The FAA has created a cesspool of regulations that they can't even interpret, but they still do and we never like the answers.
Was free flight time compensation when the fuel was lass than a dollar a gallon?
Tim, can I borrow your motorcycle to ride around the block, sure Joe no problem (non compensation)
Hey Tim, can I borrow your truck to drive around the block, sure Joe no problem (non compensation)
Hey Tim can I borrow your Arrow to fly around the pattern, Well no Joe that could be construed as compensation to you because I don't make you pay for the aircraft costs, but I am afraid to have you pay for the aircraft costs because that could be construed as a commercial operation. On the other hand I could fly you around the pattern myself but since I don't really have a reason to fly around the pattern I could be seen as operating a commercial operation, so I am just going to hangar my aircraft and not fly it anymore because there doesn't seem to be a way to fly it without breaking some little nitnoy regulation when I do so. That will at least make the people at the FAA happy, and we know it is all about them!!!
I know this scenario is not in and of itself 100% correct, but it is the jist of what I hear and read on a daily basis, so rather than typing another 20 pages of posts debating the merits of what I have typed just read it and move on. This is all I will have to say about it. Yeah I am having a bad day. I will deal with it.
And before you get all mad at me this is not directed at anyone, just my POed thoughts for the day