Says They Fall Under The Category Of ‘Holding Forth’ For Carrying Passengers

Aero-News April 1 Special Edition

The FAA has published an amendment to its recently-released Advisory Circular that includes a ban on the use of airport bulletin boards by pilots who are looking to share expenses for flights.

The AC outlined the agency’s position on the use of such things as Internet postings and mobile apps as ways to connect pilots with passengers who might be going to the same destination. But the time-honored practice of posting on the airport bulletin board was left alone.

In the amendment published on the Federal Register, the agency now says those hand-written notes posted at an airport amount to “holding forth” … advertising a service provided for compensation.

“We can’t allow any wiggle room,” said FAA General Counsel Charlie Trippe. “When we say no compensation for private pilots, we take that seriously. We know flying is expensive, and a passenger can still chip in for gas, but we’re not going to allow any kind of advertising. I know this has been a tradition for years, but with the proliferation of ridesharing, it started getting out of hand, and we need to shut it down while we can. The bulletin board was a slippery slope.”

The ban goes into effect immediately April 1.

FMI: www.faa.gov