2. What can I do to lower my insurance premiums? There are some things you can do to lessen the 'bite' of your annual premium: Help us paint a picture. The more concise a picture of your flying experience you give an underwriter, the more comfortable he or she will be betting his company's money on you and your airplane. Aviation underwriters often have substantial latitude when deciding whether to accept a risk, what training requirements will be, and how much to charge for it. Accurately and truthfully completing applications and pilot forms will help your broker to present your situation in the best possible light. Also, let them know about any problem areas. For instance, if you have had an accident, be forthcoming about it, and tell them what corrective action you have taken, such as remedial training. If you haven't had time to fly much, detail any recurrent training you have done to keep sharp. These are the sorts of things that underwriters look at, and that, rightly or wrongly, help them make risk assessments about you. Get recurrent training in your airplane annually. This is becoming more and more of an issue. This used to be limited to turbine powered airplanes, but some underwriters are now beginning to require it in helicopters and all sorts of fixed wing airplanes, including some heavy singles and light twins. What an underwriter requires depends upon your type of aircraft and to some extent, your experience level. Ask your broker what carriers expect before you pay for training. Make sure you are spending money to good effect. Even if you are flying a Skyhawk or a Cherokee, a WINGS phase will help. Recurrent training is probably the single most important thing that you can do to reduce your premium. Upgrade your skills. VFR pilots should consider getting instrument ratings, especially if you are flying a 6 seat airplane or a retractable. If you hold a Private Certificate, consider getting your Commercial. We can't tell you exactly how much this will save you, but it is sure to help, especially if you are considering a transition into a more complex aircraft. Fly as much as you can. Most underwriters are interested in how much you have flown in the last year, and in most cases, the more you have flown, the better.   © 1999-2006 Sutton James, Inc. All rights reserved.