Are Your Contract Pilots Properly Insured?

Do your contract pilots just “jump in and go” when you call them? Great, it’s ok, right? But are they properly insured for on-the-job injuries? The marjority of contract pilots do not even think of this. Some operators ignore it too. Not a wise practice.

Many operators do have policies that have blanket coverage to include temp employees, but it may not apply to independent contractors. That’s on the pilot to check and get a copy of the policy before taking the job. But the safest thing for an ICP to do is to get a specific policy for thier business.

Consider this scenario:

Imagine your moon-lighting pilot trips and falls down the aircraft stairs carrying the catering dishes. He blows out his knee and is out for 8 weeks for surgery/rehab. Who’s going to cover the medical bills? Medical insurance companies do not cover on-the-job injuries, they kick it back to the employer’s workmen’s comp policy. Your independent pilot carries his own policy, correct? How will this pilot explain to his full-time employer that he cannot fly for the next eight weeks?

For the IC pilot without any coverage, there’s 4 choices:

• Tell thier full-time employer the truth, lose their job, then pay the medical bills;
• Lie to their full-time employer, collect benefits, be investigated, lose your job for insurance fraud, pay large fines, and then pay the medical bills;
• Tell your full-time employer you’ll pay the medical bills in exchange for keeping your job, and hope for the best;
• Sue the aircraft operator for coverage, biting the hand that was feeding them;

Worker’s comp policy limits are typically $1M-2M dollars. What do you think Capt. Moon Lighter will choose?

At ReserveCrews we’ll never put an uninsured pilot in your cockpit. Every crewmember booked through us is covered by workmen’s compensation insurance. It’s required by law in all 50 states, and our coverage applies world-wide. Don’t take unnecesary risks, Reserve your Crew today!