Most insurance products are such a one-size-fits-all approach that we often forget how individualized aviation insurance is. It’s a very hands-on, manual business that centers around the relationship you have with your broker and your broker has with the underwriter.
This matters because it means you have some influence over the process. Rather than simply accepting the terms you’re given, you can often negotiate on various limitations and conditions, including recurrent training.
Tom Johnson is the president of Assured Partners’ Phoenix office, where he does a lot of work on owner-flown turbines. A pilot and aircraft owner, Johnson is a big believer in upset recovery training (UPRT) as a safety tool for all pilots. He recounted a recent conversation with a URPT instructor. Johnson guessed that maybe 20 percent of pilots would successfully recover from a loss of control situation, such as unloading the wing and rolling upright before pulling and causing structural damage or ground contact. The instructor put the figure at five percent or less.
It’s an area Johnson feels passionate about, in part because insurance companies see a lot more real-world aircraft damage information than the rest of us. Lots of big claims never make it to the safety or accident authorities but will make their way to the broker’s office.
While some high-end jet policies will pay for upset training, Johnson recommends talking to your broker about making it part of your approved recurrent training plan, regardless of the model of Twin Commander you fly. And rather than leaving it to the broker to make your case, he said to write a letter outlining exactly what you want to do (alternate the sim with upset training, for example), and ask your broker to send it on. “Surprisingly, underwriters like to see that,” he said. “They like to see the guy has a plan.” It shows a safety-focused pilot who is interested in expanding his skillset.
Obviously just because you ask doesn’t mean the answer will be a yes. But maybe it will the year after. Regardless, Johnson said there’s value to the training beyond satisfying an insurance requirement. If you think big picture, the experience is well worth the investment.
