Rolling Rest Flexjet Pilot Alert

[Inigo Montoya]

It is not that they are calling you in rest T-Heavy. They just call you after 10 hours and change your whole duty day. It happens all the time. No way to live man. Worst case scenerio, getting done at 3:00 p.m. in rest at 5:00p.m. they tell you, you have a trip at 10:00 a.m.. So being human, you sleep at 10:00p.m., phone rings at 1:30 with a 3:00a.m show.

this is what is going on. they company calls after the first 10 hours, so they say that they can do that because they now have the "lookback rest" of 10. I believe an ACP said something like "all that matters is having the lookback of 10"

but this does happen all the time, and we put up with it because nobody wants to be the guy that says no and gets fired. so what are we going to do? just saing "turn off your phone" is not going to work. if I do that first, I'm going to get canned. that doesn't help me very much. the company expects me to be contactable after my first 10 hours.

 

[Hobbes]

That is where unity and solidarity comes in place. Get a decent group of people you can trust together and all agree to not answer the phones. They can't fire you because of the not answering of the phone...the thing they hope you fear is that they will trump up something else to fire you about. If enough of you stand together and don't answer the call - NO MATTER WHAT - then change will start to occur. That is the only way I am afraid, but I can tell you that it worked over at Flops. Those guys stood together and no one answers their phone any more, unless they are some kind of mgmt Neal...

Another thing that happens in the transition is that some answer their phones, going on duty, and others do not, effectively splitting the duty day and now the whole crew is available for a much shorter duty day.

 

[notapilot]

this is what is going on. they company calls after the first 10 hours, so they say that they can do that because they now have the "lookback rest" of 10. I believe an ACP said something like "all that matters is having the lookback of 10"

but this does happen all the time, and we put up with it because nobody wants to be the guy that says no and gets fired. so what are we going to do? just saing "turn off your phone" is not going to work. if I do that first, I'm going to get canned. that doesn't help me very much. the company expects me to be contactable after my first 10 hours.

I think it is the arguement that even though you have 10 hours at the hotel in the lookback, some or all of those 10 hours may or may not count because at some point you were responsible to man the phone and this can not be counted as rest. There are many different examples of how this applies. It appears they should have a duty start time scheduled because currently any time after your initial 10 hours of rest can not be considered rest even if you are not at the airport on duty. Being in a state of readiness does not count as rest.

 

[EatSleepFly]

Also why are you contacting them? Those that contact scheduling before going to sleep are hurting everyone else trying to stop the rolling rest problem.

I almost hate to ask this, but can you please explain how you come to that conclusion?

A lot can happen between beginning rest at say 1700 and several hours later when you go to bed. What is the harm in sending a message to find out if the next days' plans are still in play?

It sure would be nice if the FAA would just get off their collective asses, do what they're paid to do and put a stop to the whole rolling rest concept industry-wide (it's not unique to Flex) but I won't hold my breath.

 

[hammer2]

Is this the same "notorious" New Flex? Haven't heard from you in a long time.

 

[T Heavy]

How can you argue a point that you obviousely don't even understand! Also why are you contacting them? Those that contact scheduling before going to sleep are hurting everyone else trying to stop the rolling rest problem.

Now that is funny. Are you kidding me, how could I not understand this???? I am contacting them to see if they have some information that will benifit me. Not to get a koolaid fix. Come on you have got to be smarter than that.

If being called in the middle of the night bothers you so bad go work in the 121 world and you then know how, what and where well in advanced.

 

[CA1900]

If being called in the middle of the night bothers you so bad go work in the 121 world and you then know how, what and where well in advanced.

How, what, and where are not safety issues. When I report, and planning my sleep around it, is a safety issue, no matter what regulation you're following.

 

[Av8tor]

Why should he have to work for a 121 carrier. Flex is the only Frac that has floating rest. Put it this way, if they can call me I should be on duty. That is how it is. That was my biggest gripe with Flex, they really take advatage of thier crews. VOTE IN A UNION>

 

[EatSleepFly]

Put it this way, if they can call me I should be on duty. That is how it is.

Actually that isn't how it is, and the FAA has said so themselves.

I'm not saying it isn't BS because it is, but if you're going to point fingers you should begin at the source.

I'd still like an explanation on how contacting scheduling before bed to inquire if there are any changes for the next day is undermining the effort to fix the rolling rest problem. If someone can civilly and coherently explain that to me, I'll stop doing it.

 

[gunfyter]

Actually that isn't how it is, and the FAA has said so themselves.

What did they say?