On a trip from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, FLYING contributor Dick Karl had a bird strike–a big one. [Courtesy: Dick Karl]
Key Takeaways:
A lifelong pilot recovering from a serious illness faces significant hurdles to returning to aircraft ownership, particularly concerning insurance.
Historically predictable aviation insurance costs escalated dramatically, primarily due to the pilot's age (77), increasing premiums from ~$22k to ~$93k annually for his jet.
This age-based discrimination effectively forced him out of his jet, and he is now considering alternative aircraft with still-high estimated insurance costs ($35k-$42k).
There were several months last winter when I cared nothing about airplanes. Bedridden for a month by the one-two punch of a bone marrow transplant for acute myeloid leukemia, I was so sick that I didn’t think about my lifelong love—aviation.
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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.
