135 Schedules?

[acroflyr]

Thank you for your replys. We have an open schedule with 4 or 5 hard days off per month. We are also released from duty on other days of the month based on avialability of crews and the schedule. When we are on call we are given a duty period of 14 hours, or sometimes less given the circumstances, on a daily basis. We only will stay out on the road for a maximum of 7 days in a row before we are airline swaped out. Typical trips are 3 to 4 days with some day trips mixed in.

How do all of you feel about this type of schedule. Is it good, bad or about right for the industry? I know it's not 7 on 7 off, but I don't think it's that bad for the 135 community. How about you?

 

[pilotyip]

USA Jet

DA-20 pilots bid 28 day lines, Wed through Tues four weeks later. They will be getting 10 hard days off per 28 day bid period. No one has worked on a hard day off that did not want to. Now the company may ask you to swap days, but if you want to be home on your day off the company will buy you an airliine ticket or send a corporate airplane to pick you up. In fact I think you can even turn down a trip that will fly you into your day off. Any USA Jet pilots have comment about "Hard days off"

 

[beernuts]

isn't 135 by defenition on demand, unscheduled flying? the only place that I can think of that has a fairly predicitable routine is the bank check guys like Airnet Express.
So my guess would be buy a cell phone and wait for a call is what your regular schedule would be.

 

[AnimalMother]

We have an open schedule with 4 or 5 hard days off per month. We are also released from duty on other days of the month based on avialability of crews and the schedule. When we are on call we are given a duty period of 14 hours, or sometimes less given the circumstances, on a daily basis. We only will stay out on the road for a maximum of 7 days in a row before we are airline swaped out. Typical trips are 3 to 4 days with some day trips mixed in.

You are referring to Jet Linx Aviation out of OMA right? From what I hear, the schedule is more like 26 and 4. You can be on the road for 7 days, then returned home via airline or just bringing the plane back. But then after 10 hours of rest or whatever is assigned, you can go right back out for another 7.

Also, I have heard that the owner of the company has threatened to have pilots come in and pull weeds while being on call. Seems like a great work environment.

 

[acroflyr]

Well you can use any math you want, but we are only flying around 16 to 18 days a month, with duty periods while on call and being released on some days. Nobody is out for 7 back for 10 hours and out for 7 again. Does not happen. Usually if your out that long you will get at least 2 days without flying when you get back. Nobody is pulling weeds either. Many people on this board and others I have talked to have mentioned that some companies do not give scheduled days off, or duty periods while on call. This does not seem that much different than the Flightworks schedule above and someone seemed to think that was a great job. The question still is, do you think this is a bad schedule for a 135 operation.

 

[apdsm]

Days off

A lot of 135 operators have many days off every month. It works like this. If you have not been called by the end of the day, then you just had a day off. At the end of the month, count all those days you weren't called and figure out all the plans you could have made!

 

[pa56pa]

135 Schedule

Airwolf works for pt 135 charter company that is rare indeed... I work for a similar company out on the west coast but we only have 2 C560 Encores... and looking to acquire more... Our boss also believes that if you make the pilots happy, service and productivity increases which makes the customers happy!! We average 7 days off a month.. When on call, we're only on call from 6 - 15:00 Pac time.. used to be 6 - 10 am.. We know in advance of our trips at least 2 days... but occasionally get last minute pop trips from the night before ... (I laughed about this.. cuz I had gotten used to "pop-ups" being... get to the airport RIGHT NOW!! LOL) Our schedule is very manageable... and stress free... No more back to back ragged flying schedules, flying hungry on per diem, no more flying crappy equiment!! YES!!! I love my job, I love my job, I love my job...

 

[labbats]

Airwolf works for pt 135 charter company that is rare indeed... I work for a similar company out on the west coast but we only have 2 C560 Encores... and looking to acquire more... Our boss also believes that if you make the pilots happy, service and productivity increases which makes the customers happy!! We average 7 days off a month.. When on call, we're only on call from 6 - 15:00 Pac time.. used to be 6 - 10 am.. We know in advance of our trips at least 2 days... but occasionally get last minute pop trips from the night before ... (I laughed about this.. cuz I had gotten used to "pop-ups" being... get to the airport RIGHT NOW!! LOL) Our schedule is very manageable... and stress free... No more back to back ragged flying schedules, flying hungry on per diem, no more flying crappy equiment!! YES!!! I love my job, I love my job, I love my job...

Very cool to hear that. Congrats!

 

[youmustbejoking]

This is not true

Well you can use any math you want, but we are only flying around 16 to 18 days a month, with duty periods while on call and being released on some days. Nobody is out for 7 back for 10 hours and out for 7 again. Does not happen. Usually if your out that long you will get at least 2 days without flying when you get back. Nobody is pulling weeds either. Many people on this board and others I have talked to have mentioned that some companies do not give scheduled days off, or duty periods while on call. This does not seem that much different than the Flightworks schedule above and someone seemed to think that was a great job. The question still is, do you think this is a bad schedule for a 135 operation.

