Originally Posted by
mispoken
Because I have the pleasure of visiting the chief pilot every 100 hours for the next 8-12 months, I'm just trying to do everything the right way. Unless I was mislead on my first CP meeting, I have to put in for known mil leave before the bid closes. Honestly, I'm not going to play any games until my probationary period complete. It's not worth it to me. So I put in drill weekends and bi-annual sim days in advance if I know them and the occasions aftp I'll be doing.
Anyhow, May's schedule was a good lesson from HKU for the future, non probie, me.
In the meantime, I need to pickup a trip. Back to my original question, it sounds like just picking up an open trip in advance is my best bet. Is it true that the 20th is the best picking for open time?
If I just put in for a green slip I run the risk of not getting a trip/credit where as white slipping an open trip can guarantee I get those credit hours.
Back to your original question.
It is a no-brainer - WS in base. You can put in for a GS, but even if you get a GS it will only pay as a GS if you can reach the GS trigger.
Remember you can apply up to 5 hours of bank withdrawal toward hitting the GS trigger. So for example if the GS trigger is 75 hours you can withdraw 5 hours from your bank (even if it results in a negative bank) and apply that to the trigger, so in this case you must get to 70 hours before GS pay kicks in.
I find myself in this exact situation about 3 months out of the year due to MIL and other obligations. Since I am senior in category I will sometimes put in for a GS even if I am well below the trigger knowing that I can almost always WS to within 5 of the GS trigger.
Being junior I would recommend to try to get a WS as early in the month as possible. Not only will this allow you to prioritize your trips, possibly even put in some blind requests for certain dates, and line up a sure WS on the 20th of April, but being junior you will a much better chance of getting a GS later in the month.
Finally depending on the monthly timing of your GS be ready for some knuckleheads to give you grief for putting in a WS requests if GS's are flying out the door - some guys fail to realize that not every DAL Pilot lives to work - some of us work to live, and we don't fly 80+ hours every month and sometimes for whatever reason we are below the GS trigger.
Good Luck - Scoop