Piper PA-20 Pacer Insurance Cost

Piper PA-20 Pacer Overview:

The immediate post-World War II years had been a tumultuous affair for Piper Aircraft. Their legendary Cub had remained in production as the war wound down, but Piper was selling Cubs at a net loss and rapidly approaching bankruptcy. The Cub Special and Vagabond had saved the company that at one point had less than $1,000 in the bank. Rapid improvements in both models followed as financials improved, and the Piper Clipper had replaced the Vagabond in 1949. Pan American World Airways had objected to the use of the “Clipper” name they had been using to name their aircraft since their founding. Piper agreed to change the name with the next model, and set to work creating a follow on to the Clipper later that year.

In their normal fashion, Piper borrowed heavily from the previous model during the design phase. Coming from the Clipper was the steel tube fuselage and “clipped” aluminum wing design, all covered in aircraft fabric. The fuselage also shared the same dual door design with the Clipper (a door on the right side of the aircraft for the front seat occupants and on the left side for the rear seat occupants and baggage).

Underneath its fabric skin, numerous changes brought the new PA-20 Pacer to life. The wing planform was identical to the Clipper, but the roll control ailerons were shortened to allow inboard wing flaps for improved landing performance. A 125 horsepower Lycoming served as the standard engine, but a 135 horsepower Lycoming was an option. A new factory electrical system allowed for the first iterations of onboard radio and navigation equipment as well as lights for night operation. In a Piper first, the control sticks from previous models were replaced with a now-standard yoke reaching out from the panel, providing more comfort and space for front-seat occupants.

The tailwheel-equipped PA-20 Pacer and tricycle gear PA-22 Tri-Pacer would debut in 1949 and 1950, respectively and sales would rapidly build. The four-seat Pacer would turn in a respectable 115 knots on the 135 horsepower engine and with full fuel could cover slightly over 500 miles (800 km). A three-seat model was available as the PA-20S, but the primary option throughout production would remain in the choice of engines.

As general aviation as a whole made the move toward tricycle gear aircraft for cabin-class aircraft, the Tri-Pacer would outsell the Pacer nearly six to one. Pacer production would wind down in 1954 with about 1,100 produced. The Tri-Pacer would continue rolling out of the factory for another 10 years, at which time nearly 9,500 had been made. Though at the time the tricycle gear would seem the future, numerous Tri Pacers were later converted to tailwheel landing gear, being unofficially designated as PA-22/20s. Several hundred PA-20s remain in private hands, and the thousands of Pacers and Tri Pacers form the backbone of the “Short Wing Piper Club”.

Piper PA-20 Pacer 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-20 Pacer 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-20 Pacer 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-20 Pacer’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-20 Pacer 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-20 Pacer 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-20 Pacer 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-20 Pacer and requests a quote including hull coverage in the amount of say $35,000. Once an aviation insurance company provides a quote, they are agreeing with you that your aircraft is worth $35,000.
*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 $35,000, you would get a straight check for $35,000.

Piper PA-20 Pacer Insurance Cost Breakdown:

As of January 2021, there are 5 carriers quoting Piper PA-20 Pacer insurance in the U.S. We consider qualified pilots to have at least a Private License with 200 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: $450-$600 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 $35,000 in hull coverage
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $1,280-$1,560 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $1,630-$2,140 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-20 Pacer owners and operators obtain the very best insurance coverage.

BWI offers comprehensive Piper PA-20 Pacer insurance policies for personal, business, charter, industrial aid, and commercial aviation uses.

For more information or to get an actual Piper PA-20 Pacer insurance quote, please fill out a quote request online here or call us at 800.666.4359