Beech 65 Queen Air Insurance Cost

Beech 65 Queen Air Overview:

In the late 1950s, Beechcraft found themselves looking for a new design. The Twin Bonanza, which had produced almost a thousand sales (including over two hundred military aircraft), was in need of replacement. The rapid advancement of aviation in the postwar years was rapidly bringing new technology to the aviation industry and the military was constantly moving to newer and more capable aircraft.

Beech ultimately decided to stick with the wing design of the Twin Bonanza, while expanding the cabin and tail of the new design, known as the Model 65. Also coming from the ‘Twin Bo’ were the fuel injected and geared Lycoming IGSO-480 engines, producing 340 horsepower each. The larger cabin could hold a total of up to nine occupants in much more comfort, with club seating and a center aisle replacing the multiple rows of seating in the Twin Bonanza. An aft airstair door allowed simpler and less awkward boarding than climbing on the wing and stepping down into the cabin of the Twin Bonanza.

In 1959, certification was granted and deliveries of the Model 65 began. The US Army almost immediately ordered 68 aircraft as the L-23 Seminole. Further development would follow and eventually the Model 65 would be produced concurrently with the Model 80 “Queen Air”, introduced in 1961. The Model 80 brought a more modern swept tail and 380 horsepower Lycoming IGSO-540 engines, allowing a maximum gross weight of 8000 pounds over the Model 65’s 7700 pounds. The A80 and penultimate B80 model would follow, with the B80 being the longest production of all Queen Air models. Rolling out of the factory for a total of 12 years, the B80 would boast a gross weight of 8800 pounds, allowing useful loads of over 3000 pounds.

A particularly interesting variety came in the shape of the Model 88, introduced in 1965. Featuring structural changes and abandoning the large square windows of the earlier models for smaller round windows, the Model 88 allowed the Queen Air to be pressurized for higher altitude flight. Unfortunately, the higher price and lower useful load caused sales to be very disappointing (less than 50 were produced), but the Model 88 would be the springboard for the turboprop-powered Model 90 “King Air”. The King Air has been in continual production since its introduction, and more than 7000 have been produced.

Production of the Queen Air was terminated in 1978. The Queen Air served with the militaries of countries around the world, though all have since been retired. Aside from a few examples in private hands, most of the remaining Queen Airs soldier on as freight aircraft, where their simple systems and high useful load continues to provide value well into the 21st century.

Beech 65 Queen Air Insurance Cost:

Aviation insurance in general, is a very specialized industry and premiums vary depending on make and model of the aircraft, hull value, use of the aircraft, pilot history and qualifications and aircraft insurance rates even take into account the loss history of each specific make and model and the loss history of the aviation industry as a whole.

Beech 65 Queen Air insurance, like all aviation insurance, is broken down into 2 specific coverages. The first is Liability Coverage, which is standard on every aircraft insurance policy and the second is optional hull coverage, which covers damage to the aircraft itself.

Beech 65 Queen Air aviation liability insurance covers damage caused by the aircraft, outside of the aircraft, specifically property damage, bodily injury, and provides for legal defense in the event that the aircraft owner or policyholder is sued.

Aircraft liability insurance is typically offered for Beech 65 Queen Air’s in amounts between $1,000,000 and $3,000,000 per occurrence (per incident) and includes coverage for passengers, but typically limits that amount to between $100,000 and $1,000,000 per passenger. Passenger liability coverage is included within the total liability coverage amount.

A real-world example of how this aviation liability coverage would protect you: If, as a result of operating your Beech 65 Queen Air you damaged property or caused bodily injury outside of the aircraft, you would have the full amount of total liability coverage to pay for damages that occurred, less the liability amount paid for passengers inside the aircraft. If the aircraft crashed and you had passengers inside the aircraft that were injured, your insurance policy would pay up to the policy passenger limit for each passenger.

This liability coverage also applies as a bubble that follows the aircraft around. If the aircraft is hangered, liability coverage extends throughout your hangar and it is this coverage that airports will typically require you to have. It’s not a separate insurance policy, it is actually coverage built into your standards airplane insurance policy.

Other liability options: Higher liability coverage on the Beech 65 Queen Air is available to qualified pilots with experience in the make and model and a minimum Commercial/MEL/IFR license/ratings.

The second coverage on a Beech 65 Queen Air insurance policy is hull coverage and is an optional coverage. Aircraft hull insurance covers damage to the aircraft itself and is an agreed value, not subject to depreciation. Agreed value is decided during the initial insurance quoting process, the aircraft owner requests an insurance quote for his or her Beech 65 Queen Air and requests a quote including hull coverage in the amount of say $150,000. Once an aviation insurance company provides a quote, they are agreeing with you that your aircraft is worth $150,000.
*Insurance companies may place additional stipulations on quotes to prove the value of your aircraft prior to binding, if your agreed value is higher than bluebook.

Most aviation insurance companies do not offer deductibles higher than $0 deductibles, which means in the event of a total loss, if your aircraft was insured for $150,000, you would get a straight check for $150,000.

Beech 65 Queen Air Insurance Cost Breakdown:

As of January 2021, there are 4 carriers quoting Beech 65 Queen Air insurance in the U.S. We consider qualified pilots to have at least a commercial license, with 1,000 total hours, 5,000 MEL hours and 50 hours in the make/model.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability only coverage.
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $1,400-$1,650 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $1700-$2,250 per year.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability coverage and $150,000 in hull coverage
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $3,680-$5,200 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $7,000-$16,500 per year.

BWI is a family-owned, nationwide insurance brokerage specializing in aviation insurance since 1977. Our dedicated Aviation Insurance Professionals are highly trained, hand-picked and experienced in helping Beech 65 Queen Air owners and operators obtain the very best insurance coverage.

BWI offers comprehensive Beech 65 Queen Air insurance policies for personal, business, charter, industrial aid, and commercial aviation uses.

For more information or to get an actual Beech 65 Queen Air insurance quote, please fill out a quote request online here or call us at 800.666.4359