Originally Posted by
Jughead135
Happy to report I got a line for October--less than a month since IOE completion!--and I have a couple of questions:
1) So I'm Reserve in Sep, Regular in Oct; I have a reserve block (non-X days) ending 30 Sep; first rotation in Oct starts 02 Oct. What is 01 Oct treated as in terms of a day off: “hard” or “soft”? In other words, can I be extended on an assigned trip during what I hope is my last reserve block into my day off in Oct? Does my release on 30 Sep (assuming not assigned a trip) follow the "will be released" at 1200, or the "may request to be released" rules?
2) I need some specific days off in November (not Thanksgiving, I know better), so I will be bidding accordingly. Am I better off:
a) Picking up a carry-over trip at the end of Oct and getting some credit during the first few days of Nov as a pre-award; or
b) Leaving Nov blank (no carry-over trips) so that PBS will have as many days as possible to be able to place awards “around” the days off that I need?
Hoping I can hold a line going forward, but happy to have these "problems" for Oct! Thanks for any help.
Jughead-
A regular line day off is a soft non-fly day. You can call for release at noon.
A reserve can be assigned flying into a regular line day off. Its one of the items on the coverage ladders. Section 23.N.9 and 23.O.9.
Carry-over trips are a crap shoot. They may end up helping you or hurting you. Nobody can predict. Most guys who are trying to control their schedule to the maximum extent possible will avoid them.