you arrange your aircraft insurance you can choose the Geographical Area within which you want your cover to operate 

If you find during the cover period that you require cover for a country in a different Geographical Area, you can simply change the area you have selected. For information on how to do this, click here.

If you wish to visit a country which is not included under any of the existing area options (e.g. United States) we may still be able to help. To request such cover please use our Special Covers facility.

Important - You should not fly outside of your existing geographical limits until the new geographical area has been confirmed and cover under your aviation insurance is in force.

Historically Germany had specific minimum liability cover requirements for aircraft insurance policies, although these have now effectively been superseded by the minimum liability cover requirements applied under EU wide legislation.

Nevertheless, to avoid potential uncertainty, we still state in our aviation insurance certificate that for those policies whose geographical limits include Germany, we will meet the minimum liability cover requirements applicable while the aircraft is being flown in German Airspace.

Historically Denmark had specific minimum liability cover requirements for aircraft insurance policies, although these have now effectively been superseded by the minimum liability cover requirements applied under EU wide legislation.

Nevertheless, to avoid potential uncertainty, we still state in our aviation insurance certificate that for those policies whose geographical limits include Denmark, we will meet the minimum liability cover requirements applicable while the aircraft is being flown in Danish airspace.

A wide variety of aircraft uses can be insured including:

• Private, pleasure and business
• Commercial (Passenger and / or cargo)
• Rental (Private, pleasure and business only and / or extended uses)
• Instruction (Ab initio and / or advanced)
• Medevac
• Commercial photography
• Aerial survey
• Aerobatics (Aeroplanes Only)
• Glider towing (Aeroplanes Only)
• Non-Pylon Racing (Aeroplanes Only)
• Air Display
• Pipeline Patrol (Helicopter Only)

You can choose the types of use you need when you arrange your aircraft insurance, and you can change your cover at any time. Your Policy Schedule provides details of the use options you have selected while the Policy Booklet contains definitions for the use options available.

Existing policyholders can download copies of their Policy Booklet by following the guide described here. Alternatively, to download the latest Policy Booklet, please select one of the following:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

If you wish to use the aircraft for a purpose other than those listed (e.g. flying which requires a mountain flying accreditation) we may still be able to help. To request cover under your aviation insurance for any other use, please use our Special Covers facility.

Important - You should not use the aircraft for the required purpose unless cover has been confirmed and is in force.

You can choose from a variety of use options when you arrange your aircraft insurance.

If you find during the cover period that you require a different use from those you have selected, you can simply change your use options. For information on how to do this, click here.

If you wish to use the aircraft for a purpose which is not included under any of the existing use options (e.g. Banner Towing) we may still be able to help. To request such a use under your aviation insurance, please use our Special Covers facility.

Important - The required use is not permitted unless and until the request has been confirmed and the policy change is in force.

Any pilot or examiner, employed or approved by the aviation authority having jurisdiction over the safe operation of the Aircraft, to undertake test, pilot examination or Certificate of Airworthiness flights, is automatically included as a permitted pilot under the aircraft insurance for the duration of such flights provided they hold the appropriate licence to fly the Aircraft.

In addition, any person qualified to maintain or repair the Aircraft is automatically included as a permitted pilot provided that the flight is in connection with the maintenance or repair of the aircraft and that they hold the appropriate licence to fly the Aircraft.

The Policy Booklet contains full details about how this cover operates, including any exclusions or conditions. Existing policyholders can check their cover by downloading the applicable Booklet for their policy by following the guidance described here.

Alternatively, to download the latest Policy Booklet, please select one of the following:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

'Ab-initio Instruction' means use of the Aircraft for flight training of a pilot for the purpose of their obtaining a licence necessary to command an aircraft. Cover for such use can be added to your aircraft insurance by selecting the ab-initio use option on the aircraft page of the quote.

'Advanced Instruction' means use of the Aircraft for flight training of a pilot for a purpose other than their obtaining a licence necessary to command an aircraft. This would include activity such as instruction to gain a rating or conversion training. Cover for advanced training is also available as an option under our aviation insurance at no extra cost. Any appropriately qualified instructor providing continuation and/or advanced training of any permitted pilot is automatically included as a permitted pilot for the duration of such training provision.

