SonexBuilders.net

I just renewed my insurance through Global:

$40,000 hull value and my airplane has been flying for 9 years and 350 hours now.

No change in premiums going from AeroVee to Jabiru 3300

I have fairly high qualifications (ATP, CFII/MEI)

This years premium is $925. Up around $125 from last year.

GraemeSmith wrote:Mike,

Who brokered that?

Sutton James Aviation Insurance Brokers (an Optisure Risk Partner).

builderflyer wrote:
Mike, I agree with your broker about you being that "lucky" person. But the other side of the coin is your personal qualifications. If you're willing to share, what are your ratings, your TT, your time in a Sonex, your time in the past 12 months, your taildragger time, your accident/incident history, and your age. Except for age, I'll bet I meet or exceed all of your personal history and when Global raised my liability only premium to $450, I bailed out with them. Once again, I believe the state in which one lives plays a significant role in the quoted premium, although I'm now experiencing the old age thing as well.

This is what was on my latest application:
Location of aircraft: Massachusetts
Total time: 932 hrs
Tailwheel: 506 hrs
Time in my Sonex: 490 hrs
Time in my Sonex last 12 months: 43 (COVID grounded me for 3 months; I usually log about 90 hrs/yr)
Total time in last 12 months: 65
Instrument rated: Yes (not current at all)
Accident history: prop strike 4 years ago. Engine repair and prop replacement by me, around $2,000 in parts, + they paid $50/hr for the time I spent making the repairs. Plus they paid for the ferry trips and hotel stay to retrieve and then rehang the engine at a hangar on the island of Nantucket.
Operations other than pave public airports? Yes, 2 grass strips a couple of times per year.

mike.smith wrote:

GraemeSmith wrote:Mike,
Who brokered that?

Sutton James Aviation Insurance Brokers (an Optisure Risk Partner).

Thanks!

Just got the quote. The premium jumped just over $200 to about $1600. No claims.

Just got the quote. Premium DOWN 11%. $1,900. 220 hours in type.

Interestingly Victoria Neuville mentioned that Starr Indemnity who underwrite me no longer will write Sonex and that I am grandfathered in.

Got mine back, liability only. $650 for the Sonex, $550 for the C140, $500 for the sailplane.

Update to premium.

I contacted the insurance company, and let them know I had flown the Sonex 53hrs last year. They dropped the premium $300

I'm now just less than $1300 for full coverage. Less than I paid last year.

kmacht wrote:When I was looking for liability only I went through First Flight Insurance Group. They have a deal with the US Ultralight association where they will provide a 1 million dollar liability insurance on LSA aircraft (including EX-AB) for about $500 a year.

http://www.firstflightinsurance.com/Sit ... sports.asp

This site no longer exists, and I can't find any reference on their site to the USUA deal. That's who I used back 2008 - 2012 when I had the Sonex. Back then, I remember it was even less - maybe $250-350 / year for liability only. USUA's site also doesn't have reference to insurance.

I'm getting close to completing my B and I'm curious if the insurance companies look at time in aircraft with similar weight, engine and flight characteristics. For example I have alot of Sonerai II time. Would that help towards time in type etc. Anyone know? In addition I'll have made approx 300 or so takeoffs and landings as a tow pilot in tailwheel aircraft this season. It's time to start thinking about this.