Originally Posted by
PackPilot
Where are you based? And do you live in base?
PSA sounds pretty awesome for schedule flexibility, however for the bases where you can be a R1 line holder sooner, it's a 2 leg commute for many folks (CVG has direct flights for where I live but only 2x a day, and DAY is definitely a 2 legger). CLT is where it's at (only a 3 hour drive for me), but I see it's about 18-20 months to become a R1 line holder there. Ouch! Hopefully DCA will help this, which for me isn't a bad commute. I'm curious your opinions on getting a quicker R1 line in a place like CVG or DAY, which is a difficult commute, vs. getting a build up line or LCR at a place like CLT, which is a much easier commute. I'm assuming with a BU line & LC/SC reserve you can expect to just have 11-12 days off per month. At least those are the things I would personally be weighing.
Hopefully this doesn't sound too entitled...I'm aware there are plenty of FO's that commuted to reserve for years and years back in the early 2000's.
Thanks for all these responses...very helpful.
I am based in Dayton and I do not live in base. So, I started in Dayton and transferred to Knoxville a couple months off IOE. Knoxville was great for reserve, as it was only about a 3 hour drive from my house. As soon as I could hold a line, I transferred back to Dayton. It is a 2 leg commute for me, but its absolutely worth it. Im going to be a commuter regardless, so a 2 leg commute to reserve is a special kind of hell, but a 2 leg to a Rd1 line isnt so bad. I can essentially get my month down to 4 trips (usually). Some of those 4 trips, if they end with a DH, I am able to tell scheduling I will "self" myself, meaning, I dont have to physically be on that deadhead, and instead go straight home. So, a couple months, ive only gone through Dayton 2-3 times.
Your assessment is accurate, that CLT is the best place currently for commuters, due to all the flights coming in and keep it from a 2 leg. I am relatively close to Rd1 in CLT, and when that happens, ill go there.