Flight instructors, what do you do for insurance?

I work at a school so I’m under their insurance plan.

Im considering doing some freelance instructing. My question is for anyone else who is a self employed instructor, do you carry your own insurance?

I worked for a school but still carried my own insurance thru Avemco. Just because I was listed on the schools own insurance didn’t mean I would escape a large financial obligation should something happen.

Hope you read the fine print on your school’s insurance and know exactly how you are covered and how much the deductible is. Don’t just accept a verbal “yeah you’re covered”.

You absolutely should carry your own insurance.
Is the school aware you’ll be doing work on the side ?
Are you taking business away from them or doing something they don’t offer such as tailwheel training?
Be careful what you do here.
If you have a serious accident or even a prang your student (or their next of kin) or their insurance may go after the school’s insurance.

If you're 23 y/o and don't have a pot to pee in, I wouldn't be too worried about insurance, you can just BK out; they'll let you keep a modest house and car in most places.

If you're older and have assets, then yeah you want your own insurance because the school policy will probably subrogate and come after you unless you're specifically named as covered and excluded from subrogation (you're not... ).

Freelance, you might want at least some insurance regardless... in some places a court *might* not let you completely BK out if you didn't have insurance and they think that's irresponsible.

In most cases its really not worth the $20($50?) bucks under the table.
Consider the following scenario:

Blow a tire on landing, airplane ends up in a ditch with a bent wing and a student with whiplash.
You’re the highest rated on board.
Who pays?

God forbid you start doing Flight reviews or IPC’s in airplane types you have no experience in and things go sideways.
This may sound overly dramatic but $100 and 1.2hrs Turbine is not worth putting a ding on your certificate.

All great advice!

I wouldn’t take work away from my school. I’d be trying to teach multi-engine and tailwheel, two things they don’t offer.

If I do get the opportunity to teach multi, I’d be working for an individual instructor who owns the airplane. I’d be skeptical to trust that his insurance would cover me, which promoted this post and got me thinking about other scenarios

Just got my CFI. Plan on doing both freelance and working at a school. Need the hours lol, but I carry my own through avemco. $250-300 a year I believe and 100% worth the protection! Better safe than sorry!