Originally Posted by
prior121
In regards to the whole putting guys on ready (airport, hot, whatever your airline calls it) reserve when they finish flying, I know after talking to the company, their response is "we are waiting for interpretation from the FAA." From an operational standpoint, as soon as they use a reserve, they can no longer return them to "normal, regular, home" (whatever you want to call it) reserve that day, so to keep them useful they are trying to pull this putting them on ready thing. They say it keeps you in the same FDP. I guess when the FAA says, "No that's not legal", they're guessing they'll get some sort of leeway with violations since 117 is new and vague to everyone.
ALPA's stance is they are also waiting for interpretation from the FAA and to fill out a grievance and an ASAP.
Couple things... If the company and ALPA both want an iterpretation from the FAA, that means they aknowledge it could be illegal, yet they are mandating you do it. Isnt that backwards? Shouldn't they not do what potentially is illegal until they know for sure?
I'm sure the FAA will rule in favor of adding rsv to the end of shifts, and if thats going to be the case , i would rather head home on 1.5 call out than do ready, yuk! Honey, I'm back fom my 85 TAFB 4 day trip, its 2 pm, but i gotta sit here until midnight. ...Really?
Question, what if you refuse? Any anticdotal evidence out there as to reprecussion?
And btw. Filling out ASAP for this is the most asinine thing I've ever heard of. That program is reserved for honest pilot error, to glean data from the mistakes so lessons can be learned, and to encourage us to come clean in the interest of safety. ASAP is not to protect us from willingly accepting arguably illegal assignments and therby complicitly violating us govt federal regulations. Wanna screw around and use ASAP for this stuff? It only diminishes the integrity of the program, and ultimately endangers its viability and longevity.
This is nearly synonymous with being asked to fly with an open write up, then u call ALPA for advise and they tell you to go do the flight but to be sure to fill out an ASAP when you land. Let me know how that works out for ya.
And before you dismiss my analogy ask yourself why they are even using the word ASAP if they werent concerned it could indeed be a violation.
And another thing. If releasing a pilot back to sit short call reserve is blatantly not allowed, doesnt that infer that the spirit of the law is meant to prevent further reserve assignment? But because they dont like that they want to wiggle out on a technicality within the letter of the law and assign ready instead, an obviously more fatiguing type of rsv. This is seriously fishy.
Any other airlines are doing this? Anyone know?