Hi all,
This is going to be a UK centric post which I hope is OK with all of you who reside outside of the UK.
I've been looking to get insurance (both for liability and theft/damage) but on a hobbyist basis for quite some time now and have found that none of the well known drone insurance companies have anything to offer hobbyists. If you're a CAA certified drone operator then you've got plenty of choice - hobbyists not so much.
This week I was introduced to a company called Eversure who are basically a photographic equipment insurance company (among other things). They have introduced a policy which basically looks at a drone as being a large airborne camera and because of that they are able to offer theft and damage insurance to hobbyists! I have spoken with them and am convinced that they are the right company to deal with - very knowledgeable and willing to look at slightly different situations. They've got a very good web-based application process which gives you an opportunity to list all your equipment separately (incl. serial numbers). Their policy provides a "new for old" system so you must remember to look up the current retail value of your drone and ancillary equipment and quote that.
I ended up insuring my Inspire 2, with X4S, X5S, Olympus 45mm lens, 4 pairs of batteries, ND filters and all other equipment for around £140 per annum. Given that the new value of all my kit is approx. £7k I didn't think this was a bad deal at all. I am insured for theft, damage & loss (with the notable exception being loss or damage as a result of a flyaway) as well as worldwide travel for up to 30 consecutive days. Without the worldwide travel element the annual cost would have been around £120. They do not provide cover for mobile devices such as mobile phones, ipads, monitors, etc but those are usually insurable under your home insurance policy. They also don't offer civil/public liability insurance.
For Civil/Public Liability insurance I signed up for membership of the BMFA (Britisch Model Flyers Association). Annual membership costs £34 and comes with public liability insurance up to £25 million (worldwide).
So, for under £200 per year I'm fully insured as a hobbyist drone pilot! I'm really pleased with that.
I hope this information is going to be of some use to those based in the UK and looking for non-commercial drone insurance.
All the best and happy flying!
Danny
This is going to be a UK centric post which I hope is OK with all of you who reside outside of the UK.
I've been looking to get insurance (both for liability and theft/damage) but on a hobbyist basis for quite some time now and have found that none of the well known drone insurance companies have anything to offer hobbyists. If you're a CAA certified drone operator then you've got plenty of choice - hobbyists not so much.
This week I was introduced to a company called Eversure who are basically a photographic equipment insurance company (among other things). They have introduced a policy which basically looks at a drone as being a large airborne camera and because of that they are able to offer theft and damage insurance to hobbyists! I have spoken with them and am convinced that they are the right company to deal with - very knowledgeable and willing to look at slightly different situations. They've got a very good web-based application process which gives you an opportunity to list all your equipment separately (incl. serial numbers). Their policy provides a "new for old" system so you must remember to look up the current retail value of your drone and ancillary equipment and quote that.
I ended up insuring my Inspire 2, with X4S, X5S, Olympus 45mm lens, 4 pairs of batteries, ND filters and all other equipment for around £140 per annum. Given that the new value of all my kit is approx. £7k I didn't think this was a bad deal at all. I am insured for theft, damage & loss (with the notable exception being loss or damage as a result of a flyaway) as well as worldwide travel for up to 30 consecutive days. Without the worldwide travel element the annual cost would have been around £120. They do not provide cover for mobile devices such as mobile phones, ipads, monitors, etc but those are usually insurable under your home insurance policy. They also don't offer civil/public liability insurance.
For Civil/Public Liability insurance I signed up for membership of the BMFA (Britisch Model Flyers Association). Annual membership costs £34 and comes with public liability insurance up to £25 million (worldwide).
So, for under £200 per year I'm fully insured as a hobbyist drone pilot! I'm really pleased with that.
I hope this information is going to be of some use to those based in the UK and looking for non-commercial drone insurance.
All the best and happy flying!
Danny