The Policy Booklet contains full details about how this cover operates, including any exclusions or conditions. Existing policyholders can check their cover by downloading the applicable Booklet for their policy by following the guidance described here.

Alternatively, to download the latest Policy Booklet, please select one of the following:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

Any qualified flying instructor providing continuation and/or advanced training of any permitted pilot is automatically included as a permitted pilot under the for the duration of such training provision. Under our aircraft insurance policy, cover has been extended to include instructors providing ab-initio instruction so long as ab-initio instruction has been included as a permitted use for the aircraft.

You can choose the types of use you need when you arrange your aircraft insurance, and you can change your cover at any time. Your Policy Schedule provides details of the use options you have selected while the Policy Booklet contains definitions for the use options available.

Existing policyholders can download copies of their Policy Booklet by following the guide described here. Alternatively, to download the latest Policy Booklet, please select one of the following:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

Any person qualified to maintain or repair the Aircraft is automatically included as a permitted pilot under the aircraft insurance provided that the Flight is in connection with the maintenance or repair of the aircraft and that they hold the appropriate licence to fly the Aircraft.

The Policy Booklet contains full details about how this cover operates, including any exclusions or conditions. Existing policyholders can check their cover by downloading the applicable Booklet for their policy by following the guidance described here.

Alternatively, to download the latest Policy Booklet, please select one of the following:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

No, it is the responsibility of the owner of each aircraft to ensure that they have in place the right aircraft insurance to meet their needs, including the appropriate cover for whoever is piloting the aircraft.

Each aviation insurance policy therefore only covers the specific aircraft stated in the Policy Schedule.

You can add or delete named pilots to your aircraft insurance at any time, so for general guidance on how to amend your cover, please click here.

When you reach the ‘Pilots’ page of the amendment process, you will see an ‘Add Pilot’ option in the Named Pilot section. Clicking this displays the names of pilots who have been insured under any policies registered under your account, so if you wish to add one of these, simply click the applicable name and update the details as required. However, if the pilot to be added is not listed, select ‘New Pilot’, at which point a new window will appear into which the details of the pilot can be inserted.

Be sure to complete the purchase of the amendment quote as described so as to apply the changes to the aviation insurance policy.

To help you gather the information required about the pilot, we have created a form which you can download and send to them for completion. Once you have the form back you can enter the details collected into the screen described above.

The pilot information forms are available in either PDF or Word formats, and there are different forms depending on whether you have a fixed wing or rotor wing policy.

Aeroplane Pilot Information Forms

Word     PDF 

Helicopter Pilot Information Forms

Word     PDF 

If you select an Open Pilot Warranty (OPW) then it will allow non-named pilots to fly your aircraft so long as they do so with your authority and they fulfil certain criteria such as qualifications, experience, age etc.

You can add or delete named pilots to your aircraft insurance at any time, so for general guidance on how to amend your cover, please click here.

When you reach the ‘Pilots’ page of the amendment process, tick the 'Include Open Pilot Cover' box, then specify the criteria which you would require any pilot to meet before you would permit them to use the aircraft (e.g. they must have X hours in total or Y hours on model).

Be sure to complete the purchase of the amendment quote as described so as to apply the changes to the aviation insurance policy.

Adding an OPW may increase the cost of your aircraft insurance so consideration should be given to restricting cover to named pilots only.

A deductible (sometimes called an excess) is the first amount of a claim which the policyholder has to pay. Its main purpose is to keep aircraft insurance premiums down by reducing the number of small claims which tend to have a high administrative cost relative to the value of the claim.

Deductibles do not apply to every type of claim (e.g. claims made only under the liability cover are not usually subject to a deductible).

Some aviation insurance covers have a set value deductible while others (e.g. Aircraft Loss or Damage) allow you to select the value. As a general rule, the higher the deductible the greater the discount, so deductibles can be an effective way of bringing down the cost of your policy.

Details of any deductibles applying will be displayed on screen in the cover and summary pages. They will also be shown on your Policy Schedule.

If Aircraft Loss or Damage cover is shown in the Policy Schedule as 'In Force' with flight cover included, and the aircraft is forced to land where subsequent take-off is impossible, the aircraft insurance will pay reasonable costs to recover it to the nearest suitable take off area.

