Response Time

[bart]

My company requires that you be in uniform in the plane with the before start checklist complete. Just kidding. We are either on a trip, on standby or off. When on standby, it is a 1 hour go, so I keep a unifrom with me and stay within 30 mins of the airport. I always call mx on the way to the airport to make sure the plane is ok, and to hear what has been worked on to know where to focus on the preflight. I then call and get wx and file. Once I am at the airport, I call dispatch one last time (nothing like having the aircell ring and be told the trip is cancelled 100 miles down the road).

Standby duty runs 10 hours with a mandatory 10 hour rest starting at the end of the standby. Usually it is 1000 to 2000.

 

[gunfyter]

Sec. 135.273

Duty period limitations and rest time requirements.

(a) ...
Rest period means the period free of all responsibility for work or duty should the occasion arise.

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The FAA has clarified what they mean by Rest Duty Reserve Standby.

They do it in 91.1057. The same clarification is coming to 135.267.

Reserve status means that status in which a flight crewmember, by arrangement with the program manager: Holds himself or herself fit to fly to the extent that this is within the control of the flight crewmember; remains within a reasonable response time of the aircraft as agreed between the flight crewmember and the program manager; and maintains a ready means whereby the flight crewmember may be contacted by the program manager. Reserve status is not part of any duty period or rest period.

Rest period means a period of time required pursuant to this subpart that is free of all responsibility for work or duty prior to the commencement of, or following completion of, a duty period, and during which the flight crewmember or flight attendant cannot be required to receive contact from the program manager. A rest period does not include any time during which the program manager imposes on a flight crewmember or flight attendant any duty or restraint, including any actual work or present responsibility for work should the occasion arise.

Standby means that portion of a duty period during which a flight crewmember is subject to the control of the program manager and holds himself or herself in a condition of readiness to undertake a flight. Standby is not part of any rest period.

 

[pilotyip]

So is wearing a pager not reserve time?

 

[gunfyter]

Being REQUIRED to answer a pager is time that Does not qualify as REST.

Effectively
Time on the pager (or by a phone on reserve) PLUS subsequent Duty time must be = or less than 14 hrs. Available Duty time is reduced by the time required to be on a pager. Whether you have reported for duty or simply required to be on the pager by the phone or within some distance like 7 miles... the 14 hour clock is ticking.

This has ALWAYS been the case.... It just has not always been enforced.

 

[Ace-of-the-Base]

Being REQUIRED to answer a pager is time that Does not qualify as REST.

Effectively
Time on the pager (or by a phone on reserve) PLUS subsequent Duty time must be = or less than 14 hrs. Available Duty time is reduced by the time required to be on a pager. Whether you have reported for duty or simply required to be on the pager by the phone or within some distance like 7 miles... the 14 hour clock is ticking.

This has ALWAYS been the case.... It just has not always been enforced.

Interesting...so what do the 121 carriers do with pilots on 'reserve'?

Ace

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Interesting...so what do the 121 carriers do with pilots on 'reserve'?

Ace

An A, B, and C period. for "on-call----on-duty". For example, crew A would be on from 4am til Noon,,,crew B, Noon til 8pm,,,,crew C, 8pm til 4am.

Thats how Spirit does it anway.

 

[pilotyip]

Not sure

Gunguy you and I agree pager time is not rest. But would not pager time count as reserve time. Back in the old days before pagers and cell phones I worked for a ALPA carrier (Gone now) we had to stand a phone watch from 1200L -t 1600L every day for reserve time. That time was never part of duty. The pager gives you more freedom than being trapped in the house waiting for the phone to ring.

 

[gunfyter]

I would consider pager time Reserve time. As such it does not count as REST.

On the pager for 8 hours? You can only be on duty for 6 hours if paged.

The thing I am not sure you are understanding is that the is NO 14 HR DUTY limit... There is a limitation that says you must have had 10 hrs rest in preceding 24 hrs. And yes 24 -10 = 14. So a max of 14 hrs possibly could be available for duty... if you came on duty at the END of your Rest. But if your rest ends and you are on a pager (reserve)... You are now no longer in rest. Duty must end 14 hrs after rest ended. Every hour on Reserve reduces the available time you can be on duty by 1 hr.

91.1057 is very clear. That is for PRIVATE FLIGHTS. The reason it is clear is because Fractional pilots and their Union made inputs while this section was being written. Do you believe the FAA's intent to make 91 private Flights more restrictive than 135 COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS? When 135 is revised I will bet the the current intention is made just as clear.

"...phone watch from 1200L -t 1600L every day for reserve time. That time was never part of duty."

It is now. Actually ALWAYS WAS. More correctly it was NOT considered REST. The FAA read the riot act to the 121 community several years ago and gave them notice that they would be ENFORCING Reserve Rules as of Dec 12, 1999. Once you are on Reserve for 14 hrs... You are TIMED OUT. Need to go back into Rest and Off the pager.

 

[johnny taliban]

If the feds actually enforced those regs every Air Ambulance operator would go out of business the next day. Im sure all those midnight lear drivers would love to see the feds do their job but I for one am not gonna hold my breath.

 

[pilotyip]

Explain

Reserve status means that status in which a flight crewmember, by arrangement with the program manager: Holds himself or herself fit to fly to the extent that this is within the control of the flight crewmember; remains within a reasonable response time of the aircraft as agreed between the flight crewmember and the program manager; and maintains a ready means whereby the flight crewmember may be contacted by the program manager. Reserve status is not part of any duty period or rest period.
Did you not say reserve time is not duty time? How do you notify soemone in reserve status they are going to be called for a trip?