How to whore myself out?

[Flying Ninja]

Does anyone have any information or clarification on FARs regarding someone who is interested in whoring himself out as a pilot? Basically, I'm looking to fly on the weekends (out and backs) but I don't have any money to do so. My credentials:

Private ASEL, AMEL
Commercial ASEL, AMEL
Instrument
459TT/101ME

I was thinking of putting myself out there around the local airports to let people know that I'm willing to provide free pilot services. Would the FAA look at this type of flying as "compensation" even though I'm not looking to make a penny? If someone asks me to fly their airplane from point A to point B, would I fall under the "pro-rata share" regulation even though I'd be exercising my Commercial privileges but hire for free? It never occured to me to ask back in the training days if you can exercise your Commercial privileges but being compensated for free. I know this sounds ridiculous but I'm just looking for creative ways to go out flying for someone for free. Thanks for any responses.

 

[GoingHot]

I was thinking of putting myself out there around the local airports to let people know that I'm willing to provide free pilot services.

Let the Flames begin!

 

[G100driver]

Does anyone have any information or clarification on FARs regarding someone who is interested in whoring himself out as a pilot? Basically, I'm looking to fly on the weekends (out and backs) but I don't have any money to do so. My credentials:

Private ASEL, AMEL
Commercial ASEL, AMEL
Instrument
459TT/101ME

I was thinking of putting myself out there around the local airports to let people know that I'm willing to provide free pilot services. Would the FAA look at this type of flying as "compensation" even though I'm not looking to make a penny? If someone asks me to fly their airplane from point A to point B, would I fall under the "pro-rata share" regulation even though I'd be exercising my Commercial privileges but hire for free? It never occured to me to ask back in the training days if you can exercise your Commercial privileges but being compensated for free. I know this sounds ridiculous but I'm just looking for creative ways to go out flying for someone for free. Thanks for any responses.

Have you tried submitting your resume to Mesa?

 

[Pattern-Master]

Come on dude, everyone stop posting these will fly for free posts. Go get your CFI and fly your a$$ off and have fun, and make a few bucks while your at it. I built up over 1600 hours in a year and half of flight instructing and 300 hours of multi-engine as a MEI. Best thing I ever did! Now, if you don't want to instruct then I don't know what to tell ya there guy. Remember there's no short cuts unless you pay for it with alot of money.

 

[Flying Ninja]

Look, this isn't some flame bait. I don't have any money left to fly after paying big dollars to CAPT's flight training and not landing a job. I don't have money to get my CFI. My loan payments are already near $1000 per month which I still have to figure out how to make on a monthly basis.

What's wrong with wanting to provide a free service in something I enjoy doing?

P.S. I'm no longer interested in pursuing aviation as a career.

 

[A Squared]

Avoiding the whole "flying for free" philisophical debate here......

I'm a little unsure why you post that you have Private and Commercial SEL and MEL. You either have a private or you have a commercial (you could have private priveleges on a commercial certificate, but not for the class ratings) Anyway, I'm assuming that you do have a Commercial SEL and MEL certficate. Of course you can accept compensation, monetary or otherwise. that is the purpose of a commercial certificate, it allows you to accept compensation for flying. You can even hol;d out toe the public to do so. Someone can pay you to fly thier airplane, or you cn do it for free and log the time with no worries.

The thing that is *not* legal is providing charter services. If you are providing the airplane, or you arrange the lease, or you advertise transportaions services, now you are treading very close to being an uncertificated charter outfit, and you may get some unwanted attention from the FAA. But as long as all you're doing is flying somone elses airplane for them, from a legal standpoint, have at it. I'll leave it to others to heap coals of fire upon your head for flying for free.

 

[CA1900]

What's wrong with wanting to provide a free service in something I enjoy doing?

P.S. I'm no longer interested in pursuing aviation as a career.

The problem is that the rest of us are making aviation a career. We have serious loan payments to make, too, and having guys like you, willing to do my job "for fun," endangers our career and our livelihood.


Let me put it another way: You say you're not interested in pursuing this as a career. That's probably a good choice. What are you planning on doing to earn a living?

What if, five years down the road, I let everyone know that I'd be willing to do your chosen profession for free, in my spare time, just for fun? What if a lot of guys would? You'd find yourself out on the street, and you'd be swearing at the "whore" who made you unmarketable.

See the parallel here?

 

[SFL Accipiter]

Ninja,

Squared is right - although you may need a little FAR refresher (they usually beat you over the head with this one in commercial ground).

Check out http://www.avweb.com/news/avlaw/186346-1.html ("Traps For The Unwary: Business Flying And The 'Compensation Or Hire' Rule").

There's nothing wrong with advertising your piloting services for "Private Carriage." There is a problem when you start "holding out." Holding out is where you offer your services to the public (ie you become an illegal charter). You are not allowed to hold out unless you have an air carrier certificate (Squared - you wrote "You can even hol;d out toe the public to do so." - I think you meant that you can let people know that you'll fly them in their airplanes).

If you can find some doctor, lawyer, realestate hawk or hobbiest ("old" guys often like copilots) who has an airplane, I say all the power to you. Just know that there are a lot of other guys just like you pumping gas at airports who are looking for just this same thing!

Personally though, I agree with pattern-master. If it's one thing I've learned about flying it's that you've got to pay your dues. I know so many guys who are willing to work the line (that's cleaning lav and fueling airplanes) and who fly maybe once a week just so they can avoid instructing. My personal recommendation: get a job outside aviation to pay the bills while saving to get your CFI. Then get it and instruct. Instructing is NOT as bad as all those woosies out there say it is (is that flame bait enough anybody?) - even if you're in aviation as a hobby. Remember that anything worthwhile takes time, effort, and more often than not, money.

 

[BOHICAgain]

Look, this isn't some flame bait. I don't have any money left to fly after paying big dollars to CAPT's flight training and not landing a job. I don't have money to get my CFI. My loan payments are already near $1000 per month which I still have to figure out how to make on a monthly basis.

What's wrong with wanting to provide a free service in something I enjoy doing?

P.S. I'm no longer interested in pursuing aviation as a career.

so nothing left with the CAPT program?? no interviews?

What you can do is something like construction for like 6 months... since u are willing to fly for free use that money to get ur CFI.. go to ALL ATP
and in 14 days get CFI,II,MEI.... and if not send ur resume to everyone...every regional out there.. and if u dont want to get ur CFI...go get checked out at a FBO and maybe be someones safety pilot and meet people...

 

[SFL Accipiter]

The problem is that the rest of us are making aviation a career. We have serious loan payments to make, too, and having guys like you, willing to do my job "for fun," endangers our career and our livelihood.


Let me put it another way: You say you're not interested in pursuing this as a career. That's probably a good choice. What are you planning on doing to earn a living?

What if, five years down the road, I let everyone know that I'd be willing to do your chosen profession for free, in my spare time, just for fun? What if a lot of guys would? You'd find yourself out on the street, and you'd be swearing at the "whore" who made you unmarketable.

See the parallel here?

Woah. Give the guy a break - he's not talking about flying for Mesa or Gulfstream (as an FO) - he just wants to hobby fly at a "local airport" and wants to know the legality of doing so.

That said, you're absolutely right!