Originally Posted by
HobGoblin
I did reserve in base for 3.5 years. It was nice to get paid not to work, but I hated not really knowing my schedule, being at the mercy of CS.
I'm on 5th year FO pay, been bidding lines all all this year now. I've made 20k through April. Add in the 10k bonus this year, That's not a bad pace. Picking up OT is easier with a line also. I don't feel like I've been busting my but too much. But yeah, getting paid not to work at all is nice too, if you don't mind the invisible handcuffs.
It just depends. If you think you may get used for something undesirable one day, just proffer for something else you do want. Nothing is ever guaranteed on RSV of course, and a bad weather day can go to hell real quick, but I have gone months with zero flying. Or just choosing whatever trips or easy late turns I may want and flying 10-20 hours for the month of stuff I choose. That is being senior on reserve of course.
Junior reserve pretty much sucks because you have very little say in what you get, but some of our junior non commutable 12 day off lines with 0400-0500 Eastern time show times every day suck much worse IMO when your choice is senior Reserve vs junior line holder. Just depends on what you want.