Author Archives: AIB

Parachutist “Surfboards” On A Wing-Suited Flyer

Wing-Suited Flyer We have previously made reference to the airborne pursuit involving flying through the air in a wingsuit but we wonder how many of you have heard of Extreme Relevant Work that is also known as XRW? This is a skydiving discipline.

This involves someone wearing a wingsuit jumping out of a plane from several thousand feet to be closely followed by another individual who skydives from the door of the plane who is wearing a small parachute. The skydiver manoeuvres into a position mid-air so that he or she is able to surfboard on the person in the wingsuit who is facing upwards.

This feat was recently completed by four people over the Zephyr Hills in Florida from a height of 13,500 feet. Those taking part were Iain Jensen 31, Lane Paquin 28, Avalon Wolf 25 and Brayden Jones 29. As can be seen from the images, this appears to be a very difficult set of manoeuvres and those taking part are to be commended for their ability to complete such a pursuit without any harm coming to anyone. It will be interesting to see if this extreme sport takes off here in the UK. It certainly does not appear to be for the faint hearted and there is no doubt that anyone attempting such a thing must be highly experienced in either skydiving or flying through the air in a wingsuit.

Here at AIB Insurance, we have many years experience in arranging cover for a variety of extreme airborne sports. So, if you would like to receive a competitive quotation, why not get in touch with one of our knowledgeable team members who will discuss your requirements in detail and arrange a bespoke, no obligation competitive quote for your consideration to provide you with complete peace of mind in the event that something untoward should happen to you.

Mr Bean To Auction Two Modern Classic Cars

Rowan Atkinson, the comedy actor, has appeared in the likes of Blackadder and Mr Bean and has presumably earned quite a lot of money over the years. He is also keen on cars and has owned a number over the years some of which have been modern classic cars.

In fact, we have previously commented on a McLaren FI that he became rather well known for owning. Unfortunately, that particular car made the news some years ago because it had been involved in a road traffic accident and the insurance company paid out over £900,000 to repair it which, at the time, was believed to be a record payout for a car insurance claim. At a later date, he sold the car for several million pounds.

Well, he is shortly to put a couple of modern classic cars up for auction that he is the proud owner of. The cars are being offered for sale at Silverstone Auction’s Race Retro Classic Car Sale 2018 that takes place in February.

There is a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E that has a left hand drive and is powered by a V8 4,973 cc engine. This car was capable of rocketing to 60mph in a mere 5 seconds and could get to 100mph (when legally allowed to do so) in 14 seconds plus. It is interesting that one of the things that makes this car rather sought after is the fact that it is hand built. It only has around 50,000 miles on the clock so it quite low mileage for its age.

The other classic car that Rowan Atkinson is offering for sale at the above auction is a 1989 Lancia Thema 8.32. It also has a V8 engine and is also left hand drive. This was also a nippy vehicle capable of getting to 60mph in just under 7 seconds as it accelerated to a maximum speed of 150mph. It is believed that in the 7 years Mr Atkinson has owned the vehicle he has spent around £20,000 on maintaining it.

So, if you are a modern classic car enthusiast and fancy buying a car from a well-known celebrity, why not get along to the above auction and start bidding. If you require quality, tailor-made, competitive classic car insurance then feel free to give us a call on 02380 268 351 to discuss your requirements where we will be happy to provide a quotation without any obligation.

Vehicle Break-Ins Increase

RAC Insurance has seen some interesting statistics relating to the number of vehicles broken into here in the UK by car thieves that are, to say the least, somewhat concerning. Below we highlight some of this data but more information can be found on the above company’s website.

Based upon data from 42 police forces in England, Scotland and Wales there were almost 240,000 vehicles broken into in 2016 – that is not far off a quarter of a million that we are sure you will agree is a very large number. Rather concerning, that is an increase of more than 8,000 in comparison to the previous year.

Of the above 42 police forces, 26 saw an increase in vehicle break-ins with the remaining 15 seeing a drop when comparing 2016 with 2015.

So, which forces saw the biggest increase in break-ins in percentage terms when comparing 2016 with 2015. Well, the City of London police force was at the top of the table with a 76% rise albeit it should be borne in mind that, in numbers there was a rise from 46 to 81. In second place was Northamptonshire with a rise of 41% from 2,864 to 4,043. Here in Hampshire there was an 8% rise.

The police force that saw the biggest fall in reported vehicle break-ins was Cheshire with a drop of 19% from 2.827 in 2015 to 2,284 in 2016.

