Thank you for asking me to conduct training or a flight review in your own aircraft. There are some specific insurance requirements I need to have in place before we start.

Every airplane insurance policy I’ve seen includes a clause that allows a suitably-rated instructor to act as a permitted pilot for the purposes of training any of the named pilots on the insurance policy. However many people misunderstand the purpose and effect of that clause.

What that means is that your policy is valid while an instructor (like me) is training you. If there’s an accident while we fly together the insurer will pay a third party for any damages caused to them, and if you have hull insurance pay you (or the airplane owner, if that’s not you) for airplane damage. That means you’re protected, and the public is protected.

It doesn’t however mean that I’m protected. There’s nothing stopping your insurance company from pursuing me to recover the damages it paid to you or someone else, nor does it mean your insurance company will help me if I’m pursued by a third-party for losses they’ve suffered. While those are unlikely outcomes, they aren’t risks I’m prepared to take. So before we start training in your plane there are two things you need to put in place in co-operation with your insurance broker.

Additional Insured

Firstly, both I and my company (Alec Ronen Myers, and 5001235 Ontario Inc.) need to be included as additional insured on the policy. That means that whatever protections the insurance company offer to you they will offer to me. Your insurance becomes my insurance – so if any third party damages are assessed against me then the insurance company will pay for them. A restriction such as “for the purposes of flight training and review only” is acceptable.

Waiver of Subrogation

Secondly, you underwriter has to provide a Waiver of Subrogation to both me and my company (as before). That means that your insurer agrees not to try to recover any money that it pays to you or anyone else from me.

Those things may take a short while to arrange (and you may have to pay a fee) so I do request you have them in place (and send me the documentation to confirm) before we agree any dates on which to train or fly.

Just to be clear – that’s both Alec Ronen Myers and 5001235 Ontario Inc. to be additional insured, and a Waiver of Subrogation to be granted to both.

If your broker or underwriter needs details of my flying experience – usually they have a form to complete – please send it to me and I’ll be happy to complete it.

Thank you for keeping us both safe and legal. and I’m really looking forward to flying with you.