Flexjet Management Promotes Calling Pilots while in Rest

[The Architect]

From the DO:

"All I am asking is that you leave your phone on along with Flexmobile during your assigned rest period. Leave texting or any other alerts off since there is always a chance of an erroneous message. There will be no repetitive emails or texts, no notifications from the company unless it's an urgent issue and not breaking your rest accept for operational purposes."

Translation: Leave your phone on so we can call you to cover a trip.

 

[kf4amu]

From the DO:

"All I am asking is that you leave your phone on along with Flexmobile during your assigned rest period. Leave texting or any other alerts off since there is always a chance of an erroneous message. There will be no repetitive emails or texts, no notifications from the company unless it's an urgent issue and not breaking your rest accept for operational purposes."

Translation: Leave your phone on so we can call you to cover a trip.

"accept"??? From a DO?

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

Sounds like the "rolling duty day" that FO had. You could count on 1-2 calls per 8 day rotation. I remember being sent to the hotel at 1800 with an expected duty on at 0700 only to be called at 0330 with a change. Travel local in nature didn't count.
Why are you tired? You had 10 hour off. Next comes the guilt trip. Its your fault that we had to put the burden on another crew.

 

[V1 Rotate]

From the DO:

"All I am asking is that you leave your phone on along with Flexmobile during your assigned rest period. Leave texting or any other alerts off since there is always a chance of an erroneous message. There will be no repetitive emails or texts, no notifications from the company unless it's an urgent issue and not breaking your rest accept for operational purposes."

Translation: Leave your phone on so we can call you to cover a trip.

This should've stayed on Yammer where it was originally posted. Why do Netjets and FLOPs and everyone else need to see this? You should post your response from here on Yammer instead. That being said, I'm no huge fan of what he's asking. I'm not on the list that he was referencing and I've had little to no trouble with the issue that he's discussing in my eight years nor is he asking you to do something illegal. You're still free to continue to not answer as you do now. Nothing is changing on my end.

 

[V1 Rotate]

"accept"??? From a DO?

I agree. All the typos from leadership is quite embarrassing at times. -_-

 

[OldCrow]

Some terms you might want to familiarize yourself with-
1. Could not duplicate
2. No defects noted
3. You have received this 10 in 24 warning
4. To be followed by another 10 in 24 warning
5. Realistically scheduled
6. 4 pilots per airplane crew ratio and were overstaffed or surplus
7. Sorry your the only plane we have to cover this trip
8. Sorry your PTO was denied due to understaffing
9. Generator, PAC and aux hyd pump removed from N? and installed on N?
10. Unfortunately we have to suspend your 401K match at this time for the next 5 years
even though we're profitable.
11. From Bob R, "please kindly call"
12. This item was placed on the NEF list - for 2 years
13. Ops check good
14. Complacency
15. Min rest
16. Your sick, we need a doctors note
17. Sorry but due to schedule change we cannot accommodate crew meals on this leg
18. To be followed by " we will try to get them after your next 4 hour leg"
19. CGF1 Arrival


I really am a middle of the road guy, perhaps even glass half full ( and a Member in Good Standing), but this is sooo true! 90% of the Flex guys I have meet on the road are just great...and I'm not the gloom and doom Guy. My point is: expect so see some VERY gray area MEL's, and pushing. I, like most of you, want to make mission and get'r done, but you are going to see (me thinks), and fly some jets that you would not have launched prior to this.
I really wish ya'll the best. Maybe we'll only have this issue (Maintenance Resolution Process) on the "Value Side" of the house, but I think this will be the first big issue for our new Brothers.

I posted this Dec 2013. I am NOT saying, "I told ya so", but I think you will be surprised how creative things will become.

 

[luckydog]

YOUR (item 16 above) right, we're all screwed. OQL of life won't ever be the same! Maybe the IBT will save us the way they did for Options.... if that's our hope we are in fact screwed.

Answer the phone or don't, nothing has changed, yet.

 

[el raton]

Not a fan of what he asked. Like I said, if this job becomes unbearable...I'll quit! With the resumes he has on his desk, he doesn't give a hoot what we think.

 

[jetwash]

It seems to me that it is only a request for now.

I have a feeling that in the future it might be a requirement.

 

[slowtation capt]

I'm not on the list that he was referencing QUOTE]

List? Hmmmm what kind of list is he keeping? I all ready heard of 1 list, is this a list of who doesn't answer their phone? If it doesn't matter if you don't answer you phone, then why keep a list?

 

[TWA 2 ASA FO]

I'm not on the list that he was referencing QUOTE]

List? Hmmmm what kind of list is he keeping? I all ready heard of 1 list, is this a list of who doesn't answer their phone? If it doesn't matter if you don't answer you phone, then why keep a list?

So they can know who to call and who not to call when things change.

You always get 10 hours of rest. We usually get a 14 hour block with the last 4 being changeable.

