Student pilot (?) flying medical supplies

AngelFlightWest posted flights to rural Colorado. It's often easier and faster to drive between Denver and the NE side of the state.
 
Especially since he allowed this to be publicized, does he now have to worry about the FAA investigating him for carrying property for compensation as a student pilot? Remember that the FAA has already defined compensation as including “good will”. This story has hit the national news and people are supposedly reaching out to the Congressmen in his area to make sure he gets an appointment to Annapolis.

If he had just quietly done his good deed it shouldn’t have been a problem but has he opened himself up to FAA scrutiny by publicizing (or allowing the publicizing) what he’s doing?
 
I’ll be honest, I’m lazy and don’t want to analyze: how is this different than canine/feline rescue and Angel Flight type stuff?
 
Wheels said:
Especially since he allowed this to be publicized, does he now have to worry about the FAA investigating him for carrying property for compensation as a student pilot? Remember that the FAA has already defined compensation as including “good will”. This story has hit the national news and people are supposedly reaching out to the Congressmen in his area to make sure he gets an appointment to Annapolis.

If he had just quietly done his good deed it shouldn’t have been a problem but has he opened himself up to FAA scrutiny by publicizing (or allowing the publicizing) what he’s doing?
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I doubt it's compensation, it's just like doing an angel flight. Should a student be doing stuff like this? Probably not.
 
Wheels said:
Especially since he allowed this to be publicized, does he now have to worry about the FAA investigating him for carrying property for compensation as a student pilot? Remember that the FAA has already defined compensation as including “good will”. This story has hit the national news and people are supposedly reaching out to the Congressmen in his area to make sure he gets an appointment to Annapolis.

If he had just quietly done his good deed it shouldn’t have been a problem but has he opened himself up to FAA scrutiny by publicizing (or allowing the publicizing) what he’s doing?
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I seriously doubt it.
 
Wheels said:
Especially since he allowed this to be publicized, does he now have to worry about the FAA investigating him for carrying property for compensation as a student pilot? Remember that the FAA has already defined compensation as including “good will”.
Click to expand...
Dunno. But two things about how "good will" compensation has been applied.

1. The "good will" the FAA is concerned with is business good will, not, "wow, what a great guy for doing this!"

2. Like all compensation, the "good will" is in exchange for providing the service. IOW, the pilot provided the service for someone, expecting to get a benefit in exchange, usually from that same someone.
 
Wheels said:
Especially since he allowed this to be publicized, does he now have to worry about the FAA investigating him for carrying property for compensation as a student pilot?
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I also wondered about him doing this as a student pilot. Clearly not business good will be obtained however.

I don't think this is cost-effective really at all. The biggest contribution in some sense was probably the father gathering up the supplies in this time of shortage. OTOH, if he was going to be flying cross-countries to accumulate the training and the time, nice to donate it to help a cause.
 
True charity is anonymous and not relegated to specific days of the year. Nor is it dependent upon the actions of others. e.g.: If you buy our product, we'll give a starving child a cheeseburger.
 
He is making deliveries...............that is a business, USPS, UPS, FEDEX stc!! Not legal

14 CFR § 61.89 - General limitations.
prev | next
§ 61.89 General limitations.
(a) A student pilot may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft:

(1) That is carrying a passenger;

(2) That is carrying property for compensation or hire;

(3) For compensation or hire;

(4) In furtherance of a business;
 
No exactly hard hitting journalism here. No mention of his pilot certification status, but if he was flying with an instructor he was technically making things worse.

Also, couldn't find him in the registry either, using very broad search terms. So who knows what his status was. I assume he was flying with an instructor, or at least someone acting as PIC.

The drive from Leesburg to Woodstock is 1:15. The flight from JYO to LUA is 45 minutes with a 40 minute drive across a mountain ridge from Luray to Woodstock. Nothing wrong with looking for an excuse to fly, but there are no magical powers using a skyhawk to do it.

All that said, if I was 17 and had a private ticket, access to a plane and free time, I'd probably be doing the same to impress girls.
 
Brad Z said:
No mention of his pilot certification status, but if he was flying with an instructor he was technically making things worse.
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Did say he was 16. So likely a student pilot. I assumed he was doing this as solo cross-country, but why worse with an instructor?
 
kgruber said:
He is making deliveries...............that is a business, USPS, UPS, FEDEX stc!! Not legal
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Usually some looseness in interpretation of the regulations. What does the recent advisory circular on compensation say?

That said, I would be quite surprised to see the FAA try to hit his instructor with a disciplinary action.
 
PeterNSteinmetz said:
Did say he was 16. So likely a student pilot. I assumed he was doing this as solo cross-country, but why worse with an instructor?
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Social isolation. Unless his instructor is someone he's sheltering in place with, it's hard for him to be 6 feet away from him or her in a 172. While flight schools in VA were still open at the time he did his flight, the general guidance at the time was to avoid close contact with others.
 
Wheels said:
Remember that the FAA has already defined compensation as including “good will”. This story has hit the national news and people are supposedly reaching out to the Congressmen in his area to make sure he gets an appointment to Annapolis.
Click to expand...

"Goodwill as compensation" is more of a quid pro quo type situation. If you look at enforcement records or legal interpretations, typically goodwill was a substitution of compensation for an expectation of future compensation in the form of future business deals, or similar.

In this case, if he dragged out Fox News to film him flying 48 nautical miles (yes it's not even a xc flight!) because he knew that so and so would write a recommendation, perhaps. But just saying to a reporter he wanted to go to Annapolis and people in the comments section calling for a recommendation is hardly a sufficient test for goodwill as compensation.
 
frfly172 said:
Remember the old saying ,no good deed will go unpunished.
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Even the FAA isn't so dead to appearances that they'll make a stink over an extreme interpretation of a rule that has so many holes. :confused: Maybe, surely, possible.... Heck, who knows. Good on the kid for trying.
 
Good opportunity to get out and fly but he could’ve delivered far more supplies by van and to more hospitals. Small GA isn’t an effective transportation device unless you’re looking at areas inaccessible by ground (helo).

Also the comment of all hospitals hurting is incorrect. The public has been given this perception because of the news coverage of the dire situation in places like NYC. My area is fully stocked and ready to go. Strangely, most of the hospitals we serve right now are like ghost towns. We’re less busy now than we were before COVID. Still doesn’t keep medcrews from posting their N95 mask pics on FB. #frontlines. :rolleyes:
 
kgruber said:
He is making deliveries...............that is a business, USPS, UPS, FEDEX stc!! Not legal

14 CFR § 61.89 - General limitations.
prev | next
§ 61.89 General limitations.
(a) A student pilot may not act as pilot in command of an aircraft:

(1) That is carrying a passenger;

(2) That is carrying property for compensation or hire;

(3) For compensation or hire;

(4) In furtherance of a business;
Click to expand...
None of those 4 things are happening.
 
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