Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU do?

Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Instant qualification for being a union rep?

oh-snap-chart-.jpg
 
He's not getting paid. This is what makes it "legal" in his mind.

What exactly is he doing that makes it commercial then?

All's I'm sayin', if they really want him flying for them so badly, he should talk them into paying for his comm ticket. (in fairness, I was able to get someone else to cover my CFI, HP, and tailwheel in exchange for future flying services)
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Sooner or later, he'll get caught. I don't think he'd be able to keep that up for too long before the FAA catches on.

How do you figure? The odds of a ramp check are nill, and short of him having an accident, I don't see how he is going to get caught...

Not that I agree with what he is doing...
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

How do you figure? The odds of a ramp check are nill, and short of him having an accident, I don't see how he is going to get caught...

Not that I agree with what he is doing...

If only we knew what he was doing....
 
How do you figure? The odds of a ramp check are nill, and short of him having an accident, I don't see how he is going to get caught...

Not that I agree with what he is doing...

What would a ramp check uncover? Someone with a PPL, medical, and aircraft docs tooling around in a Cessna? Even an accident would most likely read in the NTSB report "the certificated private pilot, operating a Part 91...."
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

ABSOLUTELY!! I think my judge in character is pretty good and never had to report a friend to the FAA, Police, etc but I would in a second.

You should walk around with a disclaimer on the back of your t-shirt or something if thats the case. No offense, but if I knew that, I prolly wouldn't want to spend much time around you.
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Aloft: people have subtly dropped hints, such as "what the hell is this guy doing?" trying to figure out an answer to you post. you should indulge us because at this point we're basically Stevie Wonder trying to play Pictionary.
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Snitches get stitches! (british accent : always wanted to say that)
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Really? I'm pretty sure that with my PPL I safely took people on airborn tours of Atlantic City. Only difference was that I was paying for the plane and fuel. If someone else had paid that would have made me as dangerous as a drunk driver?

yeah that. Don't even compare drunk driving to this. Exaggeration won't win you brownie points with the Feds. :laff:
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Let's say he was renting a plane for $120 an hour and flies a 2 hour flight for the company; if the company paid him $240 to load the bags.. would it still be illegal?
 
Let's say he was renting a plane for $120 an hour and flies a 2 hour flight for the company; if the company paid him $240 to load the bags.. would it still be illegal?

He'll, I know someone that did something similar on a checkride.... Many many years ago, I heard one time at band camp....
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU


This. You say you're his friend, then why did you open this thread? Chances are pretty high now, that someone is going to investigate this thread and get him busted. Instead of talking to him seriously, "buddy quit doing this, your certificate is on the line..." instead you are betraying a friend. If he didn't listen after that, then that's his license and jail time.
 
If he didn't listen after that, then that's his license and jail time.

6 month suspension, and that is if you can actually prove he did anything inappropriate (we are still pretty far from establishing that)

But point taken - why ask the peanut gallery for something you already know how to deal with better yourself?
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

Aloft: people have subtly dropped hints, such as "what the hell is this guy doing?" trying to figure out an answer to you post. you should indulge us because at this point we're basically Stevie Wonder trying to play Pictionary.
And I've subtly ignored those hints. I've said all that needs to be said, what he's doing is a pretty cut-and-dried violation of several facets of 61.113, I'm not interested in debating that. The more details there are out in the open, the more likely he is to get busted, and that's not the outcome I'm looking for. He's not one of my "bros", and is 20 years my junior, but is more than an acquaintance.
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

This. You say you're his friend, then why did you open this thread? Chances are pretty high now, that someone is going to investigate this thread and get him busted. Instead of talking to him seriously, "buddy quit doing this, your certificate is on the line..." instead you are betraying a friend. If he didn't listen after that, then that's his license and jail time.
You don't think I've already done that?
 
And I've subtly ignored those hints. I've said all that needs to be said, what he's doing is a pretty cut-and-dried violation of several facets of 61.113, I'm not interested in debating that. The more details there are out in the open, the more likely he is to get busted, and that's not the outcome I'm looking for. He's not one of my "bros", and is 20 years my junior, but is more than an acquaintance.

The only "cut and dried" there is is working for hire (we established no) or paying passengers and or property (sounds unlikely)

Pretty much everything else falls under the "flight time is compensation, which is the biggest gray area in aviation. You can make a case for anyone with a PPL breaking that (we already established both my guilt, and exemption under 91.113 )

If there is no compensation or paying customers, I honestly think the FAA has bigger fish to fry.

Being the devils advocate, but I too worry about if flying out of town with my friends would be considered a 135 operation.
 
Re: Friend with PPL doing commercial flying; what would YOU

The only qualm I'd have about running to the FSDO is that generally that attracts a lot of attention to yourself, from what I've heard anyway. Not that I have anything to hide, but still, it's just extra attention I don't think anyone would want.

I'm kind of surprised by the "don't be a snitch" remarks. A lot of people get worked about about people "stealing jobs" from qualified pilots by being willing to fly for less pay, yet this guy hasn't even gone through the work to become qualified to perform the job? There's obviously no shortage of commercial pilots who put in the hard hours to become commercial pilots who could be doing this guys job, and doing it legally. I don't care if he's Chuck Yeager, he's breaking the law. Screw that guy, and screw the dirtbag company that's paying him.
 
Back
Top