Drone & Model Aircraft Insurance

Drone & Model Aircraft Insurance

We understand how important it is to our Members that they are sufficiently covered for every situation whilst flying. To give you peace of mind every Member is covered under the DCC Master Policies for:

"Recreational flying of Multirotor and Fixed Wing Remote Controlled Model Aircraft up to 7kg, operated in accordance with CAA Regulations & Guidance."

  • £12 million Public Liability Cover

    Limit of Indemnity: £12,000,000 (£12 million) in any one occurrence.

    Indemnity is provided in respect of claims made against any DCC Member for Compensation, including Costs and Expenses incurred (with consent), as a result of accidental Bodily Injury, accidental Property Damage; or obstruction, loss of amenities, trespass, nuisance or interference with any right of way, light, air or water: caused by an event, during participation in an Insured Activity, neither expected nor intended by the Member.

  • £10,000 PERSONAL ACCIDENT COVER

    Standard Capital Benefit: £10,000

    If, during the membership period, a DCC Member suffers an accidental Bodily Injury whilst engaged in an Insured Activity and such activity is the sole, direct and independent cause of the injury, which occasions disablement and or medical treatment within 12 calendar months of the accident, then we shall pay the benefits, up to £10,000, as stated in the Summary of Insurance.

    Enhanced Personal Accident Insurance of £50,000 may be purchased in conjunction with any DCC Standard Membership for an additional £9.95.

  • Optional Accidental Damage, Loss & Theft Cover up to £5,000

    Members can choose to add Accidental Damage, Loss and Theft insurance to their membership; covering Drones, Model Aircraft and Associated Equipment with a combined replacement value of up to £5,000.

    For more information and full terms & conditions please visit the Accidental Damage Cover page

  • Free Personal Accident and Injury Solicitors Service

    As well as great insurance benefits we also offer members peace mind with our network of legal experts offering 'No Win, No Fee' and discounted services to DCC members.

Drone Insurance valid throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. Combine with our European Union or Worldwide Travel Extensions, to benefit from £12m Public Liability cover around the globe!

We ask all members to read the Terms & Conditions below and the Drone Cover Club Summary of Insurance document to ensure that the Insurance Benefits afforded by DCC membership are suitable for their needs. For full terms and conditions of current policies please download our Public Liability & Personal Accident Master Policy Wording document.

Members do not have a direct 'Insured to Insurer/Underwriter' relationship with the underwriters of DCC's Master Policies. Claims must be made through DCC, using current claim procedures, and will be processed under policies in effect on the date of the occurrence, as per policies T's and C's.

All Insured benefits are underwritten by carefully selected specialist and leading UK Insurers in the Lloyds and London market, all of whom are fully UK Authorised and FCA regulated.

Details and offers are as per the Schedule of Membership and the current Master Policies in force at the time of claim and are subject to full payment of Membership fees. DCC reserves the right to add, amend or withdraw Membership benefits at any time. Drone Cover Club is a wholly owned division of Country Cover Ltd.

Public Liabilty Drone Insurance from DCC

 

INSTANT COVER

Need drone cover today or tomorrow? No problem! Our fully automated online system makes joining DCC quick and simple. As soon as payment has been processed, and you have provided DCC with details of your CAA Online Theory Test Pass and Flyer ID, your Evidence of Insurance Certificate is available for immediate download! Choose from a range of membership terms and a start date to suit you.

