Before you advertise or invite anyone
- I am flying as a private individual and am not employed or contracted as the pilot
- The aircraft is a non-complex motor-powered aircraft (a Part-21 aeroplane or helicopter, or a UK-registered permit aircraft or microlight)
- There will be no more than 6 people on board including me (4 on a LAPL(A) or NPPL(A), 2 in a microlight)
- Any advert is placed by me and states the flight is a private arrangement not conducted in accordance with CAT safety standards
- The advert includes the start and end locations and the date I am available
- The advert includes my licence type, medical certificate or declaration, total hours, and hours on type in the last 3 months
- I have not offered a flight to any destination and time of the passenger's choosing
Before the flight
- Only fuel, oil, airfield charges and aircraft hire at the market rate are being shared
- No passenger is paying more than an equal share, and I am paying at least mine
- I am paying all other costs (insurance, maintenance, club fees) myself
- Every passenger has been told the flight does not meet commercial air transport safety standards
- Every passenger (or someone with legal authority for them, for under-18s) has signed a declaration, unless they hold or have held a pilot's licence
- Each record shows the date, aircraft type and registration, departure and arrival, the information on differences and risks compared with CAT, and the passenger's name, contact details and signature or other means of indicating acceptance
- I have 3 take-offs, approaches and landings in the last 90 days in this class or type (with one at night for a night flight, unless I hold an IR)
- My insurance covers cost sharing with passengers
After the flight
- Each passenger has paid no more than their equal share of the actual direct costs
- I am keeping every passenger record for 6 months from the date of the flight
- I can produce the records if asked by a CAA-authorised person or a constable
splitmyflight.com - free cost-sharing compliance for UK pilots. Passenger declarations and records handled for you. Not legal advice; check the latest CAP 1590.
Use this checklist for every cost-shared flight. Print it, or save it as a PDF with the button above, and tick each item off as you go. It is grouped in the order you'll meet each requirement: before you invite anyone, before you fly and after you land.
Every item comes from the rules in force since 1 October 2025: NCO.GEN.102 for Part-21 aircraft, article 13 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 for permit aircraft and microlights, and the CAA's guidance in CAP 1590.
The items people most often miss
- Hours on type in the advert. The advert needs your total hours and your hours on the advertised type in the three months before you place it. See advertising cost-sharing flights.
- Declarations before take-off. The passenger record must be completed before the flight, not afterwards. What passengers must sign covers what goes in it and who is exempt.
- Your own share. Since October 2025 a token pilot contribution is no longer enough. No passenger can pay more than an equal share, so you always pay at least yours. The calculator works it out.
- Annual costs. Insurance, maintenance and club membership can't be shared, even if they feel like part of the cost of the flight. See what counts as a direct cost.
Let the paperwork take care of itself
The "before the flight" and "after the flight" sections are where Split My Flight helps most. It sends each passenger the required safety information, collects their signed declaration online before you fly and keeps the records for you, so the six-month retention rule is covered without a filing cabinet.
Prefer paper? Print the free passenger declaration form and keep the completed copies with this checklist.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to use the CAA's own declaration form?
- No. The record can be on paper or electronic, in the CAA's template format or your own, as long as it contains the minimum content set out in AMC1 NCO.GEN.102(g) and each passenger signs or otherwise indicates acceptance before the flight.
- How long do I keep the paperwork?
- Keep each passenger record for six months from the date of the flight. If the same passenger flies with you again within 6 calendar months, you can update the original record and keep it for a further six months from the repeat flight.
- Who can ask to see my records?
- An Authorised Person, which means a constable or anyone authorised by the CAA. You must be able to produce the records when asked.
This guide summarises the CAA's published guidance and is not legal advice. Always check the latest version of CAP 1590 before you fly. Compliance remains the responsibility of the pilot in command.
Related guides
Is my flight legal? A cost-sharing decision flowchart
Eight yes-or-no questions that tell you whether your flight qualifies as a legal UK cost-shared flight under the rules in force since October 2025.
What passengers must sign, and how long to keep records
Every cost-sharing passenger needs a signed safety declaration before the flight, kept for 6 months. What it must contain, who is exempt and what to keep.
Advertising cost-sharing flights: what the law requires
Seven items every cost-sharing advert must include, who can place it, and how the rules apply on Wingly, Facebook and forums. With an example compliant advert.