A private pilot may fly almost anywhere in the United States, day or night, carry as many passengers as the aircraft has seats, and fly any aircraft for which they hold the category, class and any required type rating or endorsement. What a private pilot may not do is act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire, or be paid to fly. That single sentence, in 14 CFR 61.113(a), is the whole of the certificate's commercial limitation, and everything else in the regulation is an exception to it.
The exceptions are where people get into trouble, because they are narrower than they look. You may share costs, but only pro rata and only from a short list of expenses. You may be paid by an employer, but only if the flight is incidental to the business. You may fly a charity airlift, but only under conditions set out elsewhere in the rules. If you are working toward the certificate itself, our private pilot license course in Los Angeles covers the training; this page covers what the certificate lets you do once you have it.
The Rule In One Paragraph
14 CFR 61.113(a) provides that, except as otherwise provided in that section, no person who holds a private pilot certificate may act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire, and no such person may, for compensation or hire, act as pilot in command of an aircraft.
Read that twice, because it contains two separate prohibitions. The first is about the aircraft carrying people or freight for money. The second is about you being paid to be the pilot. Both have to be satisfied, and the FAA has consistently read "compensation" very broadly: it includes free flight time, fuel paid for by someone else, goodwill, reimbursement of expenses beyond the pro rata share, and anything else of value flowing to the pilot.
Sharing Costs: The Pro Rata Rule
14 CFR 61.113(c) allows a private pilot to pay no less than the pro rata share of the operating expenses of a flight with passengers, provided the expenses involve only fuel, oil, airport expenditures or rental fees.
The arithmetic is straightforward. Four people on board, including you, means you pay at least one quarter. Two people means you pay at least half. "Pro rata" is per person on board, not per passenger, and you cannot fly for free because three friends split the bill.
| People On Board (Including The Pilot) | Minimum The Pilot Must Pay | Maximum The Passengers May Contribute |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $150 | $150 |
| 3 | $100 | $200 |
| 4 | $75 | $225 |
Two further constraints do not appear in the words of the regulation but have been applied consistently by the FAA for decades, and any instructor or examiner will expect you to know them.
The first is common purpose. The pilot and the passengers must be going to the same place for a shared reason. If your passengers want to be in Santa Barbara and you are only flying because they want to go, you are providing transportation, not sharing a flight.
The second is holding out. You may not offer flights to the public, or to a segment of the public, in a way that suggests availability to carry whoever asks. Posting on a forum, a social media group or an app that you will fly people somewhere for a share of costs has repeatedly been treated as holding out, and it is the reason several ride-sharing flight apps were shut down.
Note also what is not on the list of shareable expenses: instructor fees, hangar costs, maintenance reserves, insurance, meals, and the value of your own time. Only fuel, oil, airport expenditures and rental fees.
Flying For Your Employer: The Incidental To Business Exception
14 CFR 61.113(b) allows a private pilot to act as pilot in command of an aircraft in connection with any business or employment if the flight is only incidental to that business or employment, and the aircraft does not carry passengers or property for compensation or hire.
The test is whether the flying is the point or merely the way you got there. A site engineer who flies to inspect a project and is paid a salary for the engineering is flying incidentally. A salesperson who flies to a meeting and is reimbursed mileage is usually fine. A company that pays you specifically to move its staff or its parts around is not, and neither is a job where the flying is a substantial part of what you are employed to do.
This is genuinely a gray area at the edges and it is worth an honest warning: if your employer wants you to fly colleagues, talk to an aviation lawyer before you accept, not after. The consequences of being wrong are certificate action and, more practically, an insurance policy that will not respond.
Charitable, Nonprofit And Community Event Flights
14 CFR 61.113(d) allows a private pilot to be reimbursed for the operating expenses of a flight in connection with a charitable, nonprofit or community event described in 14 CFR 91.146, provided the reimbursement is limited to fuel, oil, airport expenditures and rental fees, and the conditions of 91.146 are met.
