REPORTER RAISES QUESTION ABOUT LEGALITY OF PASSENGER ABOARD ACFT DURING AIR SHOW FLY BY.

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WHILE TAXIING OUT TO THE RUN UP PAD; THE FAA OR THE AIR BOSS OVER THE GND CTL FREQ ASKED IF THE ACFT HAS PAX ONBOARD OR CARRIED REQUIRED CREW ONLY. WE OPERATE THE LTT WITH A CREW CHIEF AND OUR OPERATING PROCS SHOW THIS AND THIS IS HOW I REPLIED TO THE AIR BOSS. THE OTHER LTT DID HAVE PEOPLE ONBOARD BUT WAS PLANNING ON LEAVING THE SHOW AND RETURNING TO HOME BASE AFTER HIS 3 PASSES. THIS IS AN ACCEPTED PROC AT AIR SHOWS IF THE ACFT DO NO AEROBATICS; ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT WRITTEN. HE DID LEAVE THE AREA AFTER HIS 3 PASSES. WE WERE NOT THE ONLY ACFT QUESTIONED. I MET WITH THE FAA AFTER I LANDED AND WE DISCUSSED OUR OPERATING PROCS AND AIR SHOW POLICIES. THEY INDICATED THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH OUR OPERATING PROCS BUT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CHK ALL ACFT AT THE SHOW. I BELIEVE WE OPERATED CORRECTLY BUT PLAN TO SEE THE LOCAL GADO TO CHK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. CONVERSATION REVEALED THE FSDO AND THE FAA HAVE NOT COME TO ANY CONCLUSION YET. SEEMS PROC HAS DEVELOPED AT AIR SHOWS IF NO ACROBATICS AND JUST FLY BY AND THEN ACFT ARE DEPARTING; THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR SUPPORT PEOPLE ONBOARD AND LEAVING AFTER FLY BY. APPARENTLY RECENT ACCIDENTS WITH MORE THAN JUST CREW ONBOARD HAVE GOTTEN THE FAA'S ATTN AND RPTR HOPES THEY COME UP WITH DECISION BEFORE NEXT SPRING AIR SHOWS START.