Liability Insurance for Flight Training

Will Costly Litigation Ground Your Flight School?

Liability Insurance for Flight Training

You love everything about flying, including teaching others how to get their wings. But with that passion comes potential risk — every time you take a student up. As a flight school owner, you ensure you hire the best CFIs with a proven track record. Of course, they take all the necessary precautions. Check the weather, the controls, performance requirements, flight log, and route of flight. But what if there’s a mechanical malfunction — or they’re negligent? What if they’re remiss in their instruction? Fact is, you and your instructor could be liable. Thus, you should have liability insurance for flight training.

According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), “Generally, a CFI owes others a duty of reasonable care, and is liable for damages if he breaches that duty (i.e., is “negligent”), and the breach is the proximate cause of an accident.” Even if you’re not in the airplane at the time of the accident, you owe a duty of reasonable care.

Case in point: “In a very early accident case, an instructor OK’d a student for solo landing practice at his home field. The trouble was another student from a rival school at the field had just taken off to practice simulated emergency spot landings. The two aircraft collided, and the instructor’s student was seriously injured when he crash-landed. He sued his school and his instructor. They were found liable because they owed the student a duty of reasonable care.”

Evolution Insurance Brokers

Let’s face it, accidents happen. But financial ruin doesn’t have to — thanks to specialty liability insurance from Evolution Insurance Brokers (EIB). We offer coverage for commercial and private operations, including property coverage for aircraft and passenger if grounded, grounded not in motion and in flight or transport. Liability, hull, and physical property coverage are also available for many types of aircraft, including experimental and home-built aircraft. We also have customized coverage for Aviation Associations, Clubs, Flight Schools, and others considered a hard-to-place risk.

Contact EIB today to help ensure your flight school isn’t grounded from costly litigation.

Rick J. Lindsey
Rick Lindsey

President, CEO and Chairman