Excess insurance in Oz?

[scotsman]

Evening all, for those of you that hire and fly from a school or the like the insurance is usually included in the private hire and fly rate but there is normally an excess (usually a pretty significant amount) that you would be liable for in the event of an accident where, for example, the aircraft is totalled (and assuming you are not totalled as well).

 

Is there an insurance broker in Oz that offers a product for the hirer to insure the excess? Back in darkest Africa for a pretty reasonable fee you could insure the excess and give yourself the comfort that you wouldn't have to sell the wife and kids if you pranged it.

 

Any advice would be appreciated (except - don't crash in the first place! )

 

Cheers

 

James

 

 

[Nobody]

QBE call it "Aircraft Non-Ownership Liability". It may still have an excess but will be a lot less than the flying schools.

 

 

[scotsman]

Thanks bud for the translation. I was searching on the wrong terms and wondering why I couldn't find it offered here! Sent them an email just now. Hope that it is not horribly expensive.

 

 

[Geoff_H]

I damaged an aircraft once. It turns out that unless you're actually advised that you will have to pay this excess you do not have to pay it! I did but any writing on the back of the hiring agreement does bind you for anything unless you have it pointed out to you and you agree.

 

 

[scotsman]

Interesting one Geoff, I just assumed that you were bound to the T&Cs by the virtue of hiring it but I'm no lawyer.

 

What sort of rate do you guys pay for non ownership liability insurance? Just trying to get a gauge for how bad the damage will be.

 

 

[Nobody]

I don't have it here in Australia as I now own an aircraft but I had it in the USA. it was only a few hundred dollars a year but you had a lot of options that could change the price depending on the cover level.

 

It also covered liability for damage to property and other people. Say you crash landed onto a taxiway and wiped out a cirrus or a PC-12. You don't want to find after the accident that the schools policy either does not cover you or only covers you up to $50k.

 

 

[scotsman]

Sounds like a plan as knowing my luck I would bump something expensive! What is it they say about a forced landing.....try and hit the softest and cheapest think you can find.