I've been wondering this for a long time, and finally just broke down to ask. Since the fractionals don't have an airline style reserve system, how do they cover for people when they call in sick, or take military leave, etc.?
Not being a scheduler, I can't say what exactly they do. But from my observations, it seems like there are several possibilities to cover for a sick crewmember:
- leave the crew and plane where they are until the sick crewmember is well enough to fly.
- fly in a new partner for the non-sick crewmember and leave the sick pilot behind.
- if the crew was in place (or positioning) to fly a passenger leg, they can send in a recovery trip. That's one benefit to having a large fleet at the fractionals.
Like I said, I'm not a scheduler, so I don't know all of their tricks but those listed above do seem to be alternatives for covering for a sick pilot.
I know at Options they do not have the crews for the planes they have if everybody showed for work. So with that being said, they leave crew members at home or in the hotel unitl they can find someone to pair them up with.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.