"Pat Barry" wrote in message ...

Renting out an aircraft is a commercial operation in itself,

Renting out an aircraft (without a pilot) isn't any kind of operation as far as the FAA
is concerned.

and an aircraft
cannot be used in any operation for compensation or hire beyond the currency of
the 100 hours inspection. An application can be given to the FAA whereby the
FAA can extend this by ten hours - but that is the only break there is.

I can assure you that when a plane is out of a hundred hour inspection that it
cannot be rented out.

And I can assure you, you are completely wrong. The rule says "carrying passengers
for hire." Rental is not carrying passengers for hire. The FAA has issued an official
ruling on this. I will repost it here as people insist on repeating this bogosity:

May 3, 1984
In Reply Refer To: ACE-7

Mr. Perry Rackers
Jefferson City Flying Service
PO Box 330
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Dear Mr. Rackers
This is in reply to your request of May 1, 1984, that we render an opinion regarding the applicability of the 100-hour
inspections requirement of Section 91.169(b) of the Federal Aviation Regulations to rental aircraft.
Section 91.169(b) of the Federal Aviation Regulations provides that, except as noted in Section 91.169(c), a person may not
operate an aircraft carrying any person, other than a crewmember, for hire, and may not give flight instruction for hire in an
aircraft which that person provides unless, within the previous 100 hours of time in service, the aircraft has received either an
annual or a 100-hour inspection.
If a person merely leases or rents an aircraft to another person and does not provide the pilot, that aircraft is not required by
Section 91.169(b) of the Federal Aviation Regulations to have a 100-hour inspection. As noted above, the 100-hour inspection is
required only when the aircraft is carrying a person for hire, or when a person is providing flight instruction for hire, in their
own aircraft.
If there are any questions, please advise us.

Sincerely,
/s/
Joseph T. Brennan
Associate Regional Counsel