Of course, if your car is broken into then it causes huge disruption in so many ways but could also lead to your motor insurance premiums increasing which is something we could all do without. So, what can you do to reduce the possibility of your vehicle being broken into?

• Fit a car alarm
• Put your car in the garage overnight
• When stationery, whilst driving, lock the doors and keep windows closed
• Use a steering wheel lock when leaving the vehicle unattended
• Park your car in a well lit street in the dark
• Put personal belongings in the boot out of sight

Obviously this list is not exhaustive but we hope that it is of benefit.

For comprehensive car insurance why not give us a call here at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351 and speak with a knowledgeable member of our staff who will do all that he or she can to obtain a competitive quotation from the extensive panel of reputable insurers we have at our disposal.

Airsports Insurance Bureau appoints James Dunn to join Private Client Insurance Team

The management team are delighted to welcome James Dunn to our Private Client Insurance team in Eastleigh.

James joins us with over 10 years insurance experience having worked as a senior manager at BeWiser Insurance. Previous to that he spent 6 years at various branches of A-Plan Insurance where he gained the Cert CII qualification obtained through the Chartered Insurance Institute.

AIB spokesperson Bethany Hepworth said: “James’s wealth of industry experience and knowledge will be extremely valuable as the firm continues to develop and enhance our service offering for existing and potential clients. This key appointment follows a period of continued growth and reflects the businesses success to date, showing our commitment to grow independently within the UK Insurance broking market”.

James added: ”I’ve known the management team at AIB for many years and watched the company continue to expand so am delighted to be joining such an ambitious business where I can really add value and hit the ground running. I cannot wait to start developing new business and taking current business to new heights.”

Married to Amy with a 2 year old son, Riley, James was lucky enough to meet Simon Pegg on his wedding day as Simon happened to be staying at the same venue. James enjoys American Football, fishing, he has a twin brother and recently ran the Reading half marathon raising over £2000 for charity.

Aviva Private Clients Division Joins Our Panel Of Insurers

AIB Insurance is very pleased to inform our high net worth clients that the Aviva Private Clients division has recently been added to our select panel of insurance companies. Its Distinct Home, Distinct Motor and Distinct Travel products provide bespoke cover for the discerning individual whether it is to insure an Edwardian country mansion, a penthouse in Mayfair, a Rolls-Royce Phantom or provide cover for a luxury holiday.

Aviva is the largest insurance company in the UK having in excess of 15,000 million customers. Its history goes back as far as 1696 when the Hand in Hand Fire & Life Insurance Society was established. In 2000 Norwich Union and CGU PLC merged as CGNU and in 2002 it became known as Aviva. It has offices in numerous countries around the world employing about 30,000 people and has a worldwide customer portfolio of over 33 million. The company deals with over 10 million calls a year and in 2017 paid out more than £34 billion in benefits and claims.

Aviva Distinct Home insurance provides outstanding, tailor made cover with a level of service that is second to none at every stage of the process from initial enquiry, setting up the policy to making a claim with a dedicated home claims adviser dealing with the latter to provide you with complete peace of mind. There are numerous benefits including worldwide, warranty free, all risks cover, access to a number of specialist suppliers, cover for student and visitors belongings and guaranteed building reinstatement.

Aviva Distinct Motor insurance provides bespoke cover that aims to exceed what is expected by our clients. Some of the benefits include new for old replacement if your car is under three years of age, choice of repairer, £4,000 to hire a car or a Mercedes-Benz C class whilst your car is being repaired and your no claims discount is not affected if an uninsured driver collides with your vehicle and you are not at fault.

Aviva Distinct Travel insurance provides an exceptional level of cover to give you complete peace of mind wherever you are travelling around the world. For instance, you have £10 million of medical emergencies and associated expenses cover worldwide, a UK based experienced claims team who are available 24 hours a day, up to £15,000 of cancellation cover and winter sports cover included in the policy.

Let us all hope that you do not need to make a claim for either say a fire in your home, a motoring accident or for medical treatment whilst on holiday but, if you do, you can be assured that your claim will be dealt with promptly with support every step of the way. We very much look forward to being of assistance.

If you would like to find out more about the insurance products offered by the Aviva Private Clients division the why not visit their website at www.aviva.co.uk/aviva-private-clients/

Classic Motorcycles Sold At Bonhams Auction

Those of you owning a classic motorcycle may be interested to read of the sale of a number of such vehicles at the Bonhams New Bond Street, London auction that took place on the 2nd December 2017. More information can be found on the auctioneer’s website but a summary is provided below to “whet your appetite”.