There are a few that will never answer a call even if their departure was at 1500 and they got into the hotel at 1800. These pilots are taking a stand because they want to.

If you are tired, don't fly. If you are not fit for duty, don't accept the assignment.

Unfortunately there are people that have forgotten that we get paid to fly airplanes, not find reasons not to or use a union to hide behind so we don't have to.

From what I are it sounds like to DO wants to know why people are refusing to ever answer the phone in their 10+4.

Our business model is constantly changing. If I have had adequate rest and so has my partner, then I am willing to fly the trip. If either of us feels we are not rested or ready, then please find someone else.

 

[The Architect]

Are You Punished

So they can know who to call and who not to call when things change.

You always get 10 hours of rest. We usually get a 14 hour block with the last 4 being changeable.

There are a few that will never answer a call even if their departure was at 1500 and they got into the hotel at 1800. These pilots are taking a stand because they want to.

If you are tired, don't fly. If you are not fit for duty, don't accept the assignment.

Unfortunately there are people that have forgotten that we get paid to fly airplanes, not find reasons not to or use a union to hide behind so we don't have to.

From what I are it sounds like to DO wants to know why people are refusing to ever answer the phone in their 10+4.

Our business model is constantly changing. If I have had adequate rest and so has my partner, then I am willing to fly the trip. If either of us feels we are not rested or ready, then please find someone else.

From the DO:

"It is a fact that the no-call list hurts the operation, drives more dead-head, duty hours, standby and most of all punishes the crewmembers that are not on the list."

So, do you feel punished?

 

[Brit]

Really was a stupid thing for a DO to say.
In writing anyway.

 

[TWA 2 ASA FO]

From the DO:

"It is a fact that the no-call list hurts the operation, drives more dead-head, duty hours, standby and most of all punishes the crewmembers that are not on the list."

So, do you feel punished?

The thought never crossed my mind.

When I go to work I fly the trips the company assigns me. I don't spend time worried about what other crews are or are not doing.

 

[warlord19]

From the DO:

"All I am asking is that you leave your phone on along with Flexmobile during your assigned rest period. Leave texting or any other alerts off since there is always a chance of an erroneous message. There will be no repetitive emails or texts, no notifications from the company unless it's an urgent issue and not breaking your rest accept for operational purposes."

Translation: Leave your phone on so we can call you to cover a trip.

The DO is just stating the obvious…not being contactable directly affects DH, charter, and ultimately profitability. Management has ID’d this area of weakness in our OP’s and is addressing it, something any GOOD company would do.

Pilots are guaranteed 10 hrs rest every day. You have the legal choice of turning off your phone. I’ve chosen to turn off the phone occasionally, usually ‘cause I was pooped, but it’s generally not what I do BECAUSE I’m not tired and don’t want to constrain the company’s efficiency…apparently there’s quite a few who turn their phones off every night.

No one likes getting calls for pop-ups, break-downs,etc but we know that is what happens in the REAL WORLD. I’ve earned a good living at Flex for many years and understand what it takes to make the company efficient and profitable and continue to pay it’s bills(and salaries). There are no guarantees that fractional flying will even survive, so we must be efficient. I simply don’t buy this union mentality of “we’ll show them who’s boss” puffery and the fear mongering they stir up in order to persuade you to join the clownish IBT.
WL

 

[Helmsalee]

"If I have had adequate rest and so has my partner, then I am willing to fly the trip. If either of us feels we are not rested or ready, then please find someone else."

TWA, at 0500, how do you know if your partner is rested?

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

Control freak or is something else going on?

 

[The Architect]

But, It's all about Trust

From the DO:

"Over the past year and especially the past several months it is abundantly clear that no significant quality of life changes have occurred and our new leadership wants nothing more than to win our trust and build an even better company on the foundation we established. Earning your trust in the new company with new leadership is no easy task."

"Let's bring back a level of trust we have not seen here in a while. I am asking that we abolish that list and I promise you this: no one from the company will call you more than once while you are in rest."

"Knowing you are contactable is a huge advantage to the operation and will go a long way in rebuilding the diminished level of trust, but it must start with you."

See, it's all about trust. The level of trust has been diminished, and rebuilding that trust must start with the pilots.

 

[TWA 2 ASA FO]

"If I have had adequate rest and so has my partner, then I am willing to fly the trip. If either of us feels we are not rested or ready, then please find someone else."

TWA, at 0500, how do you know if your partner is rested?

I will usually either send an email or call. If there is no response, then it is a no. If I get an answer and he/she says no, it is a no.

Unless we are both ready and willing to accept the assignment it is a no.

Not sure what is so complicated about this.

In all of the times we have said no there has never been any pushback from the company.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

"The level of trust has been diminished, and rebuilding that trust must start with the pilots."
From what I've read here, it sounds like the Flex pilots already trust their management. What are they asking for then?