Section 91.146 sets those conditions, which include notifying the local Flight Standards District Office in advance, limits on how many such events a pilot may fly in a year, minimum pilot experience, and requirements on the aircraft and the operation. If you are considering flying for a charity fly-in or a youth aviation day, read 91.146 itself and speak to the organizers about who is handling the notification.
Search Operations, Aircraft Sales, Towing And Flight Testing
Four further exceptions sit in the same section and each has a specific threshold.
- 61.113(e) — a private pilot may be reimbursed for operating expenses when conducting a search and location operation, provided the operation is sanctioned and under the direction and control of a local, state or federal agency, or an organization that conducts such operations.
- 61.113(f) — a private pilot who is an aircraft salesman and who has at least 200 hours of logged flight time may demonstrate an aircraft in flight to a prospective buyer.
- 61.113(g) — a private pilot may act as pilot in command of an aircraft towing a glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle, provided the pilot meets the requirements of 14 CFR 61.69.
- 61.113(h) — a private pilot may act as pilot in command for the purpose of conducting a production flight test in a light-sport aircraft intended for certification in the light-sport category, provided the pilot has at least 100 hours of pilot-in-command time in the category and class of aircraft flown, and the aircraft is unoccupied other than by the pilot.
Each of those is narrow, and each has been the subject of enforcement action when stretched. They are not general-purpose loopholes.
BasicMed: Flying Without A Medical Certificate
14 CFR 61.113(i) is the BasicMed provision, and it sits in the privileges section rather than in the medical section because it is framed as a privilege of the private pilot certificate. A private pilot may act as pilot in command without holding a medical certificate issued under Part 67, provided they hold a valid US driver's license, comply with its restrictions, and meet the education and examination requirements set out in the rule.
The operating limits that come with it are specific.
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Aircraft occupancy | Authorized to carry not more than 7 occupants |
| Maximum certificated takeoff weight | Not more than 12,500 pounds |
| Passengers carried | Not more than 6 |
| Altitude | Below 18,000 feet mean sea level |
| Indicated airspeed | Not exceeding 250 knots |
| Aircraft type excluded | Transport category rotorcraft certificated under Part 29 |
| Airspace | Within United States airspace, unless authorized by the country of operation |
| Operation for hire | Not permitted — the compensation limits of 61.113 still apply in full |
| Documents carried | Completed medical examination checklist and course completion certificate |
Two points people get wrong. BasicMed does not loosen the compensation rules at all; the 61.113(a) prohibition is untouched. And BasicMed requires that you have held a valid FAA medical certificate at some point after 14 July 2006, so it is not a route for someone who has never held one. Our sibling guide to BasicMed covers the course, the checklist and how it compares with a third class medical.
What A Private Pilot May Not Do Without More Training
Separately from the compensation rules, a private pilot certificate has limits that additional training removes.
- Instrument conditions. A private pilot without an instrument rating may not file or fly IFR, and must remain in visual meteorological conditions. The instrument rating under 14 CFR 61.65 is the fix.
- Complex and high-performance aircraft. 14 CFR 61.31(e) requires a logbook endorsement for complex airplanes, with retractable gear, flaps and a controllable-pitch propeller. 61.31(f) requires one for airplanes with more than 200 horsepower.
- Tailwheel, high altitude and pressurized aircraft. Each carries its own endorsement requirement in 61.31.
- A different category or class. A single-engine land rating does not cover multi-engine, seaplane, glider, helicopter or anything else.
Currency Is Not A Privilege, But It Governs One
Holding the certificate is not the same as being legal to use it.
- 14 CFR 61.56 — a flight review with an authorized instructor within the preceding 24 calendar months, consisting of at least one hour of flight training and one hour of ground training.
- 14 CFR 61.57(a) — to carry passengers, three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days in the same category, class and type if a type rating is required.
- 14 CFR 61.57(b) — to carry passengers at night, three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop within the preceding 90 days, during the period from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
- 14 CFR 61.23 — a current medical certificate, or BasicMed under 61.113(i).
None of these prevent you flying solo with a lapsed 90-day currency; they prevent you carrying passengers. The flight review is the one that stops you flying at all.
