Insurance is one of those topics drone operators know they need to take seriously, but many don’t always fully understand until they’re filing a claim. This panel brings together insurance professionals who specialize in the commercial UAV market to pull back the curtain on what coverage actually means in practice, where operators commonly leave themselves exposed, and why the specifics matter more than most pilots realize.
Panelists will address the fundamentals of drone insurance, the questions operators should be asking before selecting a policy, and how coverage needs vary meaningfully across verticals including photography, public safety, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, and construction. Whether you’re a solo operator buying your first policy or a fleet manager overseeing a multi-aircraft program, this session delivers the working knowledge needed to make informed coverage decisions and avoid the costly assumptions that catch operators off guard when it matters most.
The following presentations will be shared in this session:
Navigating Complex Drone Insurance Underwriting: Lessons from 200,000+ Policies
Presented by Stephanie Kleeberg, Skywatch
Drawing on experience supporting more than 200,000 drone insurance policies globally, this presentation offers a data-informed look at how drone insurance underwriting has evolved alongside the commercial UAV industry. Attendees will learn what risk factors actually drive pricing and coverage decisions, what common misconceptions operators carry into the insurance process, and how operational and usage-based data are increasingly reshaping how insurers evaluate complex drone programs. For operators who want to move beyond simply purchasing a policy and toward genuinely understanding how coverage decisions are made, this presentation delivers the working knowledge needed to position their programs more effectively and engage with insurers from a place of informed confidence.
From Niche to Necessary in a Changing Sky: Insurance for Commercial UAV Operations
Presented by Simon Ritterband, Moonrock Insurance
Commercial drone insurance has matured from a niche product into a strategic prerequisite for operators seeking BVLOS approvals, government contracts, enterprise SLAs, and cross-border operations. This presentation examines how the insurance landscape has evolved to keep pace with an increasingly diverse fleet — covering everything from multi-rotor platforms to heavy-lift cargo drones, swarms, and eVTOL systems — each carrying distinct risk profiles and underwriting considerations.
Attendees will get a data-driven look at what actually drives claims, how insurers are closing the data gap through flight telemetry and operational risk modeling, and what emerging coverage categories operators should be aware of as the industry matures. The core takeaway is straightforward: insurance is an enabler of operational access and a foundational component of any serious drone program.
