I just don't see how free flying constitutes hire or reward.
Look at it another way. I, as a car owner, ask a friend to use my car to take my friends to the races, since I can't go. The friend kindly agrees to do so. He spends all day doing it, for no pay. I and everyone else would consider him a really good friend. Nobody would say isn't it great that he's getting all this free driving....even if the car happened to be a Ferrari!
But if I, as a helicopter owner, ask my friend to fly my friends to the races, and he agrees to do so, everyone complains about him getting free flying. But how do you know he wants free flying? How do you know he isn't just being a good friend? What makes you assume everyone wants to waste a whole day, just to get airborne.
Sorry, but in my book "hire or reward" means just that, ie money or similar. I'm not a lawyer, but I really don't see how free flying can be called hire or reward. Logically it makes no sense. Just because we CPls don't like it doesn't mean it's illegal.
Flying Lawyer, where are you when we need you?