opinions

[scratch]

can anyone tell me the actual interpretation by the FAA of what is considered "travel local in nature".
In other words, when is someone considered off duty and in rest after a deadhead, reposition, etc.

Example...lets say I'm based in SDL and have to land in PHX due to wx. I am told to rent a car to get back to SDL and that I am to go off duty when I land in PHX to begin a flight 10 hous later out of SDL on another aircraft.

I always believed that I would not go off duty until I reached my home base. My chief pilot disagrees and said that I am completely legal because that is considered local in nature.

Based on his opinion, I was scheduled for a trip about 9 hours after arriving at my home base, and expected to be there.

Am I wrong, or is this Chief pilot blowing illegal smoke?

 

[FracCapt]

The problem is that the FAA hasn't defined "local in nature". My company defined it as local in nature if the travel time is less than 30 minutes, and our POI bought off on it.

 

[Rick1128]

Since you are in reality driving from one side of town to the other, the Feds would have a hard time considering it to be anything other than local in nature.

 

[xrated]

In the example you gave, its not the "local in nature" that's the issue. If the company "required" you to make the drive and they "provided" the transportation, (I hope they reimburse you for the rental), then it is NOT considered part of a rest period. I would guess the definition of "local in nature" differs from FSDO to FSDO, but don't think you could argue weather or not the company provided the transportation. Show your C.P. 135.263(c) and have him/her talk themselves out of that one.

 

[scratch]

This example didn't happen to me, but to a guy at our company. (Retired 121 guy that as he says is "just happy to have a job" ) so he didn't argue about. The company does rent the car for us and pay any costs, but I think the CP's whole thing was that he doesnt consider that to be required duty time...just as he doesn't consider cleaning the airplane after a flight duty time if it is going to extend us into our 10 hours of rest. We get half an hour to finish paperwork etc... but only if there is no conflict. He's a piece of work