"Common purpose" and taking your friends up

[Bonchie]

Let's say you have your Private. You want to go flying and don't want to go alone. You call your friend up and see if he wants to come flying for a pro rata share. He agrees.

Does this count as "common purpose?"

And let's say the answer is "no, because you might of just been doing it to build flight time so you wouldn't share a common purpose." Ok. How does the FAA know/prove that your motive wasn't simply to go on a joyride with your friend who also wants to go on a joyride?

Also, how does the FAA enforce pro rata payments? Can they do some kind of audit on your expenses? Is it purely honor system along with spot enforcement (i.e. FBO reports you)?

 

[Jim Logajan]

Also, how does the FAA enforce pro rata payments? Can they do some kind of audit on your expenses?

I do not recall seeing anything in the statute that create and define the FAA that grant it authority to perform such audits. On one hand there exists an explicit authority to perform criminal background checks, and then only for the purposes of certification, but on the other hand I don't see any other such explicit authority.

Is it purely honor system along with spot enforcement (i.e. FBO reports you)?

Somebody has to be motivated to report you, yes. The FAA makes the determination whether the report and evidence is credible enough to begin an investigation.

In general I think a lot of people incorrectly worry about such things when flying with friends and family.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Agreed.

This is the most nit picky portion of flying.
I am going to get my commercial and put a meter in the plane.

Add an Air Carrier or Operating certificate and you'll be OK. Except for all the extra things you also have to do to operate within the requirements of those certificates....