Glider Towing - Commercial Pilot?

[tonycondon]

Well Im helping write some Standard Operating Procedures for my glider clubs towplane. And I came across some confusion on towpilots. I know the regs state that a private pilot may act as a towpilot. My question is: Do they need to pay for the flight? For example, the towpilots in my club pay nothing for the flight time spent towing. Is this prohibited by legal interpretation of flight time as compensation? Of course, most of the towpilots in the club are commercially licensed, myself included, but this is important in choosing our pilots and affects our current pool. Thanks!

 

[poadeleted20]

The PPL towpilots may, per 61.113(g), accept the free flying time for giving tows, but they may not be compensated in any other fashion (e.g., no pay). Ref: Part 61 FAQ's #356 and 619 and 14 CFR 61.113.

 

[tonycondon]

Ron,
Thanks! That one was plain as day. Should've looked there first. Oh well.

 

[Ed Guthrie]

The PPL towpilots may, per 61.113(g), accept the free flying time for giving tows, but they may not be compensated in any other fashion (e.g., no pay). Ref: Part 61 FAQ's #356 and 619 and 14 CFR 61.113.

IIRC, the additional criteria is that the towed pilot may not pay for the tow--that would be a commercial operation.

 

[Nav8tor]

IIRC, the additional criteria is that the towed pilot may not pay for the tow--that would be a commercial operation.

Even if he is just paying for the expenses of the flight (gas, oil, maintenance allocation etc)? i.e. no profits are being made?

 

[gismo]

IIRC, the additional criteria is that the towed pilot may not pay for the tow--that would be a commercial operation.

IIRC there's an exception for club operations. The club I used to belong to charged members a fee for each tow, but only club members could get towed. The towplane was always flown by a volunteer pilot (mostly PPL's). So either that operation wasn't legal or the rules have changed if you are correct WRT clubs. And if you think about it, not allowing the towee to pay for the expenses of the tow per some fee structure would pretty much eliminate any benefit of the CPL exception for towing sailplanes.

 

[poadeleted20]

IIRC, the additional criteria is that the towed pilot may not pay for the tow--that would be a commercial operation.

It is not clear to me from the rules whether paying for the tow constitutes "carrying passengers or cargo for compensation or hire." Further, when paragraph (g) was added to 14 CFR 61.113, the question (Q&A-619) referred to a previous case involving payment for the tow, but did not specifically ask if that affected the answer to the free flying time question that was asked, and Mr. Lynch did not address that issue in his answer. I guess this is one I'll have to ask him -- the email is on the wires.

 

[Ed Guthrie]

IIRC there's an exception for club operations. The club I used to belong to charged members a fee for each tow, but only club members could get towed. The towplane was always flown by a volunteer pilot (mostly PPL's). So either that operation wasn't legal or the rules have changed if you are correct WRT clubs. And if you think about it, not allowing the towee to pay for the expenses of the tow per some fee structure would pretty much eliminate any benefit of the CPL exception for towing sailplanes.

IIRC, that, too, is correct. The logic was that the club was not-for-profit, and the fee represented nothing more than the sailplane pilot paying his/her personal operating costs for his/her personal tow aircaft to pull his/her sailplane to altitude. My previous answer assumed a third party relationship between sailplane pilot and tow-plane operator.

 

[tonycondon]

Ok, so essentially in a club setting, a private pilot can tow, but at a commercial operation the towpilot basically has to be commercially rated, since the glider pilot will be paying for the tow and tow pilot will not be paying for the flight time?

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Mr. Lynch did not address that issue in his answer. I guess this is one I'll have to ask him -- the email is on the wires.

Ron, I have written to Mr. Lynch a couple of times and others occasionally for interpretations and have never NEVER gotten a response. Do you have better luck than me?

 

[poadeleted20]

Ron, I have written to Mr. Lynch a couple of times and others occasionally for interpretations and have never NEVER gotten a response. Do you have better luck than me?

I guess so -- he always answers, although it may be a week or ten days. Maybe it's the way I hold my fingers when I type.

 

[poadeleted20]

Ok, so essentially in a club setting, a private pilot can tow, but at a commercial operation the towpilot basically has to be commercially rated, since the glider pilot will be paying for the tow and tow pilot will not be paying for the flight time?

I would not espouse that position until Mr. Lynch confirms it. For now, pending an answer from Flight Standards, I recommend not using a PP to tow if a direct charge is made to the towed pilot for the tow, whether it's a club or a commercial operation.

 

[tonycondon]

roger that ron. thanks and looking forward to the answer.