Do You Have Drone Insurance?
No matter what you plan on using them for, high quality drones are a serious investment. Like with anything else of considerable monetary value, it may not be a bad idea to prepare for the worst, meaning you might want to contemplate getting your drone insured. Piloting a drone means there are possible risks to take into account like injury and property damage. When piloting is your livelihood and you’ve invested over $1000 in that new DJI, a rough landing will cost you more than a new one. If that were to happen, having insurance could mitigate the situation. To protect yourself and your investment, it may be worth it to investigate all your options.
You could try using a general insurance provider to cover your drone and its accessories. Searching through forums, I found that some people insure their drones through State Farm. A popular option is having your drone insured under State Farm’s Personal Articles Policy which covers belongings like bikes, art, jewelry, collectibles, etc. Users on different drone forums have acquired policies for their drones from Statefarm, stating that in some places, people were able to obtain a policy for only $60 a year with no deductible. Of course, this all depends on where you’re getting your insurance and coverage is limited. However, that will only be suffice as long as your drone is being used recreationally, not for business purposes.
If you’re in the market for on-demand insurance, there are a couple of choices for commercial drone pilots: Verifly and SkyWatch. Verifly offers general and drone liability insurance. Their prices vary based on where you fly, but policies start very low for both. Both services allow you to track your flights and coverage with their own apps available on Google Pay and the App Store. Since they offer hourly policies, you can pay for coverage when you fly. Recently, SkyWatch added a new policy for those who would benefit from more than hourly coverage. Frequent flyers now have the alternative to pay monthly for SkyWatch Plus.
These are only a few of the options available to you. Any of these possible selections are dependent on where you are and what works best for your situation. If you’re still uncertain, you could call the services you’re interested in and shop around for the best deal. Also, there are plenty of forums around the internet where fellow drone pilots may be willing to answer your questions offer their advice. Popular blog UAV Coach has published their own guide to drone insurance. Check it out for step-by-step guidance and additional considerations.
I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron
