ASA Sept line shuffle

[jstyle13]

Just curious if any of you more senior guys that are holding lines now on the 50(or 70) are going to be tempted to bid reserve come the fall. Since they have said they are gonna thin the line values out to 75 hours and we are gonna be major fat on reserve guys, seems to me if I lived in ATL I would just bid reserve and fly 3-5 days a month instead or working 14-16 days for 77 hours or so.

Of course I am driven by purely selfish reasons for asking since I'm hoping that if this was the case and enough guys did it, I would be able to get a hardline or long call and get off SCR. If I didn't commute I'd be totally stoked about being on reserve come fall cause I'd be getting paid to sit at home 27 days a month .

Just curious if any of you line holders were thinking about biddin RES if this ends up being the case with the lines.....

 

[BIGGOAT]

I am one of the more senior long call captains and sitting reserve is no picnic. I get a lot of 3 and mostly 4 day trips and I usually get extended. Some months I fly more and others less but only once have I exceeded 75 hours.

Goat

 

[jstyle13]

Well ya right now we are flying quite a bit on RES and obviously you are first to get called since you are long call, but come September when the block hours drop and we are even fatter on SCR pilots I have a feeling that RES's will be lucky to fly more than 5-8 days a month. Of course I may be way off on this but it seems inevitable with the reduction of block from the new fall sched and the overstaffing we have.

 

[79%N1]

Until those 900's show up any day now!

 

[PalmettoPilot]

Bring the XBox to the crash pad.

 

[bsh932]

I am starting my first month of reserve and have a few questions. How do they determine who they call first on the bucket list? I have looked at the contract, but I might as well be reading Russian. I have heard people talking about being able to guess with pretty good accuaracy whether they will be called or not. Any advice about the system would be great. Thanks

 

[jstyle13]

How do they determine who they call first on the bucket list? I have looked at the contract, but I might as well be reading Russian.

Well it's laid out pretty clearly in the contract....
1. LCR CMF
2. LCR
3. SCR CMF
4. SCR

Short Call is based on credit hours and section 13 lists the order and stipulations they have to call you out on. Once you get used to it and figger it out you can get pretty good at figuring out when you can cut out early and when you can't. Make sure you know who is open available for a trip on the list in your same day bucket and who is on there but already has a trip.

If your a newhire or recent upgrade you will be on reserve forever, so you will be a pro at the bucket system in no time.

 

[AV8700]

. If I didn't commute I'd be totally stoked about being on reserve come fall cause I'd be getting paid to sit at home 27 days a month .

.....

It could actually be worse having so many on reserve. Instead of being called for a 3 or 4 day you will probably see the trip split into a bunch of roundtrips.

 

[TOOL CRIB]

It could actually be worse having so many on reserve. Instead of being called for a 3 or 4 day you will probably see the trip split into a bunch of roundtrips.

Nope, that can't do that. It's in the contract. Unless there is nobody that can take the whole trip.

 

[HoserASA]

Just curious if any of you more senior guys that are holding lines now on the 50(or 70) are going to be tempted to bid reserve come the fall.

Nope!

Hoser
Roll Tide!
Bring Favre Back to The Pack!

 

[PooPooPants]

Reserve still sucks even if we'll only be flying 3-5 days a month. The problem is when you get called in for a trip you never know when you'll get released. I don't get called often but when I do it's time to pack for a six day trip even when you only get called for a MCN r/t.

 

[Airline RC]

I am starting my first month of reserve and have a few questions. How do they determine who they call first on the bucket list? I have looked at the contract, but I might as well be reading Russian. I have heard people talking about being able to guess with pretty good accuaracy whether they will be called or not. Any advice about the system would be great. Thanks

Yes the contract is fairly clear. Problem is that none of the scheduling clowns have a copy! If you don't keep a copy with you and know what it says, you are a sitting duck!

 

[AV8700]

Nope, that can't do that. It's in the contract. Unless there is nobody that can take the whole trip.

I understand that but what will the whole trip look like? I keep hearing 55 to 75 hour lines. Will they be day lines with just a roundtrip or 2,3, and 4 days?

 

[Abernathy]

I am starting my first month of reserve and have a few questions. How do they determine who they call first on the bucket list? I have looked at the contract, but I might as well be reading Russian. I have heard people talking about being able to guess with pretty good accuaracy whether they will be called or not. Any advice about the system would be great. Thanks

Russian? It's not that unclear.

 

[jegermeister]

If you're not holding long call now I wouldn't plan on it in September. I'm near the top of about a 130 Capt's on the 200 and got noon short call in August. I was holding a line the previous 3 months.

I don't want to rain on anybodys parade but at this point if you're a junior Capt. or F/O just be happy to hold onto your seat. Sept isn't going to be fun and Jan will be worse.

 

[Medeco]

I am one of the more senior long call captains and sitting reserve is no picnic. I get a lot of 3 and mostly 4 day trips and I usually get extended. Some months I fly more and others less but only once have I exceeded 75 hours.

Goat

Can we at least get the terms correct? I realize that I'm splitting hairs here, but a Reserve pilot does not get extended, a line holder does.

A Reserve pilot gets an additional assignment, thats just part of being on reserve, it sucks, I'm there with you, but it is what we chose to do for the type rating and pay increase.

