Commercial Pilot 101

Question 0

As a Commercial Pilot, there are a certain types of operations you can perform and get paid for without working for a commercial operator or having a “operating certificate.” They are:

Answer 0

Student instruction
Non stop sightseeing 
ferry flights
Flight training
Aerial work that includes crop dusting, banner towing, aerial photography, and pipeline patrol.

Question 1

What are the privileges of a Commercial Pilot?

Answer 1

May act as PIC for hire to simply fly an airplane or carry persons or property for hire as long as the pilot is adhering to whatever CFR that governs the operation: part 91,121,135,137

Just because you can get paid, it doesn’t mean you are a commercial operator. The certificate allows you to work for a commercial operator.

Question 2

What is a commercial operator?

Answer 2

A person, or enterprise other than air carriers, that operates a business with the purpose of doing business by carrying people or property for hire.

If it is a major source of income, then it is a commercial operation.

If the income is incidental to his/her other business, then perhaps not. A casino owner flies high rollers in to Vegas on private jets. They don’t charge them to fly but they make their money back at the casino.

Question 3

Define common carriage

Answer 3

Like a public transportation or even the airlines, common carriage, as the result of advertising or “holding out”, is the willingness to make your services available to generally anybody.

Question 4

Define holding out

Answer 4

Holding out can be advertising your services or even gaining the reputation that you will hire yourself out to most anybody. Even being picky about what you carry for hire can be considered holding out.

Question 5

Define private carriage

Answer 5

Carriage for hire that doesn’t involve holding out or advertising. The contracts are usually for a select few and cannot be too consistent or lengthy.

If someone approaches you without holding out and offers to pay you to fly his plane, or a rental, in order to deliver a package, it is legal and is private carriage.

Question 6

What must you carry on you when flying as a commercial pilot?

Answer 6

A photo ID
Pilot certificate
Medical