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CFI doing paid sightseeing tours with PPL pilot logging PIC?

Asked by: 1301 views Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Private Pilot

Here is the context: there is a club doing regular city sightseeing tours with passengers paying for the whole flight, with the departure and arrival airport being the same.

Is it legal for the sightseeing tour pilot, a CFI with a 2nd class med, to bring a pilot with PPL on board so that the PPL pilot could also log PIC time, but not acting as PIC? In this way, the PPL pilot could log PIC time with no cost since the sightseeing passengers are paying for the flight, with the CFI as the acting PIC. The PPL pilot gets no pay, but just logging PIC time.

Is it legal or are there other concerns?

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1 Answers



  1. Dimka on Jul 01, 2021

    The private pilot can not log the time as PIC because it is a common carriage/for-hire flight, the private pilot is not a required crew member, and I assume the airplane used does not need a SIC.

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