Both of your quoted examples were for pilots conducting flight instruction while being paid and working for a certificate holder. Free-lance doesn't mean providing instruction for free. I don't believe either of those interpretations can be construed to imply that providing flight instruction at my own discretion while not charging the student (i.e. family, friends, etc) counts as "other commercial flying."

Isn't your airline a certificate holder?

Like I stated, do what your career can stand. For me, my extracurricular flying will be limited to personal and military reserve flying.

Your airline is a certificate holder. The examples above were talking about flight instruction for that same certificate holder in a part 61 or part 141 capacity. That was interpreted as an assignment by the same certificate holder. They also reference that flight instruction performed for pay that is "free-lance" in nature (i.e. not for the same certificate holder that you performed 135 operations for) is not counted against your daily totals so long as it is performed after the 135 flying. It does count towards your yearly and monthly totals though.

My contention is that no where does it address instructing for personal reasons. E.g., you brother/sister wants to learn how to fly, so you find an airplane that you have access to and provide them training pro bono. They pay for the cost of the aircraft. Some are contending that the FAA sees that logged flight experience as compensation. I was asking for an interpretation that stated that as a fact. The above articles do not address that situation. They only address instruction you provide to a customer for a fee, which is the definition of "other commercial flying."

cbire880 it really depends on who you talk to. Give your FSDO in the area a call and see what they say. If they say you can still accept money then just grab their name and do it. I spoke with some guys at the Houston FSDO and they said since you weren't required to have a class two medical that you could flight instruct for pay. Also by the definitions of "Holding out" etc. it's the only form of flying for pay you can do and not be breaking those rules. In reality it's a gray area. One they never really worried about fixing. There are several instances where it goes one way and several where it goes another. To get an actual answer would require small adjustments in many different areas. The examples you gave were more about a company you work for requiring you to instruct while on required rest for that company. Not for the individual. So it's up to whoever wants to to call/write someone and get it in writing or at least get a name of the person you talked to in the event someone else tries to tell you otherwise. It is not your job to interpret the regs. If there is not clear cut answer then an answer from the FAA will suffice. So give them a call and find out. On a separate issue I once spoke to three different Feds about a subject and each gave a completely different answer so it could be a crap shoot.