Membership Services
Hurricane preparedness: Keeping you covered
With hurricane season under way, AOPA members who live and/or plan to travel in hurricane-prone areas should have a plan to relocate their aircraft in the event of a storm.
While developing your plan, check your insurance policy to see if it covers any costs for relocating your aircraft. Some policies cover the cost of hiring an evacuation pilot and relocating and storing an aircraft. Others will reimburse policyholders for relocating their aircraft outside of a hurricane watch or warning area.
In the event you are faced with relocating your aircraft, the AOPA Insurance Agency offers tips to make the process smoother.
Choose evacuation airports that are comfortably within the range of your aircraft, are out of the hurricane watch or warning area, have scheduled airline service or rental car availability to get you and/or your evacuation pilot back home, and have temporary hangar or tie down space available.
If you plan to have an evacuation pilot fly your aircraft, check your policy first. It will state the required minimum qualifications for your pilot. For many common single-engine aircraft, it is simply "private pilot or better." When looking for pilots in your area, check flight schools and aviation colleges, as well as local airports.
For more information about hurricane preparedness, call the AOPA Insurance Agency (800/622-2672).
June 1, 2011
