Taildragger Insurance - Gasp!

[Chris In Milwaukee]

So I've lined up a nice entry-level traildragger that I've been offered an opportunity to fly at low cost. Sweet! Up until the point where I got on the phone with the insurance companies.

I talked to an insurance provider late last year, asking what they preferred seeing to move into a higher-performance taildragger. They suggested that I start with an entry-level traildragger like a C-140 and gain time before moving into bigger iron since they were going to want more experience. Sounded like a good plan.

So that's what I did. I lined up an opportunity with a C-140 here on the field, and I reached out to a couple of insurance brokers today to get quotes. Good grief! $25,000 hull on a decent C-140 is $1200 a year! NationAir called seven insurers, five of them wouldn't write me, two would, and the cheapest was $1110. Avemco was asking $1263, with a drop to $1166 after 30 hours, and another drop after a year. That one's sounding decent, and they give Wings credit in rates as well.

I'm waiting on a call from Butler Brown. They specialize in classics, so we'll see what they have to say. But I reckon my first few years in taildragger-dom are going to be a bit spendy, either way. Time to get crackin'!

P.S. - I'm PPSEL, 180 hours, with 10.2 hours tailwheel earned last fall, in case it's of interest.

[AlabamaSlammer]

Cripes, that's going to hurt.

On the other hand, that's cheaper than I was at 23 with an Evo.

[whee]

Honestly, that doesn't sound bad to me. When I started with 0 TT insurance on my Luscombe was $2500/yr. It dropped a bunch when I can 100hrs and when I sold the Luscombe I had almost 400hrs and was paying $1050/yr.

You'll love the quote when you ask about Bearhawk insurance. Best I found was $2400/yr with 10hrs in type. Now that I have 40hrs in type I hope it has come down some.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

I'm actually not as shocked as I was when I called about flying my friend's Maule MX7-180B. Not a single bite. And the one that did under protest wanted $5000. So I guess it's all relative.

[Zzz]

The harsh reality of taildraggers...

My tale is pretty much like Whee. I discovered that 100hrs tailwheel, time in type, these things all represented significant discounts. The actuaries work for the insurance companies, not us. 😎

I was told $2500 min for $90K hull on a Bearhawk; that was their floor for that much coverage.

[marcusofcotton]

This is why you start with basic - skip the hull insurance. Yes, a wreck hurts the finances and spirit, believe me, I know.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

If I owned this plane, I'd skip the hull insurance, I imagine. But since it's being generously offered, I'm going to make sure the owner and the plane are well protected :-)

[rv8bldr]

I have 600 hours, 500 of it on my RV-8. I have it hull insured for $75K, with $2M in liability. I insure through the Canadian EAA C-Plan (Nacora?) and it is about $1,700 per year.

[alaskabearhawk]

At least you can get insurance...no one even talks experimental in Alaska.

[Bcone1381]

I owned a C-140 5 years ago. I am a commercial pilot, with 30 years and 15,000TT, 200 in tail dragger. Your $1200 a year is about 10% higher than my insurance was back then. My hull coverage was about the same amount.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Sounds to me, then, like it's a good price, and about as good as it's going to get. A new quote came in this morning at $1107, so I think it's nearly time to pull the trigger. I'm getting a feeling that EAA/VAA, AUA, and others are going to be similar.

[jaredyates]

I agree, it's nowhere near as shocking as Bearhawk quotes!

[whee]

I agree, it's nowhere near as shocking as Bearhawk quotes!

When shopping for insurance and got quoted $2500 for the BH I got a quote for a cessna 180. The 180 came back at $1500/yr. I budgeted $1000 for an owner assisted annual on a certified plane so fixed costs for ownership came out about the same for a 180 and the BH. I came very close to buying a 180.

The quote I got for a Maule was the same as a BH, $2500.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

The total tail wheel time seems to be the big player here. Time for me to get started.

[Battson]

Honestly, that doesn't sound bad to me. When I started with 0 TT insurance on my Luscombe was $2500/yr. It dropped a bunch when I can 100hrs and when I sold the Luscombe I had almost 400hrs and was paying $1050/yr.

You'll love the quote when you ask about Bearhawk insurance. Best I found was $2400/yr with 10hrs in type. Now that I have 40hrs in type I hope it has come down some.

The numbers you stated are about what we paid to insure the Bearhawk. Like you said, the cost halved after the first year, and should drop some more this year too.

In our case, the plane and the pilot had 200 hours together by the first renewal, but it would have been cheaper to just pay the higher insurance premium!

[Zzz]

The way I look at it, I have this chunk of money that I've sunk into an airplane, and that's my aircraft money whether it's the Bearhawk or a Skywagon or a Maule. $2,500 out of pocket every year hurts, sure, but to be out the amount I've saved for YEARS and invested in this stuff would hurt WAY worse. Think about what recently happened to one of our BH brethren and what his salvage sold for. It was probably 5% the cost of the aircraft. These things are expensive engines wrapped in labor. Be careful out there.