Help:is this legal or not?

[yctx]

Here is the case needs help:

An aircraft owner is now giving a good offer for private pilot to build flight time. A company hires some airplanes and comercial pilots to fiy comercial patrols. The airplane owner offer private pilots to fly the patrol job with instructors or comercial pilots. The airplanes and the instructors (or comercial pilots) are hired and paid but the private pilots are not. The private pilots fly in the patrol with instructors or comercial pilots( the private under hood) and paid for the flight for a really cheap price every hour.

Is this leagal or not? I am confused about that. I think the private pilots got a good deal and still pay for his flight hourly, but someone said it is illeagal. Does anybody know that?

[bluesideup]

It seems legal. Whoever is at the controls will log PIC. The time may be logged regardless of who is on the flight plan. The other pilot will also log PIC if he is an insructor or Commercial pilot.

[yctx]

Thank you.

But I am not clear about your last sentence. If the other pilot is a commecial pilot (not instructor), can he log PIC time regardless of whether the private pilot is under hood or not? To my understanding, only when the private pilot under hood, could the other one (commercial) log as PIC .

[bluesideup]

If the other pilot is on the flight plan he can log it too. Does it really matter if only the two pilots are in the cockpit. Seems to me it is whatever the crew says it is.