I wonder if anyone can help me out?

I am about to embark on a new career contracting as an electronic engineer. My previous experience has been within the military and I have been carrying out electronic maintenance for 12 years.

I have been offered a contract recently which requires me to work on an aircrafts power distribution system.

I hasten to add that I will be working on the manufacturer's side at the factory and won't be touching aircraft in anyway.

My understanding of the role is that defective systems are returned to my client who then pass it onto their team (myself included) to diagnose, report, repair and test. As I haven't yet started work I don't know exactly how involved I will be in the repair and test loop and what safeguards my client will have in place to prevent any mistakes having serious consequencies. Obviously though there will be rigourous procedures in place to prevent this hapening!

As a contractor I have set myself up as a Private Limited Company and the Agency who set me on are asking that I get Prfoessional Indemnity Insurance to the value of £1m and herein lies the problem. I understand the general need for this cover but when I approach any insurer they hear the words aviation or aircraft and they run a mile or quote figures which seem unreasonable to me (in the region of £2000)

With the broad depth of knowledge amongst these forums I wondered if anyone would have any experience of obtaining PI Insurance in the aviation world, if they could recommend a broker who won't run a mile at the word "Aircraft" or who might be able to offer advice. (I realise the insurance and Aviation Industries are heavily regulated but any tips or advice would be welcomed)

Thanks for reading.

Kind regards,

Phil Green

MIET IEng

Thanks for your response.

That is pretty much what I have been saying to the various brokers I have spoken to, however they hear the word aviation and then ask me to fill out a form which I don't think gives me the right options.

And I don't think insurers appreciate the level of checks that will occur after my work has been done, hence the high premium.

I'm concerned that if I avoid the question any cover I get as a result will be worthless.

Try - Caunce O'Hara Ltd

www.caunceohara.co.uk


A lot of Aberdeen contractors use them

Tim Guy
MSc MBA HND(Engineering) IEng MIET