Regional Airline Policy

[RichardFitzwel9]

The policy varies from company to company.

The companies that I have flown for do not care one bit if you say flight instruct outside the company AS LONG AS you DO NOT exceed 1000 hrs. in a calender year (total of all paid flying). That is a FAR limit for 121 commercial pilots and can't be exceeded.

The usual procedure to get approval is to go to your chief pilot's office and get a form signed by them. That's it.

Trust me though, it'll be the last thing you'll want to do after 4-5 days on the road. If you do any extra flying, you'll want to do it for yourself!

Actually I don't believe that Flight Instruction qualifies as "Commercial Flying". Check out the Federal Register from April 4, 1997, there's a final ruling from the FAA in there concerning medical certificates and flight instructing....

Here is an except:

"With respect to the holding of medical certificates by a flight instructor, the FAA has determined that the compensation a certificated flight instructor receives for flight instruction is not compensation for piloting the aircraft, but rather is compensation for the instruction. A certificated flight instructor who is acting as pilot in command or as a required flight crewmember and is receiving compensation for his or her flight instruction is only exercising the privileges of a private pilot. A certificated flight instructor who is acting as pilot in command or as a required flight crewmember and receiving compensation for his or her flight instruction is not carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire, nor is he or she, for compensation or hire, acting as pilot in command of an aircraft. Therefore, because a certificated flight instructor who is acting as pilot in command or as a required flight crewmember and is receiving compensation for his or her flight instruction is exercising the privileges of a private pilot, he or she only needs to hold a third-class medical certificate. "

 

[skydiverdriver]

Yup. I don't think instructing counts, but our ops manual specifically states flight instruction, so you should discuss it with the chief pilot. I also know that flying skydivers is not considered commercial flying, as the jumpers are paying to jump, not to fly. That's why you can legally do formation flights with jumpers on board.

Honestly, you may not believe me, but most pilots give up flying small planes when they start flying for a living. I didn't believe it either, but honestly, who wants to take on the liability to instruct someone when you might lose your airline job if something goes wrong? You might still do a few BFR's or instrument checks for your friends, but actually having a schedule with students would be nearly impossible while on reserve. Just another thing to think about. Good luck.