Charity Raffle Flight Questions

[neilw2]

Hey Guys,

Quick question for all the regulatory buffs out there who go to sleep reading the FARs

My 19 year old cousin died in a car accident last year obviously very tragically and unexpectedly. His father has organized a benefit with all proceeds going to his high school's athletic department. Part of the benefit includes raffle of various items. I'd like to help and I figured it would be a good way to use my pilot's license to offer up a local sight seeing flight to raffle if the FAA allows me to.

If I'm reading the regs correctly I can offer a charity flight (actually per the regs, it qualifies more as a "Community Event") as long as I don't get compensated via FAR 94.146 with the proper reporting to the local FSDO.

My question is 94.146 states that a private pilot offering this type of flight needs to have 500 hrs of flight time, but it doesn't address commercial pilots.

I am a commercially rated pilot with only about 300 hrs or so and a class 3 medical. Am I ok to do this in the FAA's eyes? Does it fall under another statute than the aforementioned 94.146? Do I need a class 2 medical?

Please cite your reference so I can be confident in case the FSDO claims it's a problem.

Also, I am going to be using my private plane and just doing a sight seeing flight in day VFR over Boston which, conveniently, is exactly 23 miles from the departure airport. Any other gotchas I'm missing?

 

[Timbeck2]

Yes. Take a friend who happened to donate money for a good cause, up for a flight. Life doesn't have to be this freakin complicated. Besides its only a concern if you are being compensated for the flight. You aren't.

 

[neilw2]

Life doesn't have to be this freakin complicated.

I normally agree with you, just do the flight and don't worry about it, but if I'm advertising something through a raffle I want to make sure I'm good to do it. I've spent a lot $ and time getting my commercial, and don't feel like putting it in jeopardy.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Are you talking about two different flights or just one?

91.146 is your guide to the charitable donation flight. Don't forget the 91.146(e) notification requirement. The date of the "event" is generally considered to be the date of the flight. With a raffle, you often don't have an exact date. I know pilots have successfully listed a tentative date with a short window, outside of which they agree to update currency information.

I've never seen anything official on this, so I can't give a reference, but my take is that this is a private pilot privilege, so a 2nd Class medical is not required. The 500 hours is one of those attempts to have a proficiency standard, which it's why it only applies to private pilots.

FAA resource. Technically expired by still applicable. https://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/noticeView.aspx?nid=6748

 

[neilw2]

Are you talking about two different flights or just one?

91.146 is your guide to the charitable donation flight. Don't forget the 91.146(e) notification requirement. The date of the "event" is generally considered to be the date of the flight. With a raffle, you often don't have an exact date. I know pilots have successfully listed a tentative date with a short window, outside of which they agree to update currency information.

I've never seen anything official on this, so I can't give a reference, but my take is that this is a private pilot privilege, so a 2nd Class medical is not required. The 500 hours is one of those attempts to have a proficiency standard, which it's why it only applies to private pilots.

FAA resource. Technically expired by still applicable. https://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/noticeView.aspx?nid=6748

Thanks @midlifeflyer , I was hoping you would respond as you are always so helpful navigating these regs! I see the notification and that shouldn't be a problem. I figure whoever wins the raffle we will set a date then I will send the required notice to the FAA.

Seems to be a pretty painless process, but as always I'm weary of government and "painless"

 

[murphey]

Besides the FARs there may also be a city/state regulation. In Colorado, not anyone can have a raffle. It must be an established organization. It turns out to be a terminology thing, for the most part. So instead of a raffle, we had to have a drawing with a "suggested donation" of $X. In other words, we could not require money in exchange for the opportunity of an airplane ride.

Two names were drawn. When I contacted them, neither were interested in the flight.

 

[EdFred]

We did something similar a few years back. When I contacted the FSDO to give them the info required, well, I'm still waiting for them to get back to me and it's been 6 years probably. I just took the winner up anyway.