Originally Posted by
Purpleanga
This is confusing. So you still have to go to the airport??
Historically, crew services would have reserves go to the airport for a rescue flight because a crew called something in on ARINC. By the time the reserves got to the airport and dispatch finally got their sheet together on which airplane to use, where to send them, where the airplane was parked, etc, etc, etc, contract maintenance at the out station would have the airplane fixed. The rsv crew would be sent home but still be on rsv for the rest of their rsv period. This should stop with the contract but at least if it still happens then the rsv crew is off after a few hours.
So, to answer your question, there is no requirement to go to the airport and wait for an assignment.