Rolling Rest Flexjet Pilot Alert

[Fozzy]

What did they say?

Ya, please post a reference. Thanks.

 

[EatSleepFly]

What did they say?

Basically that if you're dumb enough to answer the phone during your rest period, then you deserve what you get:

[FONT=&quot]December 9, 1999[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Mr. James R. Knight II[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aviation Technical Specialist[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aviation Services Department[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association 421 Aviation Way[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Frederick, MD 21701-4798[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dear Mr. Knight:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your letter dated September 8, 1999, to the Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Administration (FAA), concerning rest requirements under 14 CFR section 135.263(b). Specifically, you ask, "During the crew rest period, may the certificate holder initiate contact with the crew to assign a trip, which is scheduled to begin “after” the crews rest period?" The answer to your question is discussed below.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]14 CFR section 135.263(b) states that no certificate holder may assign any flight crewmember to any duty with the certificate holder during any required rest period.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The FAA has consistently interpreted its "rest"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]requirements to be satisfied only if the rest time is determined prospectively, is continuous, is free from all duty and restraint, and is free from the responsibility for work should the occasion arise. A period of time during which a pilot has a present responsibility for work should the occasion arise, does not qualify as a rest period. The question you ask, however, concerns the situation where the pilot does not have a present responsibility to do anything for the air carrier, not even to answer the telephone or a pager. This pilot, when contacted, is merely being notified of a flight assignment to take place at the conclusion of his or her rest period. The pilot, during the rest period, was not obligated to be available to answer the telephone or a pager. Accordingly, a certificate holder may attempt to initiate contact with a flight crewmember to assign a trip scheduled to begin after the required rest period without violating 14 CFR Section 135.263(b). If the air carrier successfully contacts the pilot in such a situation, that contact, which the crewmember did not have to make her or him available for, would not interrupt the continuous rest provision of 14 CFR Section 135.263(b).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]We hope this satisfactorily answers your question. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Sincerely,[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Donald P. Byrne[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Assistant Chief Counsel[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Regulations Division[/FONT]

Not exactly anything new...

 

[gunfyter]

Basically that if you're dumb enough to answer the phone during your rest period, then you deserve what you get:



Not exactly anything new...

Thanks.... Thats correct.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

okay I think we can agree that IF you answer you are screwed. but the question is, do we HAVE to answer?

 

[Hobbes]

Basically that if you're dumb enough to answer the phone during your rest period, then you deserve what you get:



Not exactly anything new...

His point was that if you are REQUIRED to answer the phone, you should be on duty. The Frac companies have all tried to make the pilot believe they HAD to answer phones when not on duty. Most of the frax pilots have shone the beam of truth through that deceipt. IBT1108 was crucial to that happening at Flops. Now for Flops the time actually on duty may suck, but they can't touch you on rest.

 

[notapilot]

This is my opinion only. When you call in the middle of your rest at say 10pm you are sending the message to the company that our 10 hours means nothing. In fact there are many crewmembers openly trying to convince the company that scheduling should send Blackberry messages for changes even if the crew is in rest. These crewmembers argue electronic notification is not an interuption of rest. We all need to be on the same page if this is ever going to change. Calling in the middle of rest and asking for electronic notifications during rest are not solutions, they send the wrong message to the company. We have many people trying to fight for these these important changes. One change needed is for no contact during our 10 hours. How can we convince them this is important if we have crewmembers calling in the middle of rest on there own.

 

[notapilot]

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.

I was referring to you not understanding what rolling rest is. It is not about contact during your 10 hours of rest. You not understanding what it is and then telling people to quit if they don't like it says alot.

 

[SDCFI]

This is my opinion only. When you call in the middle of your rest at say 10pm you are sending the message to the company that our 10 hours means nothing. In fact there are many crewmembers openly trying to convince the company that scheduling should send Blackberry messages for changes even if the crew is in rest. These crewmembers argue electronic notification is not an interuption of rest. We all need to be on the same page if this is ever going to change. Calling in the middle of rest and asking for electronic notifications during rest are not solutions, they send the wrong message to the company. We have many people trying to fight for these these important changes. One change needed is for no contact during our 10 hours. How can we convince them this is important if we have crewmembers calling in the middle of rest on there own.

The problem isn't being contacted during the 10 hours, the problem is being expected to be available for a 3am show after being given a brief for a late(r) show. People are texting in at night to see if there's been any changes since they went into rest, that way at least they know they'll be getting up early and not stay up too late. The other problem is people (Captains) feeling obligated to accept an early callout and other crew members (FO's and FA's) not saying no when called by the Captain with the bad news. The company has us by the ballz because we know if they decide to take disciplinary action against us for not picking up the phone (they say they won't but who really knows), we have no recourse without a contract/union. DG said at the Waterview meeting duty/rest was the next biggest issue to tackle after pay, and they're putting together a committee to look into it. Stall tactic if you ask me. They could fix it tomorrow if they really wanted to. In fact they could have fixed it a long time ago but they don't want to give up the financial benefits. I don't think it's a coincidence that we have the lowest charter rate in the industry and arguably the most efficient staffing on a crew/plane ratio. We work more days and have more flexible scheduling (rolling rest) than the other guys, doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. This could be solved, at least for now, very simply. When you shutdown you get a brief for the next day. If it's a late show dispatch decides whether or not they need you to be available for an early callout. If they do they let you know then, and your rest officially ends at the designated callout time. Of course this means they can't use you late in the day, but if they plan ahead they'll make sure they have enough crews with late starts who can cover. If they don't need you to be available you're in rest and not contactable until your scheduled show...period. We also need a set availability period for home reserve and hotel with no assignment so we can plan our sleep accordingly. This crap about making crews responsible for their rest for Day 1 is blatantly illegal. In the TAG revocation letter it specifically mentioned crews were being tasked with telling the company when they got their rest, and that was against regulations. The company must officially put a crew member into rest otherwise it's not prospective in nature.

 

[Av8tor]

Even in the FOM it states you only have 2hrs to drink if you are on DUTY less than 14 and 4hrs to drink if you are on duty more than 14. Even if technically you are supposed to have say a 19 hour lay over. They expect you to be available after your rest. They will drag this till the end. No doubt, that is the Flex way. Flex backwards for them. No flexjet pilot deserves only a 10hr or 12hr layover. It happens all the time. Why and how do all the other Fracs do it? Because the pilots put a stop to it.

 

[FLYLOW22]

okay I think we can agree that IF you answer you are screwed. but the question is, do we HAVE to answer?

Taxes and death: The only things in life that are mandatory.