For full details of this cover, including any exclusions or conditions, please see the applicable Policy Booklet below:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

You can arrange your policy under a group name so long as the group is a legal entity which is permitted to form a contract. Simply specify the name of the group and provide the name of a nominated contact person who has authority to arrange the aircraft insurance on behalf of the group. The group name will then appear as the policyholder on the Policy Schedule.

We can cater for equity and non-equity groups. With regard to the latter, use of the aircraft by a group member will not be regarded as ‘rental’ for insurance purposes so long as:

• The member pays a regular amount to the membership group as an appropriate contribution to the fixed costs of the maintenance and running of the aircraft.
• The amount paid by the member for any flying hours on the aircraft does not exceed the costs incurred directly in association for such flying (e.g. fuel used).
• The member has a signed agreement to be part of the membership group.
• There is no element of profit for the aircraft owner in any payment made by a member to the group.
• The aircraft has not been made available for use as part of a commercial operation for the provision of aircraft for use.

If you are in any doubt as to whether the use of the aircraft constitutes rental, please contact the applicable regulatory body for your aircraft for clarification of their regulations regarding hire and reward.

Anyone who has an insurable interest in an aircraft can buy an aircraft insurance policy. An insurable interest means that you can demonstrate that you could suffer a loss, usually financial, in the event that the aircraft is lost or damaged.

Normally it is the owners of an aircraft who arrange cover as they have a clear insurable interest, whether they be an individual, a group or a flying school. However a non owner with an insurable interest can purchase a policy so long as the details of the owner are recorded in the policy record and displayed in the Policy Schedule.

Aircraft owners and operators must be able to prove that they hold certain minimum levels of insurance protection for potential liabilities arising out of their ownership or operation of the aircraft. The certificate of insurance provides such proof.

You may wish to consider keeping a copy of your aircraft insurance certificate on board the aircraft in order to present to an inspector if required.

We will send you an insurance certificate when you arrange or amend your cover. For information on how to view your certificates and other documents, click here.

It is possible to obtain aircraft insurance for a new build on a 'Ground and Taxiing Only' basis so long as the aircraft is due for completion within 12 months of the policy start date. 

Cover can be on a 'Aircraft Loss or Damage' basis only or also include liability cover, although please note there is no cover for aircraft damage arising directly from the build process itself (e.g. if a hole is drilled in the wrong place).

Once the build is complete, you can simply upgrade the same aviation insurance policy to a full flight basis, in which case a pro-rata premium is charged from the date of the upgrade.

Many aircraft are owned by more than one person, such as an equity group, and in such cases the insurance is often arranged in the name of the group. This can present an issue if there is an insured accident where one part-owner is piloting the aircraft and another part-owner is a passenger. As the passenger is effectively also the policyholder they would not necessarily receive the protection provided by the passenger liability section of the policy.

To address this issue our aircraft insurance policy includes a ‘Two Way Cross Liability’ clause which extends the cover in a number of ways, including to ensure that any part owner who is travelling as a passenger in the aircraft will receive the same level of protection under the passenger liability section as would any other passenger.

For further details, existing policyholders can download copies of their Policy Booklet by following the guide described here. Alternatively, to download the latest Policy Booklet, please select one of the following:

Aeroplane Booklet  Helicopter Booklet

Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 on air operations, applicable to EASA aircraft, sets out in Article 6(4a) conditions under which it is permissible for the costs of a flight to be shared without the owner / operator having to comply with the regulations applicable to Commercial Air Transport (CAT). Likewise, for aircraft in the UK not subject to that regulation, ORS4 1234 sets out similar conditions under which an aircraft, its pilot in command or operator may be exempt from the requirement to comply with any provision of the Air Navigation Order 2016 which applies only to a public transport or commercial operation flight and not to a non-commercial flight. These conditions are summarised in the UK CAA's publications CAP 1590 and CAP 1589.

As long as the applicable rules above are strictly adhered to, an aircraft insurance policy which includes use of the aircraft for 'Private, pleasure and business' purposes would operate as normal in respect of such flights, without the requirement to include cover for commercial passenger carriage, subject of course to the other terms and requirements of the cover being met. This would not be the case should any such flight be deemed not to comply with the applicable regulations.