Nothing personal, but this is a significant misstatement of fact. Many of the pilots are doing multi-days trips (up to 7) coming home, pullling 10 to 14 hours rest and being shipped out again the next day. One of the pilots I know, flew or was in training 23 days out of the month June. He received 4 days off and was on call the remaining three days. Nobody, to my knowledge, was released from duty in the month of May. This place is so bad that with only 14 pilots they are in the middle of voting a union onto the property. True, nobody is pulling weeds, but management has threatened to make people pull weeds. They have also stated they will not fire anyone and give them the satisfaction of collecting unemployment, but will instead abuse them until they quit. As punishment for refusing to communicate with management while in rest (which is their right), the pilots are now being required to report to the airport at 0500 on their first day on call. Several of the people who work there who have been in aviation for years are seriously considering finding jobs pulling weeds because they are treated so poorly.

Selfish, evil owners who care not a lick about their employees.

 

[acroflyr]

First of all, that post was from over a month and a half ago. What was stated was not happening then. I admit, that this summer has been very busy for everyone. It is a growing company trying to make it in a very tough business. More pilots are being hired, and things should get better.

No pilots are performing any work other than that which is associated with flying airplanes. And they won't. I would think that trying to become part of a solution to the problems, instead of adding fuel to them and making life hard on themselves would be a better route than a union. If it is so bad and unbearable like you say, why not leave?

Many pilots were released from duty (extra days) at the beginning of May, until some pilots refused to return messages about their upcoming schedules while they were released. They were forced to stop releasing pilots for extra days because in order to communicate with them they had no choice but to issue them a duty period. Having pilots report at 0500 on their first day is not punishment. It is the only way that the company can crew an early morning trip with those individuals that refuse to return a phone call like the rest of the professionals in this industry. You may not have a legal obligation to answer the phone on your day off, but any professional in this business should feel obligated, as a professional, to find out what their schedule is for the next day. No one could ever talk me into showing up at the airport at 0500 when all I had to do was take 30 seconds out of my day and return a phone call. I have talked to several people in this industry from all around the country and every one of them feels the same way.

 

[AnimalMother]

Fire for effect

AcroLiar, time to raise the bull$hit flag. Didn't you guys tell your pilots in a memo that they would not be contacted on their hard days off? Why was that reneged? I say that because your panties are in a bunch now while you rant about not being able to contact crews on their last day of rest which they(a majority) all see as being free and clear from company duty, therefore they do not have to accept a trip assignment, or answer a phone call, or reply to an email. My gut instinct is that having to report to the airport once a month at 5am isn't much hassle for individual pilots, as it is for whomever has to meet them there. Seems like the top heavy management team miscalculated once again.

BTW, look up the meaning of professional. I didn't know it meant to shirk regs for the benefit of lousy management.

PS, is blacklisting illegal?

 

[acroflyr]

PS, is blacklisting illegal?

Well if it is, then you all should be arrested.

 

[AnimalMother]

Who do you think you are????

Those who would trade freedom for security, deserve neither.
Ben Franklin

 

[ALPA_DUDE]

ACRO,



Well, I think now we know why you have a union on your property.


I think you've really forgotten your days at Skywest and United!!!


The fact that you would have your personal fly Illegal is really pretty scarry. I don't think anyone of your other employer's would have you do the crap your pulling on some of these guy's.

Thankfully, your company has some very seasoned pilot's with type ratings in something other than a turbo-prop!!! They are to be commended for standing up to the frightfully illegal request of you and the rest of your management, by the way, when you sent the New Hire on the trip that morning after a ride from ICT with you, was Illegal!!! Transportation NOT local in nature is Not considered REST.

You need to read "Blind Trust", by John J. Nance they highlight the same bull your pulling.


On to the black list, The nice thing is, the Chief Pilot of the Trucking company called me and wanted a personal reference, I explanned the situation you and the Dept. Manager/ Advisor pulled on another one of your pilots. Thankfully he seen things my way, and hence you got passed over AGAIN!!!!!! Crapping on your friends is illegal buddy and things always come back to haunt you...


You know M I look forward to Picketing your property and bringing as many of my ALPA brothers with me. I have already written a letter to the United MEC and ALPA national to have you put on the SCAB list. your actions warrent this and I',m proud to stand with your pilots and fight for LEGAL flying!!!!


Everybody else who reads this, Remember, It's your butt on the line and when it comes down to it, your company will sell you down the road to keep from being fined. I know this personally.



Fly Safe and Fly United




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[AnimalMother]

What no reply

Let me guess I plead the fith???
Jet Linx Omaha now hiring for 5:00 a.m. Flights. Requirements Old, stupid, looks like Bozo the clown, Metal plate in the head and a pissbag on your leg.