Originally Posted by
Sniper
2 questions:
- Does Spirit have duty rules that would limit (only certain times of the day can a duty period be scheduled over X hours) or prohibit (pilots are limited to X hours of time on an aircraft) this type of flying?
- Supposing this type of flying is allowed (ie, it's not specifically prohibited), how would it be paid? 9 hours of flight pay, or 6 hours of flight pay, only paid when you're @ the controls?
The second option is perhaps more dangerous. For every pilot that recognizes the safety issue, another is willing to overlook it for the extra $.
- How does Spirit treat deadheading? Seated where (coach, BFS)? If there's a clause about 'DH time is duty time but not rest', then that might have some 'chilling effects' on IRO ops too.
Assuming this kind of flying is allowed (in that its not specifically not allowed, in typical management logic), there could still certainly be a fatigue issue. There's what, 4-8 'Big Front Seats' on an aircraft? Best case, block one of them with a curtain - would a pilot sitting in one of these seats lose some flying ability (ie, the ride as a passenger itself is fatiguing), or would it be 'neutral'? If you were seated in a single middle coach seat with no curtain (worst case), same questions - effects on fatigue? I ask only b/c I thought that Sun Country or some other US 737 operator flies some transatlantic stuff (with a stop in Gander or something) and uses a single coach seat for the IRO - I could be mistaken.
Probably all just a brain exercise, since a Bogota, Lima, Guayaquil or Quito overnight is possible too, though if Spirit operates 3 frequencies to BOG each day, it seems to line up nicely with a continuation to Lima, Guayaquil and Quito each, so 24 hours of fun in SA. What other US airlines have overnights in Guayaquil and Quito (if known, don't post specific hotel, obviously)?
1. Not that I am aware of, we have quite a few redeyes. Right now our longest is FLL-PBG. It's blocked at around 6.5 leaves at 21:30 and gets back at 05:00. It wouldn't compare to a LIM out and back but that's the closests we have.
2. I think this is why the company came and asked. The contract only has flight pay and deadhead, no IRO pay. We receive 100% deadhead so in theory we could credit 11 hours for about 7 hours at the controls. I think that's a long shot, imagine how senior that would go. Work 10 days a month, block around 70-80 hours and credit 110.
3. Our deadhead seating states window or aisle if possible and we can move to a BFS if available in flight. They give us the BFS right away if they are an option but there isn't a guarantee. Our deadhead is considered duty time, if there is a loopwhole our management will find it. I'm hoping this was shot down by our union because they couldn't come to terms but I don't think we will ever know. The union hasn't been the best at sharing information in the past. Proven by Captscott's last post. I pretty sure he has something to do with our schedules but had no idea that IRO's were brought up recently.