Cessna 195 Insurance Cost

Overview

In the post-World War II general aviation surge in North America, designs tended toward the sleeker and faster by bringing new technologies learned in wartime to modern clean sheet designs like the Beech Bonanza. At a quick glance one would think the Cessna 190 and 195 were a pre-war relic, but a deeper dive into the history of these classic machines show what made them so unique at their introduction and what maintains their popularity today.

The 190 and 195 got their start from the pre-war Cessna Airmaster. The large and expensive cabin class airplane had been a notable gamble among other inexpensive offerings during the Great Depression, but Cessna had sold almost 200 before World War II broke out. As it became clear the war was winding down Cessna embarked on a modernization program to replace the Airmaster with a new design to capture the top end of the single engine market.

Abandoning the Airmaster’s wood, tube, and fabric construction, the new model would be all riveted metal, capitalizing on advances made during the war. The necessity of using a large radial engine caused the likewise expansion of the size of the cabin which gave extraordinary space for the occupants, allowing a comfortable two seats in the front, a sizable aft bench seat for two or three adults, and a large baggage compartment behind the aft row. Either a Continental or Jacobs radial engine was mounted under a large cowling and was the only difference between the 190 and 195, respectively.

First flight took place in late 1945 and certification of the two models was reached just weeks apart in mid-1947. The large size and relatively expensive purchase price compared to other four and five-seater aircraft caused Cessna to market the airplane more to corporations as the “Businessliner”. Performance was respectable with a cruising speed just over 160 miles per hour (255 km/h), but the airplane developed a reputation for having difficult ground handling, exasperated by the long distance between the landing gear and poor visibility over the large engine cowling. At one point over half of 190/195 accidents were classed as “loss of directional control on ground”, though over time a cadre of experienced pilots and instructors lowered this substantially.

Few changes took place throughout production, with the main differences being in available power from the Jacobs engine. Despite a reputation for vibration, the “shaky Jake” powered 195 outsold the Continental powered 190 almost five to one and between the two models a total of nearly 1200 were built. Production of the 190 was terminated in 1953 and the 195 in 1954. Both models remain in notably high demand as general aviation classics, with nearly half of the fleet still registered as of 2021.

Cessna 195 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.

Cessna 195 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.

Cessna 195 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 Cessna 195’s at $1,000,000 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 Cessna 195 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 Cessna 195 may be available to qualified pilots with experience in the make and model and a minimum Private License/IFR rating.

The second coverage on a Cessna 195 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 Cessna 195 and requests a quote including hull coverage in the amount of say $75,000. Once an aviation insurance company provides a quote, they are agreeing with you that your aircraft is worth $75,000.
*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 $75,000, you would get a straight check for $75,000.

Cessna 195 Insurance Cost Breakdown:

As of January 2021, there are 7 carriers quoting Cessna 195 insurance in the U.S. We consider qualified pilots to have at least a Private License with 500 total hours, 100 tailwheel hours and 25 hours in the make/model.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability only coverage.
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $550-$650 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $675-950 per year.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability coverage and $75,000 in hull coverage
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $2,050-$2,600 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $2,800-$3,750 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 Cessna 195 owners and operators obtain the very best insurance coverage.

BWI offers comprehensive Cessna 195 insurance policies for personal, business, charter, industrial aid, and commercial aviation uses.

For more information or to get an actual Cessna 195 insurance quote, please fill out a quote request online here or call us at 800.666.4359