Robinson R44 Insurance Cost

Overview:

The world’s best selling civilian helicopter, the Robinson R44 is often the top choice among flight schools, sightseeing companies, law enforcement and recreational pilots. It is a four-seat light helicopter that has been in production since 1990. Some 6,331 were built through the end of 2019.

It operates as a single-engined helicopter with a semi-rigid two bladed main rotor. It features two rows of side-by-side seating which allows for one pilot and three passengers. It was a Robinson R44 that ferried the first female to circumnavigate the world via helicopter. Jennifer Murray traveled a distance of 36,000 miles over 97 days to accomplish that feat in 1997.

Between 2006 and 2016, the Robinson R44 was involved in 42 fatal crashes, which is more than any other civilian helicopter. This equates to roughly 1.6 deadly accidents per 100,000 hours flown. Robinson disputes those numbers as they claim it represents an undercount of the total hours flown.

General characteristics of the Robinson R44 include the following:

• Crew: 1 or 2
• Capacity: 3 or 2 passengers
• Length: 38 ft 3 in
• Empty weight: 1,450 lb
• Main tank capacity: 31.6 US gal
• Auxiliary tank capacity: 18.5 US gal
• Maximum speed: 150 mph
• Cruise Speed: 130 mph

Robinson R44 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.

Robinson R44 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.

Robinson R44 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 Robinson R44’s in amounts between $1,000,000 and $20,000,000 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 Robinson R44 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 Robinson R44 is available to qualified pilots with experience in the make and model and a minimum Commercial/RW/IFR license/Ratings and commercial helicopter uses.

The second coverage on a Robinson R44 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 Robinson R44 and requests a quote including hull coverage in the amount of say $300,000. Once an aviation insurance company provides a quote, they are agreeing with you that your aircraft is worth $300,000
*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 $300,000, you would get a straight check for $300,000.

Robinson R44 Insurance Cost Breakdown:

As of January 2021, there are 7 carriers quoting Robinson R44 insurance in the U.S. We consider qualified pilots to have at least a commercial license, with 500 total hours, 300 rotor-wing hours and 100 hours in the make/model.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability only coverage.
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $650-$975 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $1,050-$1,200 per year.

For an annual policy with $1,000,000 in liability coverage and $300,000 in hull coverage
 Premium range for qualified pilots: $7,800-$9,500 per year.
 Premium range for less than qualified pilots (low-time/etc): $11,000-$14,000 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 Robinson R44 owners and operators obtain the very best insurance coverage.

BWI offers comprehensive Robinson R44 insurance policies for personal, business, charter, industrial aid, and commercial helicopter uses.

For more information or to get an actual Robinson R44 insurance quote, please fill out a quote request online here or call us at 800.666.4359