Buy Membership    Renew Membership

Terms & Conditions

As with all insurances it is expected that Members use common sense, fly safely and take all reasonable precautions to avoid causing damage to other persons or property. By purchasing membership Members agree that they have read and will abide by the following terms and conditions:

  • All model aircraft are to be operated in accordance with CAA Regulations & Guidance.
  • Member Pilot to comply with the CAA Drone & Model Aircraft Registration & Education Scheme (DMARES) including:
    • Member must successfully complete the CAA Online Theory Test and forward a copy of their confirmation email from the CAA, containing their Flyer ID, to DCC. CAA Flyer ID's must be revalidated on expiry. This applies to all drones including thse under 250g. Validity of the Insurance Benefits will usually be confirmed within 1 working day of forwarding your confirmation email from the CAA to DCC.*
    • Members who own, or are responsible for, a drone weighing over 250g must provide DCC with a valid CAA Operator ID. CAA Operator ID's must be revalidated annually.
    • All drones weighing over 250g must be correctly labelled with a valid CAA Operator ID.
  • Line of Sight Flying only; Model aircraft to remain in sight at all times and not to be flown higher than 400ft.**
  • Model aircraft to be kept away from Aircraft, Helicopters, Controlled Airspace, Airports, Aerodromes, HIRTA’s and Danger, Prohibited & Restricted Areas.
  • Model aircraft must maintain relevant minimum distances from uninvolved people, vehicles, buildings, structures, animals and congested areas or large gatherings according to the class of drone and qualification held by the pilot as set out in the Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace - Guidance.
  • Excludes Drones and Remote Controlled Model Aircraft larger than 7kg in weight.
  • Model aircraft piloted by a 3rd party are not covered for any losses, howsoever arising.
  • Model aircraft flown commercially are not covered for any losses, howsoever arising.

* Members may also validate insurances with proof of any qualification provided by a CAA recognised NQE or RAE which demonstrates equal or greater subject knowledge to the DEMARES test including the new A2 Certificate of Competency, GVC and PfCO.

** Members may use First Person View (FPV) only in accordance with the CAA Regulations on First Person View (FPV) and where both the pilot and the designated 'UA observer' are members of DCC and have successfully completed the CAA DEMARES Test and sent DCC a copy of their confirmation emails from the CAA, containing their Flyer IDs.

GENERAL EXCLUSIONS

Travel to and from any activity. Any activity where appropriate permissions have not been granted by the land owner or relevant authority. Any activity carried out in a professional or commercial capacity. Any activity carried out illegally.

These terms and conditions may be may be added to or amended at any time at DCC's discretion.

DCC Drone Insurance Terms and Conditions

CAA Online Theory Test for Drone Pilots

To ensure pilots have a suitable understanding of drone safety, guidelines and legislation the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) provide a free Online Theory Test for Drone & Model Aircraft Pilots.

All Members must pass the CAA Online Theory Test and provide DCC with a copy of their confirmation email from the CAA, containing their Flyer ID, in order to validate their insurances.

Please click button below to take the CAA Online Theory Test.

CAA Online Theory Test

The CAA Online Theory Test is free of charge and lasts 5 years after which the Member must re-take the test. This ensures Members are fully up to date with the latest legislation and guidelines. There is no minimum age for taking the test but children under 13 can only register with a parent or guardian present.

Where a Member has a more advanced qualification, such as an A2 Certificate of Competency, GVC or a PfCO, which has been provided by a CAA recognised RAE, proof of the qualification and, where applicable, the Member's Flyer ID must be received and accepted in writing by the DCC administration team in order to validate insurance benefits.

optional insurances

Build a Membership package tailored to your needs with our range of Optional Insurance Benefits including EU and Worldwide Travel Extensions, Enhanced £50,000 Personal Accident Insurance and Loss of Income Insurance. Our Optional Insurance Benefits can be added to the purchase of any new DCC membership or renewal.

 

OPTIONAL INSURANCES    MEMBER BENEFITS

Commercial Vs Recreational Drone Insurance

Many pilots have questions regarding commercial and recreational/private operations, we have tried to answer the most common questions we receive below:
  • What is the difference between recreational and commercial drone insurance?

    Many Drone and UAV pilots are unsure whether the activities they intend to carry out with their drone or model aircraft class as commercial or recreational for insurance purposes.

