Friedrichshafen
- Broken clouds
- Temperature: 12 °C
- Wind: Variable, 1 knots
- Pressure: 1011 hPa
- Rel. Humidity: 100%
- Visibility: 8 kilometers
- Sunrise: 3:45 GMT
- Sunset: 18:52 GMT
- METAR data:
EDNY 160420Z VRB01KT 8000 FEW050 BKN070 12/12 Q1011
16 May, 2008 - 05:20
Hot Air Balloon Insurance
Hot Air Balloon Insurance Providers
The following companies are known to provide hot air balloon insurance in the UK. We would like to add any additional companies that may be available.
RFIB (UK) Ltd
J. Bennet & Son (Insurance Brokers) Ltd
HSBC Insurance Brokers Limited (Aviation Devision)
We would be particularly like to hear from European Insurance Brokers, who specialize in hot air balloon insurance.
Background
European Union regulation EC 785/2004 came into force on the 21 April 2005 and prescribes the minimum insurance requirements that aircaft operators must hold. This requirement also applies to hot air balloons operated in Europe. The minimum insurance level requirements are based on the maximum take off weight (MTOW) of the balloon and the number of passengers carried.
Third Party Insurance
The value of the insurance is given in terms of Special Drawing rights (SDRs), which can be converted to the local currency. The table below lists the minimum third party insurance that is required based on the MTOW of the aircraft. An approximate value in UKP (assuming 1.24 SDR to the UKP) and the approximate size of balloon that these relate to is also given, but these are subject to change, and must always be checked against actual exchange rates and the balloon flight manual.
| Cat | MTOW [Kg]; | SDR | UKP | Size |
|
| 1 | <500 | 750 000 | 600 000 | 17 - 42 000 ft3 | |
| 2 | <1000 | 1 500 000 | 1 200 000 | 56 - 105 000 ft3 | |
| 3 | <2700 | 3 000 000 | 2 400 000 | 105 - 275 000 ft3 | |
| 4 | <6000 | 7 000 000 | 5 700 000 | 275 - 600 000 ft3 | |
| 5 |
Passenger Insurance
In addition to the third party insurance based on the MTOW additional insurance based on the number of passengers carried is also required. The table below lists the minimum additional insurance required per passenger.
| Type | SDR | UKP |
| MTOW < 2700 Kg & Non Commercial | 100 000 | 203 000 |
| Commercial (any MTOW) | 250 000 | 81 000 |
