Originally Posted by
rickair7777
1. Yes the IRS would consider that income, if they found out which may not be likely.
It seems a moderator has already extinguished comments addressing this, but in short, a pilot flying a charter isn't liable for taxes based on the cost of the airplane: he logs the time, but he's taxed on his wages. The flight instructor logs the time, but isn't taxed on the rental cost of the airplane: he's taxed on his income for providing instruction or pilot services.
The question of one who isn't accepting a wage, but logging the time doesn't place the flight time in a different light so far as whether it's a wage. The FAA certainly considers the logging of flight time as compensation, but the Federal Aviation Regulation is not the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the FAA's view doesn't necessarily impose a tax burden.
Originally Posted by
rickair7777
2. How are you logging it? If the boss lets you be the PIC for free that's legal to log. But if he's logging it, you probably cannot. Not legal to log dual for an operation like that, there has to be some reason for instruction to occur, other than time building.
Two people may log pilot in command. A flight instructor, acting as an authorized instructor, may log that time spent acting as an authorized instructor as pilot in command time. There is no requirement that the instructor be teaching stalls or steep turns. The instructor may be teaching ground reference in orbiting a crash scene while looking for traffic, or something along those lines, too. That said, the FAA does not view simply riding along as instruction: you must be giving instruction or acting as an authorized instructor, to log the time. Simply being present and holding a flight instructor certificate is insufficient.
Also, and more importantly, if you do act as an authorized instructor, you must document it: you must endorse the student's log or training record, and you must keep a permanent record. If you're not doing this, and you're logging the time as an instructor, you're opening up another line of legal jeopardy for your FAA certification. If you are logging it correctly and your "student" has a mishap, especially after a questionably long period of giving the same "instruction," you may find yourself on the hot seat with insurance subrogation or party to a civil suit. When you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other.
Originally Posted by
rickair7777
3. Professional pilots cringe when people talk about flying for free.
Yes. There was commentary on this; someone saw fit to delete it, rather than move it over here.