AMA Insurance 411 – Flying Site Property Owner Insurance

Most property owners want to be assured that they are protected if they allow a club or an event to use their property as a flying site. Generally, a site owner will ask for an insurance certificate or to be named as an “additional insured.” AMA chartered clubs and sanctioned events have the ability to obtain liability insurance for a site owner and provide that extra level of protection.

AMA chartered clubs, or Contest Directors(CDs)/Event Managers(EMs) of sanctioned events, will need to submit a completed application, along with the appropriate processing fee. It’s important that we receive the correct data because this will be used to issue the insurance certificate. Clubs, CDs/EMs are strongly encouraged to verify the legal name, as well as the correct mailing address for the additional insured/site owner. After the application and payment has been received by AMA, a certificate of insurance will be issued naming the site owner as an additional insured to the liability policy. AMA will mail the certificate to the site owner and email a copy to the designated club contact officer or the CD/EM listed for the sanctioned event.

This coverage applies if the site owner is named in a claim due to property damage or a bodily injury incident caused by the club or an AMA member. It provides primary coverage to the site owner. This means that the AMA policy pays on the site owner’s behalf without involvement of the site owner’s personal insurance.

The policy limit is $2,500,000 per occurrence (accident) and $5,000,000 aggregate (annually) for all claims per location (flying site). This limit of liability usually exceeds most site owners’ requirements. The “aggregate per location” means the site owner does not share the limit with other site owners. Each flying site that is insured through AMA’s policy would be afforded an annual policy limit of $5,000,000. This is a unique and special benefit of this program.

 If your club owns its own flying site, there is no need to request any additional insurance. The club, through its chartering status with AMA, is automatically covered as a site owner.

However, it is still important that we have all flying site information on file! If your club owns its site or if your club is not providing your site owner with insurance coverage, we ask that you please complete the flying site information section of the application.

Do you have more questions about this topic? Email us at insurance@modelaircraft.org.

Note: It is important to understand that the information we share will provide general guidance and should not be interpreted as a final coverage determination of a situation.