The Five Mistakes We See Most Often
- Charging for a scenic flight. Taking money to fly people over the Hollywood Sign is carrying passengers for compensation, and it is not fixed by calling it a cost share. Sightseeing for hire is governed by 14 CFR 91.147 and requires an operator with the appropriate authorization.
- Flying in exchange for exposure. A photographer who flies you for free in return for aerial images is giving you compensation, and the FAA has said so.
- Paying less than the pro rata share. Three friends paying the whole bill because you did the flying is the single most common breach, and it is also the easiest to avoid.
- Logging a flight for an employer that was really a charter. If the flying is what you are being paid for, the incidental-to-business exception does not apply.
- Assuming BasicMed changes the money rules. It does not. It changes only the medical requirement.
Related Reading
- Private pilot license requirements under 14 CFR 61.109 — the hours and the tests that get you the certificate.
- Types of pilot licenses — how the private certificate compares with sport, recreational, commercial and ATP.
- BasicMed — who qualifies, the limits, and how it compares with a third class medical.
- Commercial pilot license training — the certificate that removes the compensation limitation.
- The flight review — the 24-calendar-month requirement in 14 CFR 61.56.
- Instrument rating requirements — what it takes to fly in cloud legally.
Private Pilot Privileges FAQ
Can A Private Pilot Get Paid To Fly?
No. 14 CFR 61.113(a) prohibits acting as pilot in command for compensation or hire, and prohibits carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire. The narrow exceptions in paragraphs (b) through (h) cover business flights incidental to employment, charitable airlifts, search operations, aircraft demonstration, glider towing and light-sport production flight testing.
Can A Private Pilot Split The Cost Of A Flight With Passengers?
Yes, under 14 CFR 61.113(c), but only pro rata and only for fuel, oil, airport expenditures and rental fees. With four people on board the pilot must pay at least one quarter. The flight must also have a common purpose and must not be offered to the public.
How Many Passengers Can A Private Pilot Carry?
As many as the aircraft is certificated to carry, subject to weight and balance. There is no regulatory passenger limit on the private pilot certificate itself, unlike the sport pilot certificate, which is limited to one passenger.
Can A Private Pilot Fly At Night?
Yes. Night flying is a private pilot privilege and night training is part of the 14 CFR 61.109 requirements. To carry passengers at night you need three takeoffs and landings to a full stop in the preceding 90 days under 14 CFR 61.57(b).
Can A Private Pilot Fly For A Charity?
Yes, under 14 CFR 61.113(d), and reimbursement is limited to fuel, oil, airport expenditures and rental fees. The flight must be in connection with a charitable, nonprofit or community event that meets the conditions of 14 CFR 91.146, including advance notification to the FAA.
Can A Private Pilot Fly Their Employer's Airplane On Business?
Under 14 CFR 61.113(b), yes, if the flight is only incidental to the business or employment and the aircraft carries no passengers or property for compensation or hire. If the flying itself is what you are being paid for, the exception does not apply.
Does BasicMed Change What A Private Pilot May Be Paid For?
No. BasicMed in 14 CFR 61.113(i) replaces the medical certificate requirement only. Every compensation limitation in 61.113(a) applies unchanged, and BasicMed adds its own limits on occupants, weight, altitude and airspeed.
Can A Private Pilot Fly A Complex Or High-Performance Airplane?
Yes, with the logbook endorsements required by 14 CFR 61.31(e) for complex airplanes and 61.31(f) for airplanes with more than 200 horsepower. We teach both, in the Piper Arrow and the Cirrus SR22 Turbo respectively.
Get The Certificate, Then Use It Properly
Most of the trouble private pilots get into with 61.113 comes from good intentions and bad information. If you are training with us, this is a conversation we have long before your checkride. If you are already certificated and want a flight review that actually covers the regulations rather than ticking a box, call (818) 330-1318. If you have not started yet, a discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes and counts toward your training, or book a free consultation and we will map out the route. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, open every day from 9 AM to 9 PM.