Beth Clark

Beth Clark is an Aviation and Business Insurance Specialist and Manager, Unit and Account Executive at Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), the 5th largest insurance agency in North America. With nearly 19 years of insurance experience—the last eight dedicated entirely to aviation—Beth brings an unusually deep technical understanding of aviation policy forms to her work with flight schools, FBOs, charter operators, and more. At MMA she has direct access to 14 aviation-specific insurance markets, giving her clients a breadth of options that most generalist brokers cannot match.

Background

Beth’s path into aviation insurance combines a personal connection to aviation with hard-won specialty expertise:

• Student Pilot at 14: Earned her student pilot license at 14 years old
• Hot Air Balloon Pilot: Flew hot air balloons in Park City, Utah and competed at the largest hot air balloon festival in Europe in Lorraine, France
• Aviation Family: Her grandfather served in the Air Force and later worked on space shuttles at Thiokol after retiring
• Business Insurance Foundation: Came up through commercial business insurance before transitioning into aviation specialty
• Deep Policy Expertise: Transitioned into aviation after working on an FBO and a charter operation and recognizing that aviation policy forms are fundamentally different from standard commercial coverage
• Self-described “Insurance Nerd”: Approaches policies as a puzzle—reading forms and endorsements cover to cover to find where coverage is given, taken away, and given back

Marsh McLennan Agency

At MMA, Beth works across the full spectrum of general aviation clients:

• 14 Aviation-Specific Markets: Direct access to carriers specializing in flight schools, FBOs, charter, drones, ag spray, rotor wing, and more
• Flight School Specialists: Structured coverage programs for Part 61 and Part 141 training operations
• National Reach: Works with flight schools and aviation businesses across the United States from the MMA New York City office
• Broad Client Base: Serves flight schools, FBOs, charter operators, drone operators, ag spray operators, and other general aviation businesses

Areas of Expertise

• Flight School Insurance: Deep expertise in the four core coverage categories every school needs—fleet/hull, general liability, workers’ compensation, and CFI professional liability
• Policy Form Analysis: Specializes in reading aviation policy forms to identify coverage gaps before a claim, not after
• CFI Liability Coverage: Expert in the nuances of where CFI professional liability sits (fleet policy vs. general liability) and what the wording actually means for independent and school-employed instructors
• Hull Valuation: Guides flight school owners on keeping insured hull values current with a rapidly appreciated aircraft market
• Underwriter Relations: Experienced in negotiating policy terms based on loss history, operational structure, and carrier risk appetite
• Claims Scenarios: Practical knowledge of how non-owned, fleet, and general liability policies interact when a real claim occurs

Key Insights for Flight School Owners

Beth’s eight years working aviation claims and renewals have produced clear, actionable guidance for flight school operators:

• Read your policy past the declarations page: The declarations give coverage; the back pages take some away; endorsements give parts back. You need to know all three sections.
• Hull values need updating now: Training-fleet Cessna 172s that were valued at $35,000–$50,000 five years ago may be worth two to three times that today. If your hull coverage reflects old valuations, a total loss pays the insured value—not market value.
• Part 141 structure is an underwriting advantage: Carriers view the structure and FAA oversight of Part 141 operations favorably, which can translate to higher available limits and more competitive pricing.
• Third-party rental exposure matters: Renting aircraft to non-enrolled students raises underwriter concern. Structuring or removing that exposure can move premium in your favor.
• Ask your broker how many aviation markets they access: A generalist broker may have three or four. Fourteen is a meaningful difference when it comes to the terms available to you.
• Older aircraft are not cheaper to insure: Higher hull rates on older airframes—driven by parts availability risk—can make a 1974 172 more expensive to insure than a newer equivalent.