12 Hour Duty Day for TRAIN CONDUCTORS?!

[pipejockey]

With a change to the departure times of many flights, 25-45 minute turns max, and none of these ridiculous 1-3+ hour sits (unpaid of course, management wouldn't have it any other way!) you can easily get 6-8 hours of flight time in a max 12 hour duty day.

 

[DoinTime]

With a change to the departure times of many flights, 25-45 minute turns max, and none of these ridiculous 1-3+ hour sits (unpaid of course, management wouldn't have it any other way!) you can easily get 6-8 hours of flight time in a max 12 hour duty day.

Marketing schedules aren't going to change so you can get more days off.

 

[pipejockey]

Marketing schedules aren't going to change so you can get more days off.

I'm already at contractual minimum, they would have no choice, unless they want to pay me min gaurantee, for only 65 hours of block!

 

[T206driver]

Wait a minute-there are many cases of false clear indications given. The old veterans always have stories were they were given a false clear. Hear are some recent statistics from www.therailforum.com. It is a common practice in the rail industry to hang the crew first then come up with the truth later.

I did a search on the last 2 yrs 2006-2008
The 4 major RR's

BNSF- 13 False clears reported including failure in circuit desiagn, and failure of apperatus

CSX -12 similar numbers as above

NS- 11- same reasons and numbers as the above 2 Class 1 s'

UP- 37- 13 due to weather, lightning, phantom indications
similar number for "failure of interlocking apperatus, broken"

scary numbers, and it makes one think doesn't it? I still say a 10 yr experienced engineer doesn't blow past 3 signals restricting his train, make a station stop, and blow past a red signal not all that far from the station stop, texting or not. The guy loved his job, and his personal life aside, he would do anything to keep that job.
We're being fed a line of bull******************** and innuendo.
Imagine if they actually came out and said there was a design flaw? Imagine the lawsuits? Imagine the political chaos while the Pols all scramble to get a piece of the UP, or Safetran, or Digicon, or whoever designed the stuff an installed it? Nah it's easier to blame someone who has an alternate lifestyle and is a loner, but loves his job.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Regionals may have trouble filling seats:

Congress to toughen airline standards (Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009) - USATODAY.com

• "Require that all airline pilots obtain an Airline Transport Pilot license, which is currently only needed by captains. Pilots must have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours to obtain the license....

cliff
NBO

 

[brokeflyer]

Be careful what you wish for....A 12 hour duty day would most likely result in more days at work and more nights away from home.....

no...only if you allow them to do it. This should cause a dramatic increase in ticket prices because more pilots will needed.

that is good.

 

[veneratio]

Be careful what you wish for....A 12 hour duty day would most likely result in more days at work and more nights away from home.....

Perhaps, but it's safer and therefore needs to be done.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Perhaps, but it's safer and therefore needs to be done.

An 8 hour duty day would be even safer...should we do that? What's so "safe" about 12 hours vs. 14 hours? At what point does it become "dangerous"? Spending more nights away from home is stressful and fatiguing also...something to think about....

 

[johndt]

$.02 from my current experience -- I can't get fewer days off than I'm getting right now (contractually), so...

 

[Dornier 335]

I posted it here before, not sure exactly where. Take a look at some EU legacy or national carriers and you'd be surprised how many days off / month they get. Be careful what you wish for. If you're really brave, ask a BA, KLM, Lufty, AF etc. flight crew when you take a walk in the intl concourse.