Charging people to ride my private plane

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Vonnie Skowron

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Vonnie Skowron
Just wanted to get people's opinion on my idea. We were thinking of using our private plane and giving people rides but don't know if there's anything (legal wise) that we would be required to do for this. I've tried googling it but it just leads me to other companies that do this and that's not what I want and ours wouldn't be a company per say. Any ideas/thoughts would be great.
 
I would suspect that if you had a private plane, you would probably know if it is legal or not.
 
There are two issues here. First, if you are only a private pilot, you can not have people paying for a ride or giving you (or anybody else) anything of value in exchange for the ride. There's a very limited exception that allows passengers that are informally travelling with you anyway to chip in a pro-rated portion for your expenses (chip in for gas, essentially).

The second issue, is that whether you charge or not, if you offer rides to the public, that requires a commercial operator certificate (not pilot, we're talking about something like a Part 135 certificate) with limited exception. There are lots of people who've tried to weasel this and some fly under the radar for a while without FAA notice, but when they do, you're going to get walloped big time.
 
It would not be. Unless you are a commercial pilot with a commercial operation
 
Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go straight to jail.

And give us your certificate while you're at it...
 
There are a few pilots that are trying to form a group,like Uber. Doubt the Feds will stand still for that. This idea comes up from time to time,without much success.
 
You need a commercial certificate and a prescription for Lamictal.
 
You own an airplane, obviously have an FAA certificate and don't read the FARs?

14 CFR 61.113 - too long, go read it for yourself.
 
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Just to give sightseeing rides, you'd need to get a Commercial Pilot certificate, enroll in a random drug-testing program, and obtain a Letter of Authorization from your local FSDO -- see 14 CFR 91.147 for details.

For anything more than that, you're talking about a Part 135 operating certificate -- see Parts 119 and 135 of the FAR's about that; they should be in your FAR/AIM book.

In addition, you will probably want to expand your insurance coverage to include such commercial operations -- ask your insurance broker about that, but typically that will at least triple your premium.
 
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The OP said "we". How many people involved in this scheme don't know the answer? (all of them, I guess)
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Because this is Pilots of AMERICA

duh
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So far, you are two for two with the best answers in the thread.

I can't imagine a private pilot that doesn't know the answer to this question. At least not in the USA. And if this troll, er, I mean the OP, is NOT in the USA that would have been a very glaring omission of fact when asking a question like this.
 
tmyers said:
Amerika, I love this Kountry
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Actually Americans have it pretty good as far as freedoms for these kinds of things. Come on down here and see what a real nanny state looks like. We cant pick our nose without government approval and mandated safety clothing.
 
Joined in December and has three posts.

Troll or dummy? :dunno:
 
JHW said:
Actually Americans have it pretty good as far as freedoms for these kinds of things. Come on down here and see what a real nanny state looks like. We cant pick our nose without government approval and mandated safety clothing.
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What about snot rockets? Can you blow snot rockets without filling out forms in triplicate?
 
Not necessarily a 135.

If you're just doing scenic flights, you're talking a CPL, 2nd class medical, 100hr inspections on the plane and a LOA from the FSDO.
 
Vonnie Skowron said:
Just wanted to get people's opinion on my idea. We were thinking of using our private plane and giving people rides but don't know if there's anything (legal wise) that we would be required to do for this. I've tried googling it but it just leads me to other companies that do this and that's not what I want and ours wouldn't be a company per say. Any ideas/thoughts would be great.
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You serious? Or a Fed on a fishing expedition?
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
just charge em $100 a head....you'll make a killing.:goofy:
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And when you remove the heads from the body, you can make a literal and figurative killing. Especially since you can fit more heads in the plane when they are detached.
 
EdFred said:
And when you remove the heads from the body, you can make a literal and figurative killing. Especially since you can fit more heads in the plane when they are detached.
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Plus, if you have an accident the NTSB report will be fun to read.
 
I very much want to make money flying big breasted foxes in America! :happydance:

article-2119505-124E7F16000005DC-874_634x423.jpg
 
A lot of people just do what they want, be aware education cost money and if you charge people to ride you are going to get a education.
 
Ron Levy said:
Just to give sightseeing rides,
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That's the whole thing right there, When you give rides nothing but a Private pilot certificate is required.

But when you charge, Uncle wants his pound of flesh.
 
James331 said:
Not necessarily a 135.

If you're just doing scenic flights, you're talking a CPL, 2nd class medical, 100hr inspections on the plane and a LOA from the FSDO.
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...and "drug and alcohol testing programs in accordance with part 120 of [the FAR's]". And those "scenic flights" are really "sightseeing" flights "that begin and end at the same airport and are conducted within a 25-statute mile radius of that airport" -- see 91.147 for the full details. Scenic flights (official name "commercial air tours") have their own set of rules in Part 136.
 
Tom-D said:
That's the whole thing right there, When you give rides nothing but a Private pilot certificate is required.

But when you charge, Uncle wants his pound of flesh.
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"Give", as in "give away free with no charge or any other compensation"? Yes, agreed. But I don't think that's what we were talking about.
 
What does the bumper sticker say? Gas, grass, or ???, nobody rides for free!
 
Tom-D said:
That's the whole thing right there, When you give rides nothing but a Private pilot certificate is required.

But when you charge, Uncle wants his pound of flesh.
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just use Uncle's policy of.....don't ask, don't tell.....:goofy:
 
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