A word from the other side of the fence..
Interesting discussion...
As a PPL(H) I would gladly ferry helicopters for free - no doubt about that. When I do I usually pay the air-fares to get to wherever the machine is and then back home. We all want hours, and I have four types to keep alive pending a CPL(H) to come at my 50th birthday (hope, hope).
I have never heard of an owner who asks a PPL-guy to "take some of his friends for a ride". What I have heard of is questionable "cost-sharing" ventures.
According to the regs it is OK to share costs, and I guess that a totally biased sharing situation would not hold up in court - like $1000 for you, $1000 for him and $1 for me. If four guys (or gals, for that matter) want to go skiing and use a helicopter for it, one of them holding a PPL(H), what's wrong with that? The important factor is that the PPL(H)-person should never ever try to give the impression that he is anything more than a private pilot who can't WORK as a pilot.
The good old "company pilot" rules say that if your main task is NOT flying the company jet, or helicopter, you can do it within the framwork of your employment. With just a PPL.
The really bad side of all this are - in my humble opinion - things like:
- A PPL posing as CPL
- Owners of charter companies (with PPL) who jumps in a takes an important flight when no employed pilot is available (has happened in Sweden)
- Taking on paying passengers without a valid AOC - PPL or CPL alike.
I don't beleive this is a major problem in my country. There are cases, sure, and I know of quite a few. But rest assured, the incident mentioned above and the press surrounding it has made the general public much more aware of factors such as AOC, CPL and rules®s. The Swedish civil aviation authorites has info about this on their web-site (first page) with easily accessable lists of all valid AOC's.
I do get the impression that it is worse in the UK, though. How bad is it? Examples? Accidents?
All the best,
Happy CPL(H) in Sweden