SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY AIRSHOW. B-17 RIDES WERE THOUGHT TO BE FREE; NOT AFFECTING THE ACFT'S AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS. SOME SEATS WERE SOLD; AFFECTING THE OPERATING PARAMETERS UNDER FAR PART 91.

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AT SHOW APPEARANCES; OUR MUSEUM OFTEN GIVES RIDES TO VIP'S AND NEWS MEDIA PEOPLE; AND NOTIFIES PLTS OF THIS BY CHKING THE APPROPRIATE BOX ON THE SHOW'S 'POOP SHEET.' IN THIS CASE; WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE MUSEUM WHICH SPONSORED THE SHOW HAD 'NEGLECTED TO MENTION' TO OUR MUSEUM THAT SOME OF THE SEATS HAD BEEN EFFECTIVELY SOLD FOR CASH. SINCE THE AIRPLANE; A BOEING B-17; IS CERTIFIED IN LIMITED CATEGORY; THE HOST MUSEUM SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS IS PROHIBITED (THEY; TOO; OPERATE ALL MANNER OF AIRPLANES). THE PAX ASSUMED THAT THEY HAD THE SAFETY OF A FULLY CERTIFIED PLANE -- FAR FROM TRUE! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE WERE 2 MUSEUMS INVOLVED. ONE OWNED THE ACFT; THE OTHER MUSEUM WAS THE SPONSOR OF THE AIR SHOW/DISPLAY. THE PURPOSE WAS TO RAISE MONEY FOR MUSEUM #2. RPTR STATED THAT SOMEONE WITHIN THAT #2 ORGANIZATION BECAME OVER ZEALOUS AND SOLD AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF SEATS FOR $300 EACH. NORMALLY THE SEATS WERE ASSIGNED 'FREE' TO PRESS AND OTHER VIP'S ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS AS A 'COURTESY.' THE ACFT IS OPERATED UNDER FAR PART 91. THE B-17 IS A LIMITED CATEGORY ACFT. WHEN OR IF (NOT EVER PLANNED ON DOING) 'PAYING' PAX WOULD BE ON BOARD; THE PART 91 OP WOULD HAVE BEEN NULLIFIED OR ALTERED WITHIN THE AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS; NOT FOR WHAT THE ORGANIZATION CAN DO BUT WHAT THE ACFT CAN DO. RPTR SAID THAT THEIR MUSEUM GROUP WAS VERY UNHAPPY WITH MUSEUM 2 GROUP AND DID EXPLAIN THAT THE SALE OF SEATS AFFECTED AND COMPROMISED THE VALIDITY OF THE ACFT'S INSURANCE CLAUSES. HE SAID THAT THE 'SELLERS' SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER AND THAT PROCS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT THESE 'FREE' RIDES ARE OFFERED. (ALWAYS SOMEONE TO MUCK THINGS UP...)