October 2005 - American Bonanza Society

"HEY, CAN YOU SAVE MESOME MONEY ON MYAIRPLANE INSURANCE?"BY JOHN ALLEN. FALCON INSURANCE AGENCYOver the years ['ve attended many aviation eventswhere Falcon Insurance Agency has an exhibit togreet our customers and welcome new prospects.One thing I can always count on is having folks stop by toask if Falcon can save them money on their airplaneinsurance.The quick answer is yes. However, it's not how much wecan save them, rather the more important answer is how weare going to do it.It's easy to lower one's insurance premium. All you haveto do is reduce your insurance coverage. By comparison, ifyou want to save money on gas, buy a smaller car that usesless gas. The problem is that when you move down, you aregiving up something.With insurance, when you give up coverage you mayfind it to be just like riding in an econo-box car-a littleuncomfortable. There are ways to reduce your airplane insurancepremium without making yourself uncomfortable withyour level of protection.Here (Ire sOllie thoughts all (lchievillg your goal of lowerpremiums lVithoLlt leavillg yourself sellli-liaked to the risks ofan uninsured or lmderinsLlred loss.Number aile: Deal with an agent with knowledge andexperience in the aviation insurance industry. A sldlledagent can help you customize your coverage to fit the flyingyou are doing. (Know who you are dealing with andmake sure they know what they are doing.)Number Two: You and your agent must know what aviationinsurance companies are looking for and how youraccount can be presented to get the best price. (Remember,airplane insurance is mostly unregulated when it comes torates, which means insurance underwriters have the latitudeto fluctuate thei r rates based on the risk presented tothem.)Number Three: Become sufficiently involved in theprocess to be sure that you, your airplane and the kind offlying you are doing are what the insurance companies arelooldng for. Upgrade yourself with additional training.Improve your airplane by adding shoulder harnesses, newignition wires or advanced avionics. It will make adifference!Let's break down these pointsOne of the major reasons the American Bonanza Societyappointed Falcon Insurance as the official agency is our 26-plus years of arranging insurance for general aviation pilots.The two most important ingredients in being a successful aviationinsurance agency are experience and reputation.At Falcon, our specialists are not only licensed agentswho specialize in aviation insurance, they are also pi lots whounderstand the type of flying different owner-pilots aredoing.From low-time pilots transitioning into more advancedairplanes to highly sldlled pilots with bundles of hours flying,we know the marketplace, and it's our job to stay on top ofthe ever-changing aviation insurance environment. We willnot let you under-insure your airplane or buy less insurancecoverage than you need.U you are looking to reduce your insurance coverage wewill discuss the options with you so you have a clear understandingof the pros and cons. Regardless, we will not let yousimply drop insurance coverage without fully understandingwhat you are buying. In addition, our reputation in the market-whichwe hold as extremely valuable-allows us tomake sure our clients are always getting the right airplaneinsurance at the best price.Do you know what the aviation insurance companies arelooldng for? Probably not, but that doesn't mean you arehopelessly at the mercy of the underwriters.We know that some insurance companies are not particularlykeen on pilots without an instrument rating or pilotswho do not fly very often. At the same time, we also knowthe companies that will offer lower rates for pilots who attendrecurrent training programs and maintain their instrument ratingor obtain more advanced ratings.It's our job to search out the best coverage for you at thelowest price. Further, we always recommend pilots upgradetheir experience through additional train ing and upgrade theirairplanes by adding to their value with upgraded avionics andother advanced equipment.Options are availableYou have a lot of options when it comes to the airplaneinsurance you buy. You get one promise when you place yourairplane insurance in the ASS Aircraft Insurance Plan: Youwill get our best effort and nothing less.Give Falcon and the ASS Plan a call. We'll make sureyou 're not disappointed in our professionalism or commitmentto meeting your airplane insurance needs. Call us at800-259-4227.