Freelancing

[Conflicting Traffic]

Hey Folks.

I'm looking for pointers/advice/experiences/anecdotes RE instructing as a freelancer. I've done lots of instructing in the FTU environment, but I'm now looking at making my first foray into freelancing. I'm looking for pitfalls that are specific to freelancing. Insurance issues and maintenance of privately registered aircraft are the two things that come to mind right away. But I'm sure there are other items that pop up every now and then. So if you've been down this road, I'd like to hear about your experience.

[PilotDAR]

If you are the PIC of the flight, you're probably not insured as a passenger. What coverage do you have if there's an accident? What coverage do you think you have? And there are other questions about insurance and other topics too, that's just one of the "all or nothing" type questions you'll want to be familiar with.....

[ahramin]

Insurance has been mentioned.

You will want to become familiar with CAR 625 Appendices B and C and make sure that the owner has done all the required maintenance. A guy came out here last month to do some training and after a couple flights discovered that the student's plane was out of annual by a couple years. Also understand how to deal with defects without an MCM. EAA is doing a webinar on it tomorrow evening.

As for pitfalls of freelance instructing, think about everything that an FTU does and figure out how you are going to do each one. Syllabus, training aids, supervision, billing.

[photofly]

There are almost zero owners of aircraft that don't have PPLs. Very very few CPL wannabes have an aircraft (or can rent or borrow one) . Watch out for people who buy an old 150 to get a PPL to save money. They are cheap, which is great for them, but they will expect to pay you very little. Don't be that instructor.

So you had better look attractive to the higher end of the market: instrument ratings, checkouts in complex types, recurrent training in multi--engine. Think carefully about what you bring to that party.

Very occasionally there's a ad on here for "PPL instructor wanted to teach me in my plane in Fort St. Lake - you come and live in my house for as long it takes." Charge this person through the nose.

[Bede]

There are almost zero owners of aircraft that don't have PPLs.

I could make a living (or close to it) off people in my city that buy airplanes before they have a license. It's weird.

Anyways, re insurance: every clause I've seen covers the instructor who is flying with the named insured, regardless of their time on type. A flight instructor rating is a ticket to fly any aircraft type, regardless of your qualifications, as long as you're doing training on someone who has insurance. Silly, yes, but that's the way it is. What I'd like to know if that insurance company will indemnify the instructor against claims from the named insured.

Pick your student's wisely. You have that luxury. The standard answer is, "I'm too busy and not taking any students. I can meet with you for coffee and I'll tell you where to go from here." If they seem like a good student, you can "maybe I can fit in one more..." I always tell students to get medical, radio license and PSTAR before they start training. If they're self motivated enough to get that done, it's a good chance they won't need much hand holding through the process. If you have to bug them to get the basics done, more trouble awaits.

[digits_]

What I'd like to know if that insurance company will indemnify the instructor against claims from the named insured.

I had an interesting conversation with some knowledgeable people after I created this topic a few years ago: viewtopic.php?p=972642#p972642

At that time, I was convinced that there was no protection if the instructor caused damage to the plane.

Not sure if the information is still correct, but I have no reason to believe otherwise.

[JasonE]

I purchased my own aircraft after a few lessons. First thing I did was check with the flight school if the airplanes I was considering met their requirements and they would train me with it before purchase. Then I had it delivered to my airport and left all the books and paperwork with them for a week or 2 to checkout the plane and logs. It probably helped that I had the same mechanic they use to do the pre-buy. I was an open book with the school and they made plenty of suggestions along the way of what to look for.

It worked out well, I flew 350 hours on it before I sold it & moved on to something more complex.

[PilotDAR]

What I'd like to know if that insurance company will indemnify the instructor against claims from the named insured

For this, I have had myself named as "co insured" on the plane, Thus, if there is a liability claim, the insurer is to cover me too, so they probably won't claim against me. This can be a factor if the airplane is being flown (by mutual agreement) without hull insurance, there can still be clean up costs, which are a liability, rather than a hull claim.

re insurance: every clause I've seen covers the instructor who is flying with the named insured, regardless of their time on type.

Yeah, for the plane, and liability, what about yourself as the instructor? Who's insuring that? (hint, not the airplane owner's insurance, if you're PIC for the flight...)

[Bede]

re insurance: every clause I've seen covers the instructor who is flying with the named insured, regardless of their time on type.

Yeah, for the plane, and liability, what about yourself as the instructor? Who's insuring that? (hint, not the airplane owner's insurance, if you're PIC for the flight...)

Are you referring to third party claims (eg. plane damages property on the ground) or claims against the instructor from the named insured?

[photofly]

What damages would a claim by the named insured against the instructor be for?

Presumably the tort would be negligence, but what is the loss in your question?

Was the instructor negligent by mishandling and damaging the airplane? Or providing bad instruction causing the named pilot to suffer some other loss?

[Bede]

This is a good discussion, and I'm getting some advice which I will post when I get it.

I did take a look through my policy (homebuilt).

