Originally Posted by
boog123
I know I have read that some long 2 pilot domestic transcon turns are not possible under part 117 due to departure times, etc., but what if they were augmented? I appears a 3 man crew could fly up to 13 hours if they took off in the correct duty window. I know airlines do this for long Latin America turns, why not domestically?
This has always been allowed under both the old and new rest rules. Under the old rules if you add a relief pilot you could fly 12 hour days with no restrictions on legs. The new rules allow something similiar but reduce the time for the number of legs. Lots of airlines fly turns like this with relief pilots. They will continue to do that under 117.
At Delta our contract prohibits this practice unless a rest seat meeting minimum contractual standards is installed. The cost to put that type of seat into the entire A320, 737 fleet has kept Delta from making the switch. Instead Delta chooses to double crew those flights. One crew flies and the other DH's. We are the only airline doing that. Everyone else puts the relief guy in a passenger seat. Some airlines use coach others first class.