ASA ATR72 Reserve flying

[777forever]

What kind of flight time are guys getting on reserve in the ATR? How long is reserve?

 

[Tarzan]

As long as you want to keep bidding it. Plenty of time off. Enjoy it while you can.

 

[PositionandHold]

Talk to some of the reserve guys. Averaging 4-8 hours a month.

Not a joke. 100% truth.

 

[777forever]

Guess I'll have plenty of time to get settled after my move to ATL. Anybody know any good places for a 2nd job while on reserve?

 

[CFI2766]

Guess I'll have plenty of time to get settled after my move to ATL. Anybody know any good places for a 2nd job while on reserve?

The FO side of the list is moving very quickly. The captain side, not so much, from what it looks like. If the prelims stand as they are, I'll be a top 10 FO out of 50 or so after being on the airplane less 12 months.

It really does appear the the ATR is going away this time, so the senior FOs are leaving the plane to go get some time as jet FOs before they upgrade.

A lot of guys go get work at Home Depot/Lowes on a part time basis. Some folks deliver pizzas. (not ATR specific, but at ASA in general...)

My guess is that you'll be on reserve significantly less than 12 months.

 

[PositionandHold]

don't forget the dropping lines, and even more dropping lines as the airplanes start to dissapear.my guess is you'll be on reserve till the airplane leaves.

 

[777forever]

Thanks for the heads up! I was thinking of possibly flight instructing at a nearby flight school. Heard you have to get it approved by a chief pilot

 

[fullforward]

The last 3 months I've probably racked up a total of 50 hours on reserve. This month i've got 8 hours...it's a joke. Next month we got 26 lines with 19 reserve lines! Expect more of the same until the summer...then it's anybodys guess if they will actually start taking some ATR's offline.

 

[PositionandHold]

24 lines actually.

 

[fullforward]

24 lines actually.

26 with the REL but who cares...point is things are really slow on reserve right now

 

[John Pennekamp]

One has to wonder why they're still upgrading people on an airplane that has 50 captains for 24 lines, when it's supposed to be going away in 6 months.

 

[PositionandHold]

One has to wonder why they're still upgrading people on an airplane that has 50 captains for 24 lines, when it's supposed to be going away in 6 months.

Prelim shows upgrades effective in May. With training at appx 1.5-2 months, they'll be able to fly the ATR as PIC the month they start retiring them. I don't get it, either.

 

[finnjl]

I was on reserve in 2001 to 2002 on the ATR when I worked at ASA and I flew about 15 hours a month and I still complained about my job.

 

[centralpilot]

The FO side of the list is moving very quickly. The captain side, not so much, from what it looks like. If the prelims stand as they are, I'll be a top 10 FO out of 50 or so after being on the airplane less 12 months.

It really does appear the the ATR is going away this time, so the senior FOs are leaving the plane to go get some time as jet FOs before they upgrade.

A lot of guys go get work at Home Depot/Lowes on a part time basis. Some folks deliver pizzas. (not ATR specific, but at ASA in general...)

My guess is that you'll be on reserve significantly less than 12 months.

I wouldn't count on that prelim holding up. I know we are overstaffed on the ATR right now, but I just don't see the company letting 10+ FOs go all at once. There are 30 total jet vacancies (20 CR2, 10 CR7), so per the new contract 10% (3 vacancies) must go to ATR FOs who are senior enough to hold it, but I'd be shocked if they award much more than that.

They put out a prelim several months ago that similarly showed a large number of ATR FOs going to the CR7, but when the final came out they only had 1 or 2 actually getting the award. They wouldn't have even done that if it wasn't for the infamous FO e-mail campaign and the ATRs rotating through heavy maintenance. It just doesn't make sense for the company to let that many people go from a training cycle standpoint. I'd love to be wrong though.

 

[777forever]

Looks like I'll be on reserve til the plane is gone. It is strange why they are still hiring into the plane and upgrading as well. 2 captain upgrades in my systems class.

 

[Flybywire44]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but contractually they have to let 5 ATR FOs go. S.H. sent an email the ATR FOs saying that we would need a minimum of 35 FOs in december. Them letting 11 go will leave the airplane with 42 FOs and a few more coming out of IOE.

Its a lot of FOs, but I expect the prelim to go thru. Minimum staffing on the ATR is 41. Thats more than enough for 24 lines.

 

[centralpilot]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but contractually they have to let 5 ATR FOs go. S.H. sent an email the ATR FOs saying that we would need a minimum of 35 FOs in december. Them letting 11 go will leave the airplane with 42 FOs and a few more coming out of IOE.

Its a lot of FOs, but I expect the prelim to go thru. Minimum staffing on the ATR is 41. Thats more than enough for 24 lines.

As I understand it, the company is only obligated to award 10% of the jet vacancies to ATR FOs. I only saw 30 jet vacancies, which would mean only 3 FOs have to go. I've been wrong before though; how did you calculate that 5 FOs must go contractually? Did you take 10% of the total FOs on the ATR, because I don't think that is how the contract language reads.

In any case, I hope you are right. I'm just pessimistic about this company going beyond contractual requirements. We'll find out in a week, I suppose.

 

[centralpilot]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but contractually they have to let 5 ATR FOs go. S.H. sent an email the ATR FOs saying that we would need a minimum of 35 FOs in december. Them letting 11 go will leave the airplane with 42 FOs and a few more coming out of IOE.

Its a lot of FOs, but I expect the prelim to go thru. Minimum staffing on the ATR is 41. Thats more than enough for 24 lines.

Like I said, I've been wrong before. I found time to look up the contract language again and it appears that you are correct. The company is requried to award positions in a new catagory to at least 10% of the ATR FOs on every final award, which in this case would be 5. Now I'm curious if that means they have to let 5 go to the CR7 and 5 go to the CR2, or if they just have to let 5 go to any new position. Either way, it looks much more likely that I'll be on the final award, so I'm happy. Thanks for pointing out my error.

 

[Flybywire44]

Well I believe the 10% that it referenced is in regard to bypass pay which would me the 700 no?

The contract language is funny because it says that the company will award the top 10% but that if it doesn't they get bypass pay.

I'm thinking I'll be in the final as well. My bet is that we all get it.

 

[centralpilot]

Probably right, but the contract language references bids to a different category, and I think technically the CR2 is a different category. However, I'd agree the intent of the language is obviously in regards to the CR7. I'm only curious becuae previously it was impossible to bid to the CR2 because it was the same pay scale as the ATR. However, there is now at least one ATR FO on the prelim for CR2 FO.