For instance, a 1964 BSA 646 CC Rocket Gold Star motorcycle achieved a sale price of £24,725 including the premium. This delightful motorbike was beautifully restored back in 2001 and has been well maintained. It had a 46bhp engine that was capable of getting to a top speed of around 105mph making it an extremely nippy two-wheeled vehicle. Only about 1,800 of these motorcycles were built making it quite desirable and they are very sought after by classic motorbike enthusiasts.

Those of you interested in the Brough motorcycle will be interested to read that a 1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS80 Special was sold at the above auction for £82,140 to include premium. It was renowned for being the superbike of its era and this one is one of only around 300 that are believed to be still around today. The vehicle went through a full restoration under the ownership of John Coxon before falling into the hands of another owner who took possession in January 2010.

A 1949 Vincent 998cc Black Shadow Series C classic motorbike fell under the hammer for £119,100 including the premium. For around 30 years the bike had been kept in a barn until it was subject to a restoration project in 2016 to a 1949 Earls Court London Motorcycle Show specification. It certainly is a highly desirable classic motorcycle and would be the envy of many an enthusiast.

If you are considering buying a vintage motorcycle or are already the proud owner of one then why not get in touch with us here at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351 where we will be delighted to discuss your requirements in respect of insuring the vehicle. We have an extensive panel of insurers so we would be able to help source a competitively priced quotation.

Mother And Daughter Plan To Fly Around The World In Microlight

Anyone who has broken a world record is to be admired as it often involves a great deal of determination, courage and self-sacrifice. Well in February of next year, if everything goes according to plan a mother and her daughter are going to attempt to set a world record as they take off in a fixed wing microlight aircraft and try to fly around the world in a period of 80 days covering in the region of 50,000 kilometers with such a fete never having been achieved by two Indian women together.

The ladies in question are Audrey Deepika Meben who is 42 years of age and a flying instructor and her 19 year old daughter by the name of Amy Mehta who is a student photographer. Both ladies come from Karnataka that is situated in the south west area of India. It is hoped that the flight will increase awareness for Women Empowerment.

The pair will take off from Jakkur airport in the south of the country and pass through the likes of Japan, Iceland, USA, Afghanistan, Russia and Pakistan before returning to Jakkur. In total it is expected that the plane will land in at least 21 countries. The plane in question will have two fuel tanks capable of carrying around 60 liters of fuel meaning that the aircraft is capable of staying in the air for at least 4.5 hours. It is expected that the microlight aircraft will be required to make a minimum of 54 landings.

Amy Mehta will no doubt be using her photographic skills to take some wonderful, breathtaking photos of their epic global journey in the skies. The plane is capable of traveling at a height of around 7,500 feet and the flights will be made during daylight.

It is to be hoped that the weather is kind to them and that both women complete the journey in safety with nothing untoward happening on the way. We are sure that you will agree that they are to be admired. Here at AIB Insurance we wish them both all the best for their record-breaking attempt early next year.

If you are in need of airsports insurance why not give us a call at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351 and speak with a member of our friendly staff who will happily arrange a quotation.

Whilst Defrosting Your Car Don’t Leave It Unattended

It is that time of year when you wake up to find that there has been a severe frost meaning that you or, if you are lucky, your partner needs to de-ice the car windows before setting off to work or dropping the children off at school. Time is usually at a premium first thing in a morning and nobody likes to stand outside in freezing temperatures scraping the ice off the windscreen.

Unfortunately, a lot of people make the mistake of popping out to their car, start the engine, put the heating on at full blast and then go straight back inside their warm home leaving the engine running with the keys still in the vehicle and have their breakfast or finish getting ready for work. Why do we say this is unfortunate?

Well, a lot of motorists do not realize that, if their vehicle is stolen by a car thief whilst being left say unattended on their drive or on the road outside the front of their home, their car insurance provider will not pay out should you submit a claim as this sort of situation is not covered on the policy. Needless to say, this would be devastating news as you could be left with having to pay out many thousands of pounds to find another vehicle and still have to maintain the car loan repayments on the vehicle that has been stolen.

It is also worth noting that, if you leave your car unattended on say a public road with the car engine running, you are breaking the law and could be subject to a fine if caught by the police. Furthermore, if you do not completely clear your car windows of snow and frost before driving it then you could be subject to a fine of £60 and also receive 3 penalty points on your driving license that could also mean your motor insurance premiums going up.

So, tempting as it may be, do not leave your car unattended with the engine running to defrost the windows otherwise it could end up being a costly decision in more ways than one. Instead, why not get up a few minutes earlier than normal, wrap yourself up to keep warm and get the ice scrapper out and get rid of the unwanted snow and ice from all the windows on your vehicle.

