Originally Posted by
DasSchwerin
Maybe you wouldn't consider it "per diem" in the traditional sense but on the expense reports it says "per diem". If your talking about the TDY pay of $35 a day then that's what I mean when I say per diem. TDY also pays 8 units every day your away on assignment according to the employee handbook. I've been to many of the bases and have seen where some of the schedules were good and bad. At the base I'm currently at, show time in the morning isn't until 9:25am and you finish around 7:45pm which isn't bad. It's really about trying to get the run and schedule that works for you personally. I'm making more money than I've ever made in my life. That being said this is only my 2nd professional "pilot" job. Even with the long duty days, most of the time your not working all day. Just a couple hours in the morning and evening which I use to finish school. You have a fair amount of time on your hands no matter how you cut it really.
It can say whatever it wants on the expense report, every other company on the planet that pays per diem, does so at the start of a duty period, no matter where you are at. Do I not have to eat unless I am away from my normal base? And If I am on a several day trip, I accrue per diem 24 hours a day, not 8 hours.
I am not bashing AMF, just clarifying that the term per diem is misused as to the traditional sense.
And I have to comment on this specifically:
Originally Posted by
DasSchwerin
Even with the long duty days, most of the time your not working all day. Just a couple hours in the morning and evening which I use to finish school. You have a fair amount of time on your hands no matter how you cut it really.
Whether you are physically flying or not, you are still on company time, you aren't off unless you are getting legal rest at your layover. I did the same thing as you, and worked on school during the day, which is nice to do, but it doesn't change the fact that you are gone from home, and at work for the company.