PRIVATE PILOT: Can you be reimbursed?

Hey #Avgeeks, Al here!

There is so much grey area in the most recent Flight Training Blog post from Boldmethod. Its enough to drive you crazy! Lets take a look at the scenario again:

You're a private pilot and you own an airplane. Your boss offers to pay for your fuel and tie-down on a business trip. Can you take the money? Check out the full scenario and tell us what you think.

(Tune into our LIVE discussion on SimpleFlight.net radio - Sunday, March 2nd at 8pm CST)

Aircraft:Cirrus SR-22

Scenario:You work as a salesman for an aviation parts company in Wichita, KS, and there's an upcoming sales conference that you need to attend in Dallas, TX. Another salesman for the company has a product demo at the same time in Oklahoma City, OK.

Your boss offers to cover your fuel and tie-down fees if you fly your SR-22 to the conference. He also asks you to bring the other salesman to their product demo in Oklahoma City, drop them off, and pick them up when you are done with the conference.

What do you think? Can your boss pay you to cover the fuel and tie-down? 

Do you know where to look to find the answer? Finding the answer to this is a great exercise in learning where to look in the FAR’s. We commonly hear of part 91, part 61, part 135 and the list goes on (Parts 1-1399 to be exact!). Most general aviation flying happens under Parts 61 and Part 91 so its easy to quickly identify that the answer lies in one of these parts.

Here is a simple tool (which is a series of three questions) on how to figure where to look into the regulations. This tool is designed to allow you to step back from the issue and look at the core of what you are really asking yourself. Your answer to the question will be the trigger to direct you to the appropriate part. So, check out this tool to help you work through the problem.

“Is this question asking something about me being pilot in command on this flight?”

• [YES or NO] - If yes go to Part 61. 
  

“Is this question asking about something I can do in the air during this flight?”

• [YES or NO] - If yes go to Part 91.
  

Is this question asking something about the airplane I am using for this flight?”

• [YES or NO] - If Yes go to Part 91.

Let’s apply this to the original question again. Remember we want to step back and ask ourselves what is the question really asking? That’s when we apply the tool. Let’s try it.

“Can your boss pay you to cover the fuel and tie-down?”

If we stand back from the question and try to figure out what its really asking we can figure out where to look. Once we apply the real question to the tool on where to look in the FAR's we are set off in a good direction on finding the real advice.

The real question is asking if the pilot in command can be paid back for the fuel and other operating expenses based on having a private pilot certificate?

“Is this question asking something about me being pilot in command on this flight?”

• [YES or NO] - If yes go to Part 61. 
  

“Is this question asking about something I can do in the air during this flight?”

• [YES or NO] - If yes go to Part 91.
  

Is this question asking something about the airplane I am using for this flight?”

• [YES or NO] - If Yes go to Part 91.
  

Does this help you get a little bit closer to the answer?


Make sure to tune in at 8PM CST on Simple Flight Radio for a LIVE discussion about this with Aleks and Colin from Boldmethod. Also make sure to cast your official vote here on whether you can be reimbursed or not.