Life insurance for private pilots: What you need to know

You can still get life insurance if you’re a private pilot, but your options may be limited and your insurance rates may be higher than average.

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Katherine MurbachEditor & Licensed Life Insurance AgentKatherine Murbach is a life insurance and annuities editor, licensed life insurance agent, and former sales associate at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.&Andrew HurstSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertAndrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.

Edited by

Antonio Ruiz-CamachoAntonio Ruiz-CamachoAssociate Content DirectorAntonio is a former associate content director who helped lead our life insurance and annuities editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.
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Reviewed by

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

Updated|4 min read

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Flying as a hobbyist or private pilot can make it harder to get life insurance. You can still compare rates and find coverage, but you may find that few companies offer affordable coverage depending on how often you fly and where, what kind of airplanes you operate, your license, and other factors.

While your life insurance may be more expensive if you’re a private pilot, it’s still worth getting a policy — especially if you have a family that depends on your income or you’re paying off debt, like a mortgage or other loans.

Ready to shop for life insurance for private pilots?

How being a private pilot can affect your life insurance

Since being a private pilot can be risky, it may make your life insurance rates more expensive. While some life insurance companies have lenient guidelines for pilots, others charge a flat fee on top of your premiums that can add to the cost of your life insurance.

If you’re a private pilot, you may have to pay a flat fee of an additional $2 to $5 per every $1,000 of life insurance coverage that you purchase. That means that if you get a policy with $500,000 of coverage, you’ll pay an extra $1,000 to $2,500 a year depending on your background.

While it’s usually a good idea to get life insurance when you’re young and rates are cheaper, if you’re still an inexperienced flier and you don’t have any dependents or debts yet, it may be better to wait to get a policy. If you have less than 100 hours of solo flying experience, your premiums and your flat fee will be especially high.

How is life insurance different for professional pilots?

Life insurance can be a little different for commercial pilots who work for airlines. Rates for these pilots can still depend on their age and flying experience, but they might be more likely to find better rates.

What is an aviation exclusion rider?

Life insurance companies may offer you lower rates if you agree to an aviation exclusion rider, which excludes a flying-related death from coverage.

That means that if you die flying a plane or doing any flying-related activities, like skydiving or parachuting, your beneficiaries won’t be able to collect a payment. 

It may be risky to agree to this kind of waiver, but it’s one way to lower your premiums if you can’t find affordable coverage.

How to get life insurance as a private pilot

Getting life insurance as a private pilot is basically the same process as getting life insurance with any other hobby or background. 

The main difference is that when you apply for life insurance with a private pilot’s license, you’ll likely have to answer questions about flying, including:

  • Do you fly domestically or internationally?

  • Have you flown, or do you plan to fly to remote locations?

  • How many flight hours do you typically have in a year?

  • How many flight hours do you have in total?

  • Have you had any aviation accidents or violations?

  • What type of license and rating do you have?

  • What type of aircraft do you fly?

Your answers to these questions affect what you pay for life insurance. Your rates will be higher (and it may be harder to find life insurance at all) if you have a history of accidents, fly to remote locations, or you don’t have many flying hours.

Best life insurance companies for private pilots

Finding the company with the right life insurance as a private pilot is an easy way to protect your family’s financial security. 

We used industry data, pricing from our partners, and third-party ratings from trusted sources like AM Best and J.D. Power to pick the best life insurance companies.

The best life insurance depends on your health, age, family medical history, budget, the coverage you need, and other factors, but here are a few places to start looking.

Methodology

Why you can trust our picks

Our recommendations are based on internal and external expert analysis, as well as our Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index, which uses real-time data from leading life insurance companies to determine pricing trends. When reviewing a life insurance company, our editorial team uses a proprietary scoring rubric with five factors — price, policy details, financial strength, transparency, and customer experience — to assign an unbiased rating between one and five stars. These ratings are also taken into consideration as part of our company recommendations. We don’t get paid for our reviews.

Our reviews and recommendations can help you find a reliable insurer for your family’s financial protection, but the best life insurance company for you depends on multiple factors. A licensed agent at Policygenius can support you during the application process to ensure you get the right coverage for your circumstances at the most competitive price.

Read more about our reviews methodology

Best term life insurance for private pilots: Prudential

award icon

2024 Policygenius award winner

Prudential

Prudential logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starEmpty gray star

4.1

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A+

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

No-medical-exam option

Why we chose itchevron icon

With nearly four million policyholders and 150 years to its name, Prudential offers competitive coverage options for seniors, as well as people with some of the most common medical conditions, including asthma, depression, and fibromyalgia.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Good for people over 60

  • More flexible income requirements than some other insurers

  • Considers applicants with a variety of immigration statuses (visas and green cards)

Cons

  • Younger applicants will likely find better prices elsewhere

The best company for term life insurance if you’re a private pilot is Prudential. We like Prudential because it offers some of the most affordable rates to pilots — no aviation exclusion rider necessary. To qualify for the best rates, you should be at least 30 years old with at least 1,000 hours or or five years of experience as a certified pilot, and a minimum of 100 hours in your current aircraft.

