Yes to Plane Sharing

With the likes of Uber, arranging ridesharing in automobiles via the Internet is common in todays hi-tech culture. Not so with similar programs to share private airplane seats. If you follow aviation news from sources like AVweb, youre undoubtedly at least aware that Flytenow, Airpooler and similar services using the Internet to unite pilots with passengers willing to share expenses have been shut down by the FAA. The FAA essentially claims that the use of the Internet magically makes that a commercial activity.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA has shut down online services like Flytenow that facilitated private airplane expense sharing, deeming their internet use as commercial activity despite a long-standing rule allowing pilots to share flight costs with passengers.
• The author argues that, with proper safety oversight, enabling online flight sharing would significantly benefit general aviation by helping pilots maintain skills, making flights more economically viable, and introducing more people to private aviation.
• This restrictive FAA ruling is seen as counterproductive to general aviation's growth and innovation, especially when compared to the widespread acceptance of internet-based ridesharing for automobiles.

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