Insurance transition training questions

Insurance transition training is dual instruction that an aviation insurance company requires before a pilot flies a newly acquired airplane without an instructor on board. Underwriters use it to manage risk when a pilot moves into an airplane that is faster, heavier, more complex or simply unfamiliar. The requirement usually appears in the policy as a set number of hours with a certificated flight instructor in the specific make and model, and sometimes it adds a number of takeoffs and landings or a period before carrying passengers. The training itself covers the airplane's systems, normal and emergency procedures, performance planning, and the avionics installed in that particular panel. It is different from a flight review or an endorsement, although some of the same ground can overlap. Settle Ferry Group can fly this training during a delivery, so the hours the airplane spends traveling to its new home airport can also count toward the requirement your policy sets.

There is no single number, because each underwriter sets its own requirement based on the pilot and the airplane. A pilot with thousands of hours moving into a similar airplane may be asked for very little. A newer private pilot stepping up to a high performance or retractable gear airplane may be asked for more, sometimes with extra time required before carrying passengers or flying at night. Factors that commonly move the number include total time, time in make and model, instrument rating status, recent experience, the airplane's value, and whether it has complex systems or a turbocharged engine. The only reliable source is the policy or binder itself, or your insurance agent reading it to you. Ask for the exact wording, including whether hours must be with a specific type of instructor and whether ground instruction counts. Bring that wording when you request a quote, so the training plan matches what the underwriter will actually accept.

Yes, and for many new owners it is the most efficient way to meet the requirement. Instead of hiring a ferry pilot to bring the airplane home and then scheduling separate dual instruction afterward, you fly the delivery yourself from the left seat with a certificated flight instructor in the right seat. The airplane travels to its new home airport, and the flight time can be logged as dual instruction in that make and model. A cross-country delivery also covers ground that local training might not: flight planning in the new airplane, fuel management over long legs, unfamiliar airports and real weather decisions. There are a few things to confirm first. Your policy must allow the instruction to happen this way and accept the instructor's qualifications. You also need to be available for the full trip, which may run more than one day. Mention both points when you request a quote so the plan fits your policy and your calendar.

Start with who is covered to fly the airplane on the delivery. Some policies name specific pilots, while others use an open pilot clause that sets minimum experience levels, and a ferry pilot or instructor must fit those terms. Next, ask for the exact dual instruction requirement in writing: how many hours, in what make and model, with what kind of instructor, and whether it must be completed before solo flight or before carrying passengers. Ask when coverage starts, because it should be bound before the first flight in your name, not the day after. Confirm the hull value and whether the airplane is covered in flight, on the ground and while stored at a shop along the way. If the airplane will fly on a special flight permit, ask whether the policy covers that operation. Getting these answers before the trip avoids the worst outcome, which is a delivery that meets everyone's schedule but leaves a coverage gap.

Federal regulations add their own requirements on top of anything your insurance company asks for. Under 14 CFR 61.31, a pilot needs a one time logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor before acting as pilot in command of a complex airplane, meaning one with retractable landing gear, flaps and a controllable pitch propeller. A separate endorsement is required for a high performance airplane, which is one with an engine of more than 200 horsepower. A tailwheel airplane requires its own endorsement as well. These endorsements are earned through ground and flight training, and they stay with the pilot permanently once given. If your new airplane needs one you do not have yet, the training can often be combined with transition training during the delivery, with the instructor signing the endorsement once you meet the standard. Check your logbook before requesting a quote, and mention any endorsement you still need so it can be planned into the trip from the start.