Please note that for aircraft registered outside the UK, extra regulatory requirements, such as the US Code of Federal Regulations Title 14 (the FARs), may also be applicable. It should also be remembered that, in line with most aircraft insurance wordings, the policy includes a clause to the effect that the aviation insurance will only operate if the aircraft is being used in line with the requirements of the authority responsible for regulating the safe operation of that aircraft. The onus is always on the owner / operator to be aware of such requirements and to ensure they are met.

Should you wish to report a new claim under your aircraft insurance policy, please either call our 24 hour claims line, details of which can be found in your policy schedule or certificate, or email your name, policy number and brief incident details to claims.av.uk@visicover.com

Details on how to view your schedule or certificate can be found here.

Please note, this number / email address, is for emergency claim notification only and the claims specialists who manage it will not be able to address queries regarding any other aspect of your cover. Such queries should be emailed to enquiries.av.uk@visicover.com.

Important – Do not make any admission of liability following a claim without first receiving written authorisation from the Insurer to do so.

We give a discount when you insure more than two aircraft concurrently with us, with the level of discount increasing the more aircraft you insure with us.

The discount is awarded immediately on any new aircraft insurance policies and then applied automatically to the renewal premium of any existing policies.

For information on how to create a quote and take out a policy, please click here.

Our aircraft insurance can cater for a wide range of makes and models of:

• Fixed wing aircraft,
• Flex wing aircraft,
• Helicopters,
• Auto gyros.

You choose what broad type of aircraft you need a quote for, aeroplane or helicopter / auto gyro, then within the selected quote type you can choose your precise aircraft from a drop-down list of over 4,000 makes / models. If your aircraft is not displayed, please email its make and model, including if available details of any supporting websites, to enquiries.av.uk@visicover.com

For information on how to create a quote and take out a policy, please click here.

Unfortunately, there are some types of aircraft which we are currently unable to cater for, including those which:

• Are used for hunting, patrol, fire-fighting, the intentional dropping, spraying or release of anything, any form of experimental flying, any form of flying which requires the pilot to hold a current mountain rating and any other use involving abnormal hazard.
• Have been configured for cargo.
• Are ‘warbirds’, amphibious craft or float planes.
• Are owned by someone who does not have a registered UK address.
• Have a hull value greater than £2 million.
• Are gliders, hot air balloons or UAVs.

However, we do regularly review our acceptance rules so please check back in future if we are currently unable to provide a quote.

Logged flying hours are a key consideration for insurers when assessing pilot experience. There are two types of flying hours to consider when arranging aircraft insurance, total hours and hours on model:

Total Hours.
This relates to the total hours a named pilot has logged on this category of aircraft (e.g. helicopter, aeroplane etc.) Note that unpowered glider hours are not to be included when calculating total aeroplane hours but powered glider and microlight hours may be included.

Hours On Make / Model
This relates to the total hours a named pilot has logged on this make and model (e.g. Piper PA28 is a make and model, Cessna 150 is a different make and model etc). Note that hours spent on variants of a model can be included (e.g. Piper PA28 is a model and would include hours on a PA28 140, PA28 160 etc).

If you buy a new aircraft then you have two choices:

• If you purchase the new aircraft on the same day as you dispose of the previous one, or there will only be a few days elapsed between you selling the old one and buying the new one, you can simply amend the details on your current aircraft insurance policy to show your new aircraft. For information on how to do this, click here.
• If you are keeping your old aircraft, or have yet to sell it, then you should set up an additional aviation insurance policy in respect of the new aircraft. For information on how to do this, click here.

We operate a system which is very similar to how No Claims Discount works on motor insurance. A new policyholder who has never had insurance would start with 0% NCD allowance, although they may, depending on their claims history, be given an introductory allowance of up to 10%.

So long as there is no applicable claim in each subsequent year, their NCD allowance will increment to a maximum of 20% after 3 years.

If a new policyholder joins us who has held an aircraft insurance policy elsewhere and has been claims free, then we would put them on the level of the NCD scale that they would have been on if they had been insured with us over the period. For example, a policyholder who held a claim free policy for 3 years would get a 15% discount.

For information on how to create a quote and take out a policy, please click here.