Insurance
Insurance for drone operations is mainly about third-party liability: damage or injury caused to others. The EASA open-category rules do not by themselves create a single EU-wide mandatory drone insurance requirement for every flight, but national law may require insurance, and some states do. Commercial operations, heavier drones, or flights in certain areas are more likely to require cover. Always check the rules of the state where you are flying, and check the policy wording: many hobby policies exclude commercial use, and many cover the aircraft but not the operator’s legal liability.
Key concepts: insured, insurer, premium, deductible/excess, third-party liability, hull cover, and certificate of insurance. Know that liability insurance protects others, not your own drone. A policy may impose conditions such as VLOS, altitude limits, or operator competency; breaching them can void a claim.
Traps: assuming your household insurance covers drone flights; assuming an EU rule means insurance is optional everywhere; believing registration equals insurance; and failing to check whether the policy covers the actual location and purpose.
Worked example: you are asked to film a small event for payment. Your hobby policy excludes commercial activity. Before accepting, you check national insurance requirements and obtain appropriate third-party liability cover, or decline the job. Do not rely on the client’s insurance.