What is term life insurance?

Term life insurance is the cheapest and most practical type of life insurance for most people. Here’s how it works: If you die during the time your policy is active — its “term” — your family receives a payment.

Best life insurance for student pilots: Protective

Protective

Protective logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starHalf orange star

4.8

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A+

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

30+ year terms

Why we chose itchevron icon

Protective has some of the most affordable and comprehensive life insurance options available.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Competitive rates for all ages and health classifications

  • Good for people with mental health conditions, kidney conditions, and some cancers, including prostate cancer

  • Term lengths up to 40 years

Cons

  • Not available in New York

  • Not great for people who have had bankruptcy, marijuana users, or visa holders

  • Limited no-medical-exam policy options

Protective is the best life insurance company if you’re a student pilot and have little flying experience. Unlike other insurance companies, you can get life insurance from Protective while you’re young without having to play an extra fee. While your rates will be higher than if you were a more experienced pilot, this helps keep them down.

We found that Legal & General America, which also does business as Banner Life and William Penn in some states, has the most affordable life insurance rates for private pilots. You can get the cheapest rates with an aviation exclusion rider, but it’s not necessary. 

You can still get cheap rates from Legal & General America without a waiver. If you have 100 or more hours of solo flying experience or fly less than 250 hours annually, you can qualify for Standard rates — the third best risk classification.

Best no-medical-exam life insurance for private pilots: Pacific Life

award icon

2024 Policygenius award winner

Pacific Life

Pacific Life logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starHalf orange star

4.8

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A+

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

All 50 states

No-medical-exam option

Why we chose itchevron icon

Pacific Life offers some of the lowest rates for term life insurance across age brackets. It also has the most competitive rates for many health conditions and builds.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Extremely affordable across age brackets

  • Affordable guaranteed universal life insurance option for people who need lifetime coverage

  • Favorable underwriting for many health conditions

Cons

  • Traditional term life not available in NY

  • There are better carriers for active duty military, people who have a history of alcohol abuse, and people who have been through bankruptcy

Pacific Life is our pick for the best no-medical-exam life insurance. Flying can sometimes be an automatic disqualifier for a no-medical-exam policy, but Pacific Life still allows hobby pilots to apply for coverage without taking a medical exam — though you will still have to answer questions about your flying history and you might have to pay an extra fee.

How does no-medical exam life insurance work?

You answer health questions by phone instead of in an in-person exam, then the insurance company reviews your answers to determine whether you’re eligible — it’s best for healthy applicants with few risk factors.

Why private pilots need life insurance

You should get life insurance if you fly, even if you don’t do it professionally. Life insurance can help you:

  • Replace your income: If you die suddenly, any family who relies on your income will still be able to keep up with their expenses.

  • Cover outstanding debt: Your life insurance policy can also help your family pay off any debt they take on after your death, like private student loans, a mortgage, or car loans. 

  • Employer insurance coverage: You may get some life insurance through your regular job if you have one, but this kind of coverage doesn’t provide as much protection as a private life insurance policy and it may also be affected by your flying.

How much does life insurance cost for private pilots?

The average cost of life insurance if you’re an experienced private pilot and you have at more than 100 solo flight hours is between $30 and $35 per month for a 20-year term life insurance policy with a $500,000 death benefit payout. 

That said, what you’ll pay for life insurance depends on your qualifications and how frequently you fly, as well as other factors like your age and health.

Term life insurance rates for private pilots

Age

Gender

$500,000 coverage amount

20

Female

$28.37

Male

$34.95

30

Female

$29.76

Male

$35.05

40

Female

$45.23

Male

$55.47

50

Female

$97.11

Male

$130.15

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Methodology: Average monthly rates are calculated for male and female non-smokers in a Standard Plus health classification buying a 20-year $500,000 term life insurance policy. Rates can vary based on different types of aviation activity. Life insurance averages are based on a composite of policies offered by Policygenius from Brighthouse Financial, Corebridge Financial, Legal & General America, Lincoln Financial, Mutual of Omaha, Pacific Life, Protective, Prudential, Transamerica, Symetra, and Foresters Financial, and may vary by insurer, term, coverage amount, health class, and state. Not all policies are available in all states. Rate illustration valid as of 01/01/2024.

Ready to shop for life insurance for private pilots?

More life insurance rates

Authors

Katherine Murbach is a life insurance and annuities editor, licensed life insurance agent, and former sales associate at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.

Andrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.

Editor

Antonio is a former associate content director who helped lead our life insurance and annuities editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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