Hi

I'm just trying to figure out ...

We are running a charity lottery in the office where people donate things and we can buy tickets and the money goes to a charity (Movember). I was thinking to donate a flight over the city (pay 100% of the flight and do the flight), but I'm 'just' a PPL and trying to work out if I would need a CPL for that.

I'm reading the new CASA VFRG (5.0) and one of the limitations is

"public notice of the flight has not been given by any form of public advertisement or announcement"

Is a company internal email a public announcement?

Does the limitation refer to the simple fact that there will be a flight at some point or would this clause just apply when I say the flight goes on 1st of March at 2pm ?

I tried to find the exact text of CAR 2(7)(D) on comlaw but can't find it ?


Any Comments / Thoughts / Experiences?

Many Thanks!

Hi Alexi,
I got caught out with this one years ago when I only had a PPL and was living in the UK. I offered a flight as a prize in a raffle for Children in Need. Two days before the event, I found out it was actually a commercial operation (joyflight) and therefore had to be done by a CPL holder operating under an AOC, authorised for passenger charter. So, I didn't get to do the flight and since I was comitted to the prize, I ended up instead paying for a local flying school to run it as a TIF.
Admittedly, that was UK air law but the same principle applies here. If you take it from the viewpoint that the government is ultimately responsible for the safety of the general public, they need to be seen to be trying to protect innocent aircraft passengers by ensuring the pilots flying them around have a higher level of flight qualification. That means, potentially uninformed members of the public need to be protected by a CPL and an AOC.
Therefore, if you have a lottery running for members of the public (i.e. not family or friends) then, I feel it would be a commercial operation. However, if you want the definitive word, check with CASA.
Cheers,
Rich