    The CAA defines commercial operations within the Air Navigation Order as follows:

    “…any flight by a small unmanned aircraft except a flight for public transport, or any operation of any other aircraft except an operation for public transport-

    (a) which is available to the public;
    or
    (b) which, when not made available to the public... in the case of a flight by a small unmanned aircraft, is performed under a contract between the SUA operator and a customer, where the latter has no control over the remote pilot...

    in return for remuneration or other valuable consideration.”

    Drone Cover Club's Master policies provide Public Liability and Personal Accident insurances to Members who undertake recreational or private flights. This includes Members who use their drone in the course of conducting work for their own business where no services are available to the public, no third party contract is entered into or where no direct remuneration is received in return for the activity undertaken. As an example, a private photographer taking photographs for his own collection to later sell as prints, would be covered under the DCC policies because he or she is not working for a third party nor receiving direct remuneration for piloting the UAV.

    Drone Cover Club's Master Policies do not cover commercial operations, where the operator is making his or her services available to the public or working under contract to a third party in return for remuneration, as described in the definition above. There are specific insurance requirements that must be met if you are operating commercially; you should seek an EC 785/2004 compliant insurance

    If you are unsure whether the activities you undertake class as commercial or recreational please contact us and we will do our best to assist you.

  • Do I need a qualification to undertake commercial work using my drone?

    There is no longer a requirement to hold a specific drone qualification in order to undertake commercial operations. That means you are able to use your drone to support your business or use it to start a new business - great news! However, unless you have one of the new certificates of competences you may be limited in which drones and where you can fly.

    Drones under 250g without a camera and ‘toy’ drones can be flown without any qualification.

    If you have a drone over 250g, or one with an inbuilt camera, there are now two main categories you can fly in; Open and Specific.

    The Open Category is for low-risk operations and fits the bill for the majority of recreational drone flying and some low risk commercial operations such property sales and surveys, videography, roofing, weddings etc.

    To fly in the Open Category you must have a valid CAA Flyer ID. You can obtain this by completing the CAA’s Drone Educational and Registration Scheme (DEMARES) which is a free online theory test aimed at ensuring pilots understand CAA regulations & guidance relating to drones. Once you have your Flyer ID you can legally fly drones up to 25kg provided you maintain at least 150m distance from any uninvolved persons or any built-up, recreational, commercial and industrial areas.

    Within the Open Category the more advanced A2 Certificate of Competence (A2 CofC) allows you to fly within built-up, recreational, commercial and industrial areas. For those operating C2 class drones the distance you must maintain from uninvolved persons reduces to 30m or just 5m if using a "low speed mode" of less than 3m/s. A2 qualified pilots flying legacy drones below below 2kg, such as Mavics, Phantoms and Typhoons etc. must maintian at least 50m from uninvolved persons.

    The Specific Category is for operations that carry a higher risk or for operations that fall outside of the Open Category. You will need the General VLOS Certificate (GVC) and an Operational Authorization from the CAA for the Specific Category. Also, if you have a legacy drone over 2kg and want to operate in the areas detailed above you would need the GVC.

    Full information about where you can fly your drone and which qualifications you need can be found on the: CAA Website.

    All DCC Members are entitled to discounted courses courtesy of our drone training partners UAV8 and Halo Drones. To find out more about the courses and discounts offered please visit the Member Benefits page.

  • I occasionally use my drone for commercial work, do I need a full commercial insurance policy?

    As outlined above the insurance requirements for commercial operations are different to those for recreational flying. However many DCC Members use their drones primarily as a hobby but occasionally undertake paid commercial operations. In this instance the DCC Master Policies provide protection for their private flying and this can be 'topped up' with hourly policies from a commercial insurer.

Recommend a Friend - £5 Reward

At Drone Cover Club we pride ourselves on offering great value Drone and Model Aircraft insurance combined with a friendly and helpful customer service team. As such many new members who come to us do so on a personal recommendation from an exsisting members. As a heart-felt thank you to those members who recommend us to their friends and family we offer up to £5 reward for every recommendation that leads to a new membership.

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