"Neil Gould" wrote in message
t...
ambiguities as those we're discussing. A service that you get for free
that you would otherwise have to pay for is recorded in the credits
column, and just that could qualify the service as a commercial
transaction. If that service is of sufficient value, it *will* be of
interest to the IRS and thus the FAA and so forth, regardless of the
year-end financial picture.


I don't think so. As a PPL, your analysis could apply to any of my
passengers. They are getting a flight for free that otherwise they would
have to pay for.

"...no person who holds a private pilot certificate may act as pilot in
command of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for
compensation or hire; nor may that person, for compensation or hire, act as
pilot in command of an aircraft..."

The first part seems to refer to the aircraft. i.e. it is the aircraft that
is carrying passengers or property for hire and a PPL is prohibited from
acting as PIC of such an aircraft. If that's not the case, then a PPL could
volunteer to take paying passengers (or cargo). The second part seems to
apply to the pilot and we know that required flight experience is considered
compensation.

So a PPL could volunteer to deliver a plane for a ferry service. The ferry
service is being paid. The PPL is not being compensated (not even logging
the time) or hired. The plane isn't carrying any passengers or property for
hire. That sounds like a doable mission according to the letter of the FARs.
I suspect that the FAA could make the arguement that the nature of the
flight is beyond the trained judgement of the PPL.

What about this one...
Could I advertise a no-cost ferry business? Not much different than
borrowing a friends plane except that I'm advertising. I'm not being
compensated. I won't log the hours. The plane is not carrying anything and
isn't for hire. In this case, there isn't a ferry service that is getting
paid either. Again, I think the FAA could make an argument, since I am
entering into a contract with the general public, that the flights warrant a
commercial license.

The wording has probably lasted this long because there are not that many
people with the time and net-worth to be flying around not making any money.
Doing it for the logged flight hours has been held up as compensation so it
must be un-logged, volunteer flying.

How about a teenage PPL who just wants to go flying (and log it). His
parents are so desperate to get him off the couch that they pay for all his
flight time. Sounds like compensated flying.
-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK