It is the document operators are least comfortable sending and the one whose purpose is least often explained. We ask for it for a specific reason, not as routine.
What exactly we ask for
The certificate of insurance in force, listing the aircraft it covers and its limits. Not the whole policy, not the wording, not the claims history.
Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.
If your policy covers a fleet, the certificate listing it is enough. If you are going to operate an aircraft that does not appear on it, that is what we need to know before sending you a request for it.
What we look at it for
To know it exists and how far it reaches. Nothing else.
The reason is simple: a request we pass on ends with passengers aboard your aircraft. Checking that cover is current is the minimum diligence anyone would expect of whoever arranges that flight, and not doing it would be an omission, not a courtesy towards you.
We do not assess whether your limits are adequate, we do not compare your insurer with others and we do not opine on your deductible. That is your business decision and your responsibility.
Why we do not opine on your limits
Because doing so would put us in a role that is not ours. We work with certificated operators and aircraft available in Central America; outside the region we coordinate on request.
A broker saying "your limits are sufficient" would be issuing a technical judgement on cover they did not arrange, before a passenger who might rely on it. That means taking on a responsibility that is not ours and that does not help you either.
Where the figure does matter
When the client is corporate. A procurement department asks for limits before signing, and if you have them to hand the conversation takes minutes rather than days. AeroRide invoices and charges directly from the site; you receive your receipt in the name of the person or company you give us on confirmation.
And when the operation crosses a border. Some entry requirements include minimum cover, and that gets verified before the flight, not on the destination apron.
San José to Drake Bay is 83.5 nautical miles within one country. An international leg adds requirements worth settling in advance.
It is also worth checking that the policy covers the country you are going to. Cover limited to national territory is perfectly valid and perfectly useless the day the leg goes abroad, and that detail is rarely read until it is needed.
What happens if the certificate lapses
Requests stop reaching you until you renew it. It is not a sanction: we cannot pass a request to an operator whose cover is not shown as current.
We give notice beforehand whenever the date is on the certificate. If it is not, we will give notice late, and that alone is reason for the certificate to include it.
The mistake we see often
Sending last year's certificate. It happens more than you would think, and not through carelessness: the document gets filed once and nobody looks at it again.
A reminder in your calendar a month before expiry solves a problem that, when it appears, appears on the day you had a confirmed flight. And then it is no longer administrative.
Frequently asked questions
Which document exactly do you ask for?
The certificate of insurance in force, with aircraft covered and limits. Not the whole policy.
Do you assess whether my limits are enough?
No. We check it exists and how far it reaches. Its adequacy is your business decision.
Why not opine?
Because it would be a technical judgement on cover we did not arrange, before a passenger who might rely on it.
Does my policy cover international flights?
Check. Cover limited to national territory is valid and useless the day the leg goes abroad.
What happens if it lapses?
Requests stop reaching you until you renew. We give notice beforehand if the date is on the certificate.
What is the commonest mistake?
Sending last year's certificate. It is filed once and nobody looks at it again.
Let us talk
Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.