Originally Posted by
Avroman
Yes, the FAA has ruled that is the case. That's why travel must be "incidental" You can't advertise even free flights with out an air carrier certificate, unless you were already going to make that flight for your own reason besides flight time.
The FAA has ruled that a CFI instructing is being compensated based on their CFI not their commercial certificate, which is why a CFI need only a 3rd class medical ( or none if the other pilot is current and qualified for the flight and acts as PIC ) But that CFI is indeed still being compensated as a pilot.
I think that ruling applies to a CFI being paid, not a CFI volunteering time on his side, and that certainly doesn't mean that is what the company means.
In any case though, just talk to your base chief pilot, it should be a non-issue.