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Gr8laker2T1A
09-28-2011, 02:50 PM
I was wondering if anyone knew the rules about donating aircraft rides for Charities? I wanted to offer a free flight for our Church fund raiser. Someone told me it is not allowed for an Experimental Aircraft. Is that true?

Bill Greenwood
09-28-2011, 03:50 PM
You can certainly do a free ride for someone in an ex type aircraft; as long as no charge is made. There are some exceptions. The church could not sell the ride.

rosiejerryrosie
09-29-2011, 08:23 AM
If you wanted a way around this, I think the church could raffle off a lunch at a local restaurant that included a ride in your airplane....

FlyingRon
10-03-2011, 07:04 AM
I went through this with our church fundraisers. No matter how you weasel it, it's getting pretty tough. There are specific and onerous requirements in 91.146 for even those flying aircraft with standard certificates. Experimentals are right out.

hastings
10-04-2011, 07:43 AM
"Flying Ron" is correct, donating aircraft rides to a charity orgainzation falls under 91.146 which mandates it be done in type certificated (standard category) aircraft. Sorry no experimental aircraft allowed for this type of operation. That said if you have a friend who owns a type certificated aircraft and would like to either do it them selves or to local you their aircraft for the charity flight, then by all means proceed. Finally, there is nothing that prohibits you from renting a type certificated aircraft for the flight. For flights donated to a charity event under 91.146 the pilot may be reimbused up to the pro rata protion of flight expenses (91.146(b)(7)). Please read 91.146 to learn all the aspects of this FAA rule. Randy Hansen, EAA Government Relations Director

FlyingRon
10-04-2011, 01:29 PM
Right as pointed out there are MORE things involved than just using a certificated aircraft. It's enough to suggest I can help the church raise money a different way.

slin
10-04-2011, 02:45 PM
Right as pointed out there are MORE things involved than just using a certificated aircraft. It's enough to suggest I can help the church raise money a different way.

I'll take a contrary view here - I do a couple of charity flights each year for my daughters' schools and don't find it to be too onerous to comply with 91.146. In the case here, I guess the hardest part would be coming up with a certified plane. But, if it's easy for you to borrow or rent a suitable plane, it's not otherwise too bad. As others have said, make sure you read 91.146 but basically you just have to make it a sight-seeing flight that stays within 25 miles of the airport and return to the same airport, and notify the FSDO in advance. I guess the worst part is that you can't actually fly "to" somewhere, but really most people going for a short airplane ride would rather fly around and see their house, school, etc. than actually go to a destination anyway.

Mike M
11-07-2011, 12:00 PM
"most people going for a short airplane ride would rather fly around and see their house, school, etc. than actually go to a destination anyway" yep, and if the flight is short, less chance they'll puke, which ruins both your day and their experience.

Bill Greenwood
11-07-2011, 12:27 PM
There is no need to have someone get sick by taking them for an airplane ride. Over the last 30 years I have done hundreds of rides in a number of different types of planes, from Piper J3 Cub and normal Mooney and Bonanza on up to a number of experimental planes including acro and fighter types.
I have done dozens of Young Eagle rides, can't recall anyone ever feeling sick at all.

In all that time, I have a had only a few people even get woozy. The only one who ever actually got sick was a man who is an Osh volunteer and who flew with me from Osh the 90 miles to Lake Lawn. He was fine until we got there and he was not ready to land, and wanted to "do some more" So we did some low and overs, hard turns and a roll. All this time, unknown to me he was trying to film it all through the lens of his camera. It was too much, and he did throw up. He pulled out his outer shirt over his mouth, did not get any mess in the plane. I really appreciated that. He washed his shirts during lunch and was ready and happy to fly back to Osh with me, nice and gentle, no problems. A great guy.
Any ride for a novice should be in great weather, not summer afternoon thermals, and real gentle. I let everyone fly, actually "require" even the reluctant ones to "hold the stick or wheel a minute to help me out". They get a kick out of it and they don't get sick when they are thinking about flying. Just like we might get sick riding in the back of a car on a bumpy, windy road, but not it we are driving ourself.
Airsickness is part mental, but by no means all. When my little sister was a little girl we went to Houston Hobby airport, the old terminal on the south side, to catch the DC 3 up to Dallas. She was so nervous about her first flight that she got sick in the terminal before we ever got on the plane. She never had a problem again.
Mark Twain, with some humor and much truth said seasickness was the worst disease because the others can kill you, but the sea can make you wish you were dead.

Check 6
11-07-2011, 04:15 PM
How about an S-LSA? They do not have a TC nor are they experimental.