Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond Insurance Cost

Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond Overview:

Few aircraft can claim the popularity of Piper’s legendary Cub. A hallmark of aviation, the bright yellow planes were known worldwide and responsible for training thousands of pilots before and during World War II. As the war wound down, Piper continued producing the classic Cub, but began eyeing new models to capture the rapidly growing general aviation market.

One of the common desires of pilots and passengers at the time was for side-by-side seating. Cessna and Beechcraft were both introducing new models featuring this and allowing more personal flying and easier communication in the era before pilot headsets were common. The venerable Cub had featured tandem seating, and the cabin was not large enough to be modified for side by side seating.

Piper took the basic Cub with a new expanded fuselage design allowing for a wide front seat for two occupants and a sizable rear baggage area. Many components including the landing gear and tail components were sourced directly from the Cub and the 65 horsepower Continental engine was the same as used in later Cubs (and the simultaneously introduced Cub Special). Though the wing design was shared with the Cub, six feet of span was removed in the first of what became known as the “clipped wing” Pipers. Though climb performance was slightly reduced, this allowed a 15 mile per hour higher cruise speed than the Cub on the same amount of horsepower.

Piper dubbed the new model the PA-15 Vagabond. Due to the high similarities with the Cub, a short and thus inexpensive flight test program led to certification in 1948. The ease of communication allowed by the side by side seating made the Vagabond a natural trainer aircraft and Piper added a second set of controls to the right side of the aircraft for a flight instructor as well as strengthened bungee equipped landing gear to endure the rigors of training, producing the PA-17.

Though the Vagabond in both versions would sell well, it would have a remarkably short production run. Almost simultaneously with the design of the Vagabond, Piper would take on a further expansion by adding a third seat and higher power engine, producing what would later be the PA-16 Clipper, replacing the Vagabond in 1949 after barely 12 months of production.

Despite its short production run, the Vagabond was credited with saving Piper Aircraft. Despite producing nearly 8,000 aircraft in 1946 (averaging over 21 per day), Piper was losing money due to a low price of the Cub. The Vagabond was Piper’s first consistently profitable post-war design and the first in a long line of “clipped wing Pipers” that would turn Piper into possibly the most notable general aviation manufacturer of the next thirty years.

Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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.

Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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.

Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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 Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond’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 Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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 Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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 Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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 Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond and requests a quote including hull coverage in the amount of say $45,000. Once an aviation insurance company provides a quote, they are agreeing with you that your aircraft is worth $45,000.
*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 $45,000, you would get a straight check for $45,000.

Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond Insurance Cost Breakdown:

As of January 2021, there are 5 carriers quoting Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond 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: $650-$800 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $875-$1,050 per year.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability coverage and $45,000 in hull coverage
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $1,650-$2,100 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $2,840-$4,100 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 Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond owners and operators obtain the very best insurance coverage.

BWI offers comprehensive Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond insurance policies for personal, business, charter, industrial aid, and commercial aviation uses.

For more information or to get an actual Piper PA-15/17 Vagabond insurance quote, please fill out a quote request online here or call us at 800.666.4359