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Gear Up: Bad Joke?

It’s hard to believe this dent totaled an amazing airplane. Courtesy Dick Karl
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author faced a catastrophic 212% increase in aviation insurance premiums for his personal jet, making the original single-pilot coverage prohibitively expensive.
  • Despite his professional pilot experience and advocating for his safe flying practices, he only secured a policy with a 51% premium increase (and reduced liability), coupled with a warning that single-pilot flying would be prohibited the following year.
  • The author questions the justifications for the "hardening" aviation insurance market, such as increased claims or market disruptions, finding them insufficient to explain such drastic price hikes and the growing challenges for owner-pilots.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Well, yes, I had left my phone on the Virgin Atlantic flight to London. So, yes, I was out of touch for the six days it took me to get it back from “Missing X” somewhere in the ductwork of Heathrow Airport. So, yes, there was a delay in receiving your voicemail.

Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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