What is 7 on 7 off really like?

[Ultra Grump]

Except that a new hire would most likely not have been here for a bid award, so would have to stay on the 18-day until the next bid period.

 

[CA1900]

Except that a new hire would most likely not have been here for a bid award, so would have to stay on the 18-day until the next bid period.

Hmmm.... kind of a catch 22, unless I missed something. You'll get it, but you have to bid it. But you can't bid it, because you weren't here.

Don't see any way around it; I stand corrected.

 

[-FlyAuburn-]

Hmmm.... kind of a catch 22, unless I missed something. You'll get it, but you have to bid it. But you can't bid it, because you weren't here.

Don't see any way around it; I stand corrected.

So if I understand this correctly that could mean a new hire would be looking at the 18 day schedule for possibly 4 months until the new bid period comes around?

 

[On Your Six]

So if I understand this correctly that could mean a new hire would be looking at the 18 day schedule for possibly 4 months until the new bid period comes around?

Consider that time (if it is that long) an investment in the future...

 

[Guitar Guy]

So if I understand this correctly that could mean a new hire would be looking at the 18 day schedule for possibly 4 months until the new bid period comes around?

Remember that most if not all of your first two months are going to be split between indoc and type training. Once training's complete, then you sit in the queue for IOE. That can take some time to commence and complete depending on several factors. So depending on where you hit a bid period and how quickly you get through IOE, you could spend less than 1 or possibly 2 bid periods on the 18-day schedule.

 

[CA1900]

So if I understand this correctly that could mean a new hire would be looking at the 18 day schedule for possibly 4 months until the new bid period comes around?

Yes, or it could be longer or shorter, depending on the timing of his newhire class. I was mistaken earlier when I said you wouldn't have to finish out a bid period; Grump was on the mark, since a newhire won't have a chance to bid before he gets on property.

(That's unless the newhires are given some kind of supplemental schedule bidding, but I don't believe that's the case, and the company is not contractually required to do so. If I hear something different, I'll post it here.)


Let's look hypothetically at someone who started class this coming Monday, as that's about the best-case scenario. We're in the middle of a bid for the schedule starting 2/1, and the bids are due by the 27th of December.

So... Indoc starts 12/24. A newhire bids immediately for the Feb 1 schedule for a 7/7 line. Indoc ends on January 4. He has two weeks off, goes to sim January 18, and finishes February 3. He's now already into the new bid period. As soon as he's done with IOE, he's on the 7/7 that he was awarded. He will only be on the 18-day until training is completed (including IOE), and not a day longer. Could be as little as two months.

Now let's look at worst-case: A newhire starts a week from Monday, on 12/31. He's missed the bid for February by a few days, so he'll have to wait for the next bid cycle for June 1, and will be on the 18-day schedule until then.

Indoc will run from 12/31 to 1/11. Two weeks off. Start sim 1/25, finish it on 2/9. At that point, he'll be on the 18-day until the next bid period, which starts five months from his first day on property. As I said, that's worst-case scenario, arriving just after a bid window closed. He also might end up with a training schedule like mine, where I had 5 weeks between indoc and sim, and another 5 weeks between sim and getting into the actual plane. So it may fly by.

Hope that helps clear things up a little. Keep in mind that on our new 18-day schedule, it's a fixed schedule (after training), and he'll know his schedule by the 15th of each prior month when on the 18-day.

 

[johnboy99]

Hey NJ guys. During a 7 day tour what kind of rest do you normally(if there is such a thing) get. I know it is 10 hours minimum but do you have time at a layover to go see the sites. I am a 121 guy and I enjoy getting out and seeing things such as the beach or sites at a good layover. Do they ever allow say a 24 hour layover at places or is it normally 10 hours or a little more?? Thanks

 

[flywest]

Hey NJ guys. During a 7 day tour what kind of rest do you normally(if there is such a thing) get. I know it is 10 hours minimum but do you have time at a layover to go see the sites. I am a 121 guy and I enjoy getting out and seeing things such as the beach or sites at a good layover. Do they ever allow say a 24 hour layover at places or is it normally 10 hours or a little more?? Thanks

I would say the vast majority of overnights have 10-14 hours of rest so there usually isn't a whole lot of time to go sightseeing during a normal overnight. What I have found is that if you are paired up with a flying partner who goes home a day or two before you do, you are more likely to get left in the hotel while a fresh new crew comes in and takes your airplane. Doesn't happen very often, but nice when it does.

 

[gunfyter]

Citation X Shuffle... 14 on. 10 off.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

It blew my freaking mind, but I got 24 hours off in Cabo San Lucas last tour. So in two years of working here I finally got an awesome night somewhere!

 

[fischman]

Hey NJ guys. During a 7 day tour what kind of rest do you normally(if there is such a thing) get. I know it is 10 hours minimum but do you have time at a layover to go see the sites. I am a 121 guy and I enjoy getting out and seeing things such as the beach or sites at a good layover. Do they ever allow say a 24 hour layover at places or is it normally 10 hours or a little more?? Thanks

It happens. You have to understand that our schedule is SOOOO dynamic that you never really know. There are tours where you get 10 hour turns every night, and there are tours where you get 1 or 2 revenue legs in a week. I spent 5 days in TOL last tour. You never know.

 

[illeagle]

Citation X Shuffle... 14 on. 10 off.

That's why it's called the X. 10 hours of flying per day, 10 hours of rest. take the ultra...

 

[CA1900]

That's why it's called the X. 10 hours of flying per day, 10 hours of rest. take the ultra...

From what I've heard....
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/6050/motivator138234xf1.jpg

 

[gunfyter]

From what I've heard....
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/6050/motivator138234xf1.jpg

Ramming Speed!

 

[Trout]

That's why it's called the X. 10 hours of flying per day, 10 hours of rest. take the ultra...

Why is the X considered the slave ship?

Short legs, long legs, somewhere in between?

 

[gunfyter]

My flight time in first yr in Falcon is a little over 50% of my first yr flightime was in the X. I don't even want to look at the duty hrs difference. Ave duty day ave rest.

 

[flyer172r]

Out of curiosity, what time do you normally get home on the last day?

 

[CA1900]

Like everything else in this business, it varies.

I just pulled a duty report off our computer system, and looked at my last-day release times for the past few months:

8:35pm
2:18pm following day (snowed in)
12:49am
1:31pm
1: 08pm
4:44pm
5:18pm
6: 05pm
2:41pm
5:24pm

... and so on. Of course, up until the new bases opened up, all of these were followed by several hours on the highway.

Now that the penalty for getting us home late has gone up substantially, they seem less apt to risk running us right up to close to midnight, or right up near 14 hours of duty, unless it's specifically to cover a revenue flight on that last morning.

My usual last-day routine is to fly one short-to-medium leg in the morning, then airline home. Haven't had a pure travel day on the last day in several months.

 

[theskyking]

My last three tours have ended with nothing but travel home. I was in my door at home no later than 1300. One of them I walked in the door before 1000.

 

[ozpilot]

Most times I get home to my base between 9pm and midnight. Only twice in the last year have I got home during daylight hours. I've also had 4 after midnights .