4 ms·

Could someone give a quick summary of flightsharing and how this ruling affects it?

• superuser2 11y ago
  Not remotely an expert, but the basic idea is that hobbyist pilots are licensed to fly for their personal entertainment/transportation only. They are not licensed as airlines, so selling tickets at a profit is a definite no-no. But they can take their friends along for the ride and split the cost of fuel. A number of apps/websites have popped up that blur the line between "operating an illegal airline" and "doing the equivalent of a carpool in a Cessna." That's the gray area that needs to be fleshed out.
• lisper 11y ago
  This isn't a ruling, it was a hearing that will eventually lead to a ruling. What this is about is that the FARs prohibit private pilots from flying passengers "for hire" but allow them to "share expenses." There are a number of tests to determine whether a private pilot who takes money from passengers is flying "for hire" or merely "sharing expenses" and one of them is the so-called "holding-out" rule: if you advertise your willingness to take passengers, then you are presumed to be flying for hire and you need (at least) a commercial license. Advertising on Flightshare is considered "holding out" by the FAA. (I'm a private pilot.)