News Archive

AOPA's Sun 'n Fun coverage is sponsored by:

AOPAIA announces renter's insurance for 50 cents a day
True story: A pilot goes to the airport on a bright sunny morning to rent an aircraft. He finds out the aircraft is undergoing a 100-hour inspection and will be finished shortly. So, he waits. Once the aircraft is ready, he taxis to the end of the taxiway, and as he's turning, the main gear fails and damages the aircraft. A few months later, the renter gets a bill from the FBO for $35,000.

Luckily, he had renter's insurance. The company investigated the incident and took the case to court, claiming a mechanical failure was at fault. The judge decided in favor of the pilot.

AOPAIA has made it more affordable for renters to get insurance — so that more pilots can be as fortunate as the pilot in the aforementioned case. Greg Sterling, AOPA Insurance Agency (AOPAIA) executive vice president and general manager, announced that, for as little as 50 cents a day renters can now buy insurance that will cover bodily injury, passenger injury, damage to the aircraft, the FBO's loss of revenue, legal costs, and more.

"We know there are risks involved in aviation. Do we as pilots ignore those risks? No, we train for them; we plan for them," said Sterling, while speaking to a group of about 30 pilots on AOPA Day at Sun 'n Fun. "Similarly, we need to plan to handle an incident or accident from an insurance perspective. But many pilots aren't prepared — 8 out of 10 renter pilots do not have renter's insurance."

AOPA members also are eligible for a 5-percent discount when they sign up. And, if they are claim free for the next year, they can get 10 percent off their deductible. For more information, visit AOPAIA.