Chris McKeon wrote:So is insurance something that We all have but has Yet to be needed?
There are many kinds of insurance, and different kinds may have been used to differing degrees.
There are many ways to slice the insurance pie. One such division is between commercial pilots and recreational pilots. I believe that commercial pilots (like instructors and tandem pilots) have had quite a few claims made against them. And since many of USHPA's "leaders" are commercial operators, they want the insurance to protect their businesses. But since most couldn't afford it, they place a lot of that burden on recreational pilots by making them pay for insurance that most don't need. That's my understanding of the situation.
Also, it turns out that every state has laws protecting landowners from being liable for recreational non-commercial activities on their land. But once money is involved ... everything changes. That's why we formed the U.S. Hawks as a recreational pilots association.