Class 1 inisurance

[ncusack]

Hi Guys 'n' dolls;
Anyone have any idea if you can insure yourself against loss of the class 1 medical? We'll say after three years of flying, your eyesight deteriorates to fail level and you lose your license. Are you a gonner? If so what happens about the huge bills you have built up on training?

Thanks for any thoughts;
Niall

[Officedesk]

The biggest problem with Loss Of Licence is that the CAA never actually take away ones licence anymore - even for the most serious of illnesses or conditions. This is supposed to help you eventually regain your flying status.

When you get an illness or condition that stops you flying for longer than 30 days, you will be issued with a provisional suspension of flying status letter by the CAA.

Except for very clear cut cases, loss of limbs, loss of sight etc, you can remain provisionally suspended for years.

If consultants and the CAA finally decide that there is no current medical procedure available to regain your flying status then they will issue another letter placing you on Long Term Sick. Few consultants ever like to admit to there being nothing further that they can do - especially if you are under lucrative private care.

You can obtain Loss of Licence insurance. This is firstly quite expensive. Then insurers will not even talk to you until you get to the long term stage. Even at this stage you will still have to prove to the insurer that you will never be returned to flying status. Whether they pay or not is still discretionary!!!

My personal recommendation is that you make sure you have an own occupation, Permanent Health Insurance (PHI) policy that will start to pay out when your employer stops paying you your salary. This type of insurance pays you a regular tax-free salary when you can no longer perform your duties as a pilot for any medical reason.

Loss of licence is an important insurance, especially if you do not yet have a job or are at the latter stages of ones career, but it will not give you the protection that you will need if you lose your income.

How do I know this? Well I have been through it. I am thankfully now back flying after some considerable time off due to an apparently straightforward illness. I am now somewhat enlightened about how difficult a time it is being grounded and how important the right insurance is.

I, fortunately, had such a policy and I claimed under it during my time off. The claim process was simple and clear. It gave me a reasonable tax free salary whilst my employer was not paying me.

I will gladly pass to anyone the details of the policy that I have and provide you with further details. Either email me or leave a private message.

[Officedesk]

I have responded to you all by leaving you a private message. However, I can't email most of you as the send email function isn't allowed.

So please check your private message or leave an email address on your response.

Regards