Plain and simple, just use the correct term.

Medeco

 

[dash8driver64]

Are you kidding me? WHATEVER!

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Are you kidding me? WHATEVER!

I don't think he's kidding....and I'd bet my pilot license on it.

 

[Max Q]

Can we at least get the terms correct? I realize that I'm splitting hairs here, but a Reserve pilot does not get extended, a line holder does.

A Reserve pilot gets an additional assignment, thats just part of being on reserve, it sucks, I'm there with you, but it is what we chose to do for the type rating and pay increase.

Plain and simple, just use the correct term.

Medeco

When I get called in for a round trip, pack for two days, and after one leg, scheduling turns my round trip into a 4-day, what's that called?

-Brett

 

[Stifler's Mom]

When I get called in for a round trip, pack for two days, and after one leg, scheduling turns my round trip into a 4-day, what's that called?

-Brett

Lineholder or reserve, I think "getting screwed" is appropriate for either.

Sniff, sniff...what's that smell? :laugh:

 

[shamrock]

When I get called in for a round trip, pack for two days, and after one leg, scheduling turns my round trip into a 4-day, what's that called?

While I think Stifler nailed the definition I would hazard to say that it could also be called "the life of a reserve pilot".

 

[Max Q]

While I think Stifler nailed the definition I would hazard to say that it could also be called "the life of a reserve pilot".

Overall, it's been a good run. I know others haven't been so lucky.

-Brett

 

[sweptback]

When I get called in for a round trip, pack for two days, and after one leg, scheduling turns my round trip into a 4-day, what's that called?

-Brett

Brett,

That's really hard to do under the new reserve system. Either you are being illegally assigned in your bucket, or you just had some supreme bad luck by having nobody in the 1, 2, or 3 day bucket that would be able to do the trip. With this many people on reserve, I doubt it, but it could be possible under the right circumstances.

The whole being-called out for a round trip and having it turn into a six day happened all the time under the old contract, but on the new contract it shouldn't be.

And packing for 2 days when you have 4 days of availability, well, you only make that mistake once.

 

[Max Q]

Brett,

That's really hard to do under the new reserve system. Either you are being illegally assigned in your bucket, or you just had some supreme bad luck by having nobody in the 1, 2, or 3 day bucket that would be able to do the trip. With this many people on reserve, I doubt it, but it could be possible under the right circumstances.

I've been told that once or twice. I'm sure a few on here that can vouch for that! :laugh:

The whole being-called out for a round trip and having it turn into a six day happened all the time under the old contract, but on the new contract it shouldn't be.

Needless to say, there are quite a few things that shouldn't happen but still do. I'll attribute some to scheduling adapting to the new contract but many are just blatant deviations. Getting called on an assignment 1hr 30min out is a great example.

And packing for 2 days when you have 4 days of availability, well, you only make that mistake once.

Word!

-Brett

 

[Medeco]

Are you kidding me? WHATEVER!

Look, I prefaced it by saying i knew I was splitting hairs.

So, sorry I offended you for actually make a point that words and definitions actually mean something.

So next time you get screwed by the company because the contract says they MAY do so and so, but you think it means they WILL do so and so, then maybe you'll see my point a bit more clear and relevant.

Medeco

 

[BIGGOAT]

Medeco's terminolgy is correct. The point being, however, is that when you are called out for a trip on rsv you do not know when you are coming home. If you have rsv days left after the original assignment then often cs extends you.
Concerning the compensation side of it, a line holder may get awarded a low block line but with open time and over block and a larger per diem there ends up being a considerable difference at the end of the month.

Goat

 

[SiuDude]

Looks like 21 "fiddy" pilots are going in a COMA next month, 12 FOs and 9 CAs.

 

[jstyle13]

Wow didn't mean to start a pissing match when I posted this thread (although that seems to happen on everythread here no matter how innocent).

I have a feeling though come Sept, Oct, Nov when regular line holders are having a hard time breaking 80 hours due to many reasons (lack of open time due to fewer block hours overall and thinned out lines) and only having 12-15 days off, guys may start to take notice how little SCR guys are flying and a few may say: "I'd rather stay at home and have 18-25 days off and earn my garuantee than go bust my a$$ for 12 days off and 80 hours".

Most of the regular line holders now who have been holding a line for a while haven't worked under the new Sect 13 rules in the contract. Having now worked both, I gotta say life is so much better (at least how it was on reserve under the old rules). With the bucket system you can know pretty well when you a going to get called and if they do call you out of order, call em out on it and they will take you off the trip. I think the 10 months or so that I have been on reserve I've been short called (less than say 12 hours notice) for a trip mabye 3-5 times. Most of the time it seems that I get 2-3 days notice. Ready reserve, I'd say I only do once or twice a month and every time I've had it, I've known about it 3 days in advance 'cept once. I've very rarely also had another overnight tacked onto my original trip.

I know that no matter how good reserve is, holding a regular line is much better. I was only trying to say that come the fall, reserve may seem much more appealing to non-commuting line holders who work a regular line but can't make over 80 hours because of the thinned out lines and lack of open time.... if it comes to that.

...and Mesa sux

 

[PooPooPants]

I've worked reserve under both contracts and I'll tell you what...It still sucks! But at least I have a job and I am thankful for that, I just wish this industry wasn't so damn volatile.