Life insurance for pilots

Pilots can get life insurance, and how it is priced depends mostly on what kind of flying you do. Airline pilots on scheduled carriers are commonly underwritten much like other healthy professionals, while private pilots, crop dusters, air tour and bush pilots, and test or aerobatic pilots often face a surcharge, a limited-coverage rider or an exclusion. Insurers differ widely here, so the offer you get depends heavily on who you ask and how the flying is described.

Why flying gets its own questions

For most applicants, the standard life insurance application asks a few broad questions about aviation. If you answer that you fly, the insurer sends an aviation questionnaire. Underwriters use it because the risk differs sharply by type of flying. Commercial airline operations are heavily regulated and generally treated as lower risk than small-aircraft or specialized operations. Underwriting looks at the details rather than the label "pilot."

Passengers on commercial flights are not treated this way. Riding on a scheduled airline does not trigger an aviation questionnaire; the extra scrutiny applies to people who operate aircraft or work as crew. A related point about passengers in non-scheduled aircraft appears in the war, terrorism and aviation exclusions guide.

What the aviation questionnaire asks

Questions vary, but they commonly cover:

• Certificates and ratings. Which pilot certificates you hold (private, commercial, airline transport) and which ratings, such as instrument or multi-engine.
• Flying hours. Total hours, hours in the past 12 months, and hours in the type of aircraft you fly.
• Type of flying. Airline, corporate, charter, cargo, flight instruction, agricultural, aerial photography, medical flights, pipeline or power-line patrol, tours, bush flying, or recreational.
• Aircraft. Fixed-wing or helicopter, single or multiple engines, jet or piston, homebuilt or experimental.
• Accidents and violations. Any aircraft incidents, FAA actions or license suspensions.
• Medical certification. Whether you hold an FAA medical certificate and whether it has ever been denied, restricted or special-issued.
• Plans. Whether you intend to start flying professionally, buy an aircraft or earn a new rating.
• Military flying. Active-duty or reserve flying, and combat or hazardous-duty assignments. See Life insurance for military members: SGLI and private policies.

How insurers respond

These are descriptions of common patterns, not rules. Some insurers set a ceiling on hours or require a minimum amount of experience. Some decline specific operations outright.

Flat extras, riders and exclusions

Three ways an insurer can address aviation risk:

1. A flat extra. An added charge per $1,000 of coverage, often for a stated number of years, explained in table ratings and flat extras explained. It can be removed or reduced if your flying changes.
2. An aviation exclusion or rider. The insurer agrees to pay except for deaths arising from piloting or flying as crew, or from specified types of flying. If the exclusion applies, the claim may be denied or limited, such as to a return of premiums. This is more common with private and specialty flying.
3. Limits on the amount. A cap on coverage for certain pilots.

Read the policy and the application together. An exclusion might be written into the policy as an endorsement, and a flat extra will show up in the premium. See what life insurance doesn't cover: exclusions to know for how exclusions generally work. Ask the agent to confirm in writing whether the aviation exclusion applies to the type of flying you do, including hobby flying you might add later.

Health matters for pilots too

Pilots usually hold an FAA medical certificate and undergo periodic medical review, which some insurers consider supportive. A problem with certification, such as a denial or a special issuance, can be a flag. Like all applicants, pilots are underwritten on blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use, build and family history, and the aviation question is added on top. See how life insurance underwriting works for the full picture.

A practical approach

1. Collect your records. Certificates, ratings, logbook totals (total and last 12 months), aircraft types and your employer's operation type.
2. Describe the flying precisely. "Regional airline first officer on turboprops" and "charter pilot in single-engine aircraft" are different risks. Be accurate; see what happens if you lie on a life insurance application.
3. Use an independent agent experienced with aviation. Some carriers are more comfortable with certain operations. See life insurance brokers vs agents.
4. Compare more than the premium. Look at flat extras, how long they last, aviation exclusions and coverage caps using a life insurance quote comparison worksheet.
5. Check employer and union coverage. Airlines and pilot unions often provide group life or accidental death coverage. See employer group life insurance: what it really covers and life insurance through a union or professional association. Group plans may have their own aviation exclusions, so read the certificate. They also usually end when employment does.
6. Buy before changing the flying. If you plan to move into a riskier role, a policy in force before the change generally keeps its original terms, but confirm with the contract and ask the agent.

Hypothetical example

Say a healthy 40-year-old regional airline captain and a healthy 40-year-old who flies a single-engine plane on weekends each apply for $1 million of term coverage. The airline captain might be offered the insurer's standard rate class, while the weekend pilot might be offered the same class plus a flat extra, or a policy with an aviation exclusion. These are illustrations only. The different outcomes show why the type of flying matters more than the word "pilot."

Key takeaways

• Pilots are insurable, but the type of flying drives the outcome: scheduled airline work is usually treated more favorably than private or specialty flying.
• Expect an aviation questionnaire covering certificates, hours, aircraft and accident history.
• Insurers may respond with a flat extra, an aviation exclusion or a coverage cap; read the policy to see which applies.
• Compare multiple insurers and check group or union coverage, which may carry its own exclusions.