3. Conditions
a. Who is Covered? The Insured and...any pilot approved by the Insurer...

Approved Pilots
a. Bede, Bede's wife, Bede's son
b. Any Commercial Pilot holding a flight instructor rating , but only while accompanied by a named pilot.
c. Any Commercial pilot with a minimum of 300 hours and 50 hours on type...
d. etc.

[digits_]

What damages would a claim by the named insured against the instructor be for?

Presumably the tort would be negligence, but what is the loss in your question?

Was the instructor negligent by mishandling and damaging the airplane? Or providing bad instruction causing the named pilot to suffer some other loss?

Would psychological damage count? Loss of wages after they break both legs and arms in the crash and can't go to work for a few months? Or worse, get paralyzed?

Isn't it fun to have a discussion consisting only of questions?

[digits_]

Approved Pilots

b. Any Commercial Pilot holding a flight instructor rating , but only while accompanied by a named pilot.

I've had a prospective student approach me, and his insurance had the same conditions. Which was quite funny. He was flying a type I've never flown before, so I wanted to fly the plane myself for a few circuits, to get comfortable with the plane and to see if there were any issues. Insurance didn't want to allow it, the owner had to be on board.

[photofly]

What damages would a claim by the named insured against the instructor be for?

Presumably the tort would be negligence, but what is the loss in your question?

Was the instructor negligent by mishandling and damaging the airplane? Or providing bad instruction causing the named pilot to suffer some other loss?

Would psychological damage count? Loss of wages after they break both legs and arms in the crash and can't go to work for a few months? Or worse, get paralyzed?

Isn't it fun to have a discussion consisting only of questions?

Typical aircraft policies have a limit of $10k or less on personal injury claims by passengers; I’m not sure if they have any coverage at all for the pilot’s injuries.

Insured losses are for the hull, if you have that coverage, and damages sustained by third parties.

You can sue your instructor if you think psychological damages are attributable to the instructor’s negligence but I don’t think your insurer is going to get involved.

It’s going to be a tough row to hoe in court if you want to claim that you crashed your plane because your instructor didn’t teach you how to land properly.

Would that be a claim for negligence? Or for a breach of the (implied) contract term to teach you competently?

Dunno.

[Bede]

I've had a prospective student approach me, and his insurance had the same conditions. Which was quite funny. He was flying a type I've never flown before, so I wanted to fly the plane myself for a few circuits, to get comfortable with the plane and to see if there were any issues. Insurance didn't want to allow it, the owner had to be on board.

Yeah, they're silly. When I bought this plane, they wanted 10 hr check out with any instructor.

Me: Can my wife check me out? She has an instructor rating but no time on type.
Insurance: Yes
Me: And then when my wife needs her checkout to fly solo, should I check her out?
Insurance: Mmmm, yeah, I guess so. You're making my brain hurt.

[780Pilot]

Insurance aside (which is massively important) still provide quality training to said student. Use lesson plans, good teaching techniques, keep yourself and the student organized. Just because you don't have a CFI breathing down your neck like an FTU does is no reason to drift away from solid instructing habits. You impress the student and word gets out about you etc. There are a lot of freelance instructors out there who aren't doing this and just wanna fleece students for money. This isn't an insult its just a reality. Separate yourself from the pack and you will do well.

[photofly]

I've had a prospective student approach me, and his insurance had the same conditions. Which was quite funny. He was flying a type I've never flown before, so I wanted to fly the plane myself for a few circuits, to get comfortable with the plane and to see if there were any issues. Insurance didn't want to allow it, the owner had to be on board.

Yeah, they're silly. When I bought this plane, they wanted 10 hr check out with any instructor.

Me: Can my wife check me out? She has an instructor rating but no time on type.
Insurance: Yes
Me: And then when my wife needs her checkout to fly solo, should I check her out?
Insurance: Mmmm, yeah, I guess so. You're making my brain hurt.

You should put the dog in the back seat. If either of you makes a mistake, train the dog to bark.

[JasonE]

I was able to add my flight school as named on the policy which allowed their instructors to fly my plane without me to check themselves out.

[Conflicting Traffic]

Thanks for the input folks.

A follow-up question on insurance: does anyone have experience with or knowledge of professional liability insurance?

Example scenario: If a freelancer (or an FTU instructor for that matter) authorizes a solo flight that ends badly and the student's family decides to sue (negligence maybe?), I don't think the aircraft insurance is relevant. Bear in mind that even if there was no negligence, all instruction was done properly, and you can prove it, the legal costs of defending yourself still have the potential to bankrupt someone in such a situation.

[photofly]

If you have yourself added as an additional insured for the purposes of instruction to the owner’s policy (and that is usually free of charge) then you will be covered for claims arising against you from an accident in *that* aircraft. To the extent of the injury to passengers clause, anyway.

I don’t know any general liability insurance available to freelance instructors. Unless you’re very rich, it’s not likely to be worth suing you.

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

I don’t know any general liability insurance available to freelance instructors. Unless you’re very rich, it’s not likely to be worth suing you.

To add to that, once you have general liability insurance, it will be worth suing you.