Koosh Insurance · Aviation & Transportation

    Pilots & Staff

    The first officer who took a left-seat upgrade with a different operator. The mechanic certified for a type rating you don't actually have. The ground crew member injured during a routine push-back. Aviation personnel exposure runs from professional liability for the people in the cockpit to workers' compensation for everyone on the ground. Standard commercial coverage misses most of it.

    Coverage

    What this coverage includes

    • Pilot professional liability for instructors, examiners, and contracted pilots
    • Loss of license / loss of medical insurance for career pilots
    • Workers' compensation for pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, line crew, and ground handling
    • General liability for non-aviation operational exposures
    • Employment practices liability for high-skill, often-contracted workforce
    • Group benefits and life insurance structured for aviation crews and irregular schedules
    • Travel accident and AD&D for crews on duty
    • Cyber and HIPAA for operations holding crew records and medical certifications

    Who Buys This

    Who typically buys this coverage

    • Charter operators under FAA Part 135 with employed and contracted pilots
    • Corporate flight departments
    • Flight schools with instructor staff
    • Aviation maintenance organizations with mechanic staff
    • FBOs and ground handling operations with line crew
    • Individual career pilots carrying loss-of-license insurance
    • Flight examiners and check airmen

    Why Koosh

    Why Koosh Insurance

    Aviation personnel coverage spans professional liability, workers' compensation, group benefits, and individual career protection — and the lines have to coordinate because aviation careers are irregular and exposure-heavy.

    Pilot professional liability access — instructors, examiners, contracted pilots, and check airmen.

    Loss of license / loss of medical — specialty market with limited carriers, structured to actual income protection needs.

    Workers' comp class-code accuracy — pilot, mechanic, dispatcher, line crew all classify differently.

    Independent contractor structure — coverage that handles 1099 pilots without leaving the operator exposed.

    Group benefits for aviation crews — irregular-schedule employees often need plans built for the actual workforce.

    Coordination with aircraft and hangar policies — personnel coverage should layer cleanly with operational coverage.

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    A career pilot who permanently loses their FAA medical certificate — for a heart condition, neurological event, or other disqualifying cause — loses their ability to fly commercially. Loss of license insurance pays a defined benefit (lump sum or monthly income replacement) when the medical is permanently revoked. It's the single most important personal coverage for a professional pilot.

    The core mechanics are the same, but pilot exposure is different — long-haul fatigue, irregular schedules, Federal Air Surgeon medical requirements, and specific occupational hazards. Class-code accuracy matters, and we structure WC programs that reflect actual aviation operations.

    Yes. Flight instruction is a professional liability exposure — student injury claims, training-related accidents, certification disputes. Independent instructors typically carry their own coverage; flight schools also carry coverage extending to their instructor roster. Both should be in place.

    Contracted pilots are common in charter, fractional, and corporate flight operations. Coverage gets complicated — the operator's aircraft policy needs to cover them as approved pilots, the operator's WC may or may not extend, and individual pilot E&O may apply. We structure this explicitly at quote.

    No. Ramp operations carry meaningfully higher injury frequency than office work — towing incidents, jet blast, baggage handling, weather exposure. Class codes and program structure should reflect the actual exposure.

    Mechanic professional liability is its own line. Standard general liability typically excludes professional aviation maintenance work. A&P-specific E&O and product liability for repair stations both exist as specialty coverages.

    This page provides general information about Pilots & Staff insurance and is not a substitute for tailored advice from a licensed insurance broker. Coverage availability, terms, exclusions, and pricing depend on your specific business operations, location, claims history, and carrier underwriting. Contact a Koosh Insurance broker for a personalized consultation. Koosh Insurance — License #L135215.

    Get a quote for Pilots & Staff

    Talk to a licensed Koosh broker. We'll review your specific situation, source quotes from appropriate carriers, and walk you through the coverage that actually fits your business.