For comprehensive cover on your vehicle give us a call on 02380 268 351 and speak to a friendly, knowledgeable member of the team who will discuss your requirements and obtain a quotation from our extensive panel of quality insurers.

New Van Sales Continue To Drop

For the third month in a row, the number of new vans registered here in the UK has fallen based upon data produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders for November 2017. Obviously this is most concerning for those people working in that particular part of the motor trade industry.

For the month of November 2017, the number of brand new vans up to 3.5 tonnes that were sold amounted to 26,486. This is considerably less when compared with November of last year when 29,784 new vans were sold. This is a reduction of 11.1%.

The biggest reduction in percentage terms was for smaller vans up to 2.0 tonnes with a reduction of 21.7%. This was followed with pickups with a fall of 14.4% and the third worst performer was 4x4s that fell by 10.0%.

On a year to date basis to November 2017 there were 334,133 new vans sold with this being a fall of 4.1% in comparison to the same period last year when 348,448 new vans were sold. Again, this is quite a large drop in sales.

The largest drop in percentage terms was 4x4s at 90.6% followed by smaller vans up to 2.0 tonnes at 20.3%. The sector that suffered the third worst fall was vans between 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes that fell by 3.9%.

Presumably, one of the reasons why the number of new vans being registered has fallen in recent months is due to a lack of business confidence here in the UK. The situation is unlikely to have been helped by the recent increase in the Base Rate as, for some of those businesses borrowing monies on a variable rate of interest, this will have increased a business’s expenditure.

The top five selling new vans in November 2017 were: –

1. Ford Transit Custom 3,501
2. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2,142
3. Ford Transit 2,018
4. Volkswagen Transporter 1,825
5. Ford Transit Connect 1,733

The top five selling new vans on a year to date basis to November 2017 were: –

1. Ford Transit Custom 47,105
2. Ford Transit 25,388
3. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 21,088
4. Volkswagen Transporter 19,988
5. Ford Transit Connect 18,400

It is pleasing to see that three of those new vans featuring in the top five selling vehicles were manufactured by Ford. At least this is one positive statistic in relation to the number of new vans being sold here in the UK.

Here at AIB Insurance we have an extensive panel of providers of van insurance so why not give us a call on 02380 268 351 and speak with a friendly, knowledgeable member of our team who will do all that he or she can to find you a competitively priced van insurance quote.

Water Escape Claims Increase

Our clients may be interested to read that insurers here in the UK continue to pay out huge sums of money in respect of domestic claims for damage caused by water escape. In fact, it may come as a surprise to you to hear that such claims involve the biggest payouts for insurance companies providing this type of cover.

According to information provided by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), some £483 million was paid out by insurers for claims relating to the escape of water from domestic properties in the nine months from the 1st January to 30 September of this year. Unfortunately, that is a rise of 1% when compared with the first nine months of 2016. The average amount paid out by insurance companies for escaped domestic water damage is £2,638 per claim.

Such claims will no doubt include damage caused by people leaving taps on whilst filling up a bath thus leading to it overflowing and damaging both the upstairs and downstairs of a property. There will probably be numerous claims for water leakage from the likes of washing machines and dishwashers. As more homes have central heating systems fitted these days, damage caused by leakages from them is a factor as is greater use being made by the building industry of materials that are not as water resistant. More properties now have the likes of cloakrooms and en-suite bathrooms and en-suite shower rooms included in the design.

So, what can you do to reduce the likelihood of suffering such damage? Well, apart from making sure that taps are turned off after use, there are many things you can look at such as you should check the hoses on appliances such as washing machines to make sure that they are not leaking. If you have a hot water cylinder in your airing cupboard make sure that it is not leaking. Check that the toilet basins are not cracked. Make sure that radiators are not dripping water from the pipes that enter and come out of them as well as at the end of the top of the radiators where you occasionally let out the air. Also check the main stopcock that allows cold water into your home to establish that there are no drips coming from it. If you feel it is safe to do so, go up into the loft and make sure that the water tanks are not close to overflowing.

Do make sure that you have adequate buildings and contents cover in place so that, should you suffer water damage, you have the peace of mind of knowing that your claim will be speedily dealt with. In this respect, it is worth noting that here at AIB Insurance we have an extensive panel of insurers who are renowned for providing quality cover but also have an enviable reputation for processing claims. So, if you would like to receive a competitive quotation why not give us a call on 02380 268 351 and speak with a knowledgeable member of our team.