The FAA is warning potential customers of aviation ride sharing apps likened to “Uber for airplanes,” that their trip might not meet the normal standards for fly-for-hire journeys. “If you pay for a charter flight you are entitled to a higher level of safety than is required from a free flight from a friend,” the agency said in an unusually pointed public statement. “Among other things, pilots who transport paying passengers must have the required qualifications and training, are subject to random drug and alcohol testing, and the aircraft used must be maintained to the high standards that the FAA’s charter regulations require.” At the same time it sent a letter to San Francisco-based BlackBird saying that its pilots must meet the terms of Part 119 operations.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-warns-customers-away-from-aircraft-ride-share-app