If you are a commercial drone pilot, having insurance is a legal requirement.
Even though it is a fairly recent concept, drone insurance acts like any other policy. If your drone suffers an accident or is lost, the insurance company will cover your damage and liability costs to a certain amount.
If you are a commercial drone pilot, having insurance is a legal requirement. Remember that if you are flying drones outside of the UK, rules and regulations may differ depending on the country – however, some policies include global coverage.
Even if you are a personal user – meaning insurance is not required by law – having drone insurance can provide peace of mind, as accidents can easily happen. Your insurance provider can provide major support with the high costs that could occur, such as legal fees, or repairing and replacing parts.
Whilst not essential for recreational pilots, drone insurance can offer peace of mind when flying
Drone insurance policies are usually split up into two parts;
- Liability – which covers damage and claims to third parties
- Drone damage – which covers damage caused to your UAV and ancillary equipment.
Policies that are currently on the market for drone insurance offer multiple protection plans. These policies can include the cover of the following; liability, drone damage, payload, ground equipment, non-owned coverage, personal injury and more.
There are two ways to go about insurance payments. The more commonly known route is an annual policy, where users can pay the insurance cost either for the whole year or split it into monthly payments. A newer insurance approach, known as pay-as-you-fly (PAFL) enables pilots to pay insurance for each flight individually.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has shared guidance on using drones for both private and commercial use, creating a Drone Code which all pilots must abide by. This ensures that all pilots operate their aircraft with optimum safety. Moreover, as of 30th November 2019, users must pass the drone test and register with the CAA before they can fly any drone over 250g. You can register online at: register-drones.caa.co.uk
The Drone Assist App from NATS offers guidance to pilots on where to avoid flying, or where to fly with caution. Apps like this and informative websites like dronesafe.uk help to ensure pilots operate with maximum safety to prevent as many accidents as possible.
UK Drone Insurance Partners
We’ve partnered with Coverdrone in the UK to provide our students with free insurance for their flight tests – including equipment cover up to £4,000. In addition to this, they’re able to provide bespoke insurance for drone hire, getting you up and flying as quickly as possible.
For any questions in regards to drone insurance, please contact Coverdrone directly.
