GE wrote:

In other words, I am looking for any
advice that I can so that I can make informed decisions about the situation.

You'll need to read your policy carefully and then contact your agent to report
things. One company I used to deal with required that you get estimates from three
repair shops. This is somewhat difficult if the plane cannot be flown to them. The
insurance company which I am currently using wants a set of photos showing all of the
damage and a written estimate from a repair shop. They pay the amount of that
estimate, minus the amount of your deductible.

For major repairs, many companies will send out a representative to decide whether
the estimate is reasonable and whether there's a good chance of hidden damage that
might make the eventual costs higher than the estimate.

As for totaling, in general, they will usually total the plane if the damages exceed
about 2/3 the amount of your coverage. They will also total the aircraft if a) the
plane is worth a lot more than your hull coverage and b) there's a clause in the
policy that allows them to take the plane without giving you a chance to buy them
out. In other words, if they can total the aircraft, repair it or scrap it, and make
a large profit, they may do this for relatively minor damage.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.