Pilot Your Dreams: Conquer the FAA Ground School Exam 2026!

The correct answer is that a private pilot may receive payment for carrying passengers if the passengers donate to a non-profit organization. This option aligns with the regulations surrounding private pilots and compensation. Under the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), a private pilot can share the costs of a flight with passengers, but the key condition for receiving actual payment is that it must be for a charitable purpose associated with a non-profit organization.

In contrast, the other choices do not meet the regulatory requirements for compensation. Simply flying at night does not change the regulations regarding passenger compensation; private pilots are still bound by the same rules regardless of the time of flight. The phrase about covering expenses refers to the scenario where pilots share costs like fuel, which is allowable, but it must be done on an equal basis rather than as a payment, ensuring no profit is made. Fuel costs being shared equally among passengers is also permissible but does not imply that the pilot can receive payment beyond sharing the operational costs. Likewise, while passengers can cover costs to some degree, it should not indicate that the pilot is making a profit from the flight. Thus, recognizing the distinction between charitable contributions and operational costs is essential in understanding why the correct condition relates to donations for non-profit organizations.