reserve info
All reserve lines get 12 days off.
All pilots accrue 5:30 of sick leave per month.
A sick day while on reserve costs 2:50 per day.
Hypothetically, if a guy were to call in sick for two days in a month, he has used :10 out of his sick bank.
In other words, all reserve lines can be 14 days off for the rock bottom price of :10 out of your sick leave bank... just sayin...
Also, don't forget to bid so as to create a day 7 conflict during the month to month transition. That can pay nice dividends from time to time as well. Sometimes they forget to properly notify you and if played correctly can produce 2 more days off for the month!
You have to answer the phone for the full 14 hours of your RAP.
You can be worked (and will be) for up to 16 hours.
They can call you at the start of your RAP, wake you up in the early AM, and tell you that they are putting you into rest, so you can work late into that night. This is legal but it is stupid. Let me get this straight... You wake me up at 0500, after I've had a good nights rest of 7-8 hours. Now you want me to simply go back to sleep and bang out some more rest so you can fly me until about midnight tonight. Just stupid, but it happens. So, if you are fit that evening, then fly. If you are not, then just call in fatigued. Fortunately, this doesn't happen to often.
The best little reserve nugget in our contract is that any RAP that starts prior to 1000 can not be placed into rest (scenario above) and flown into WOCL (0200-0400) on your first duty period. They can, as described above, place you into rest and work you till 11 pm or midnight or even 1 AM, but they can't work you into WOCL. This is a good thing for those of us who refuse to do WOCL flying in general. Simply bid a RAP that starts before 1000 and you will never do a first duty period WOCL flight.
Generally speaking, QOL for reserves in ANC, LAX and PDX is good. Pulling reserve in SEA is bad. Always has been, always will be. It's a function of the base's size (more things can go wrong) and the fact that line holders can never trade so they just call in sick to get the days off they need.