Originally Posted by
vroll1800
No troll bait. Just trying to illustrate one difference between ULCC and ACMI ops for the benefit of the OP.
In this case, the crew* and the airplane were the only one for many miles (and hours flight time) around. Versus a similar event happening at , say, Jet Blue out of JFK. In that case, they'd either get a new aircraft to continue to original destination, or flight would be canceled, passengers booked on another flight. Flight crew sent home with pay, or reassigned to another sequence with equal or greater pay.
ACMI, you're often IT effectively chained to the airplane. The followup questions are more interesting. Did company say to crew upon landing "OK, fellas, go to hotel, get 16 hours rest, and report back to continue flight." OR was crew strung along for several hours, and upon realizing that problem wouldn't be solved so quickly sent crew to hotel to get minimum rest prior to continuing flight ?
Even if the later scenario didn't actually happen, prospective Acmi pilots can expect such a scenario to happen several times. "Plane will be fixed in 2 hours" ranks up there with "check is in the mail" for truthfulness and accuracy.
I brought up the 24 hour question, because the 24 hour issue was repeatedly cited as one of K4 pilot's major beef with 1224 leadership. Might Bishkek be one of those places where K4 crew might want to exercise the 24 hour double crew duty day to "get out of Dodge ?"
Lastly, I didn't post avherald link just to pick on K4. It just happened to be the most immediate incident available to illustrate the potential differences in duty days between Acmi carriers, and ULCC hub and spoke ops.
* I'm guessing if a different crew flew the aircraft into HKG that they were not available to fly delayed leg because they were in crew rest, or they already had (or were slated to) commercial home or somewhere else for another assignment.
What exactly is your point here? Could the worse case senecio you are proposing happen? Yes it happens at times. You go to the hotel and get legal rest. Isn’t that what legal rest is for?
Every type of operation has its problems that irritate each of us. For me as a pax pilot it was having to leave late, catch up to ontime and then, have to do a plane swap at the hub, with an aircraft that was late. That was way more tiring to me than having the company tell me to go back to the hotel for 10 or 11 hours of rest.
I have never flown better aircraft in regards to maintenance in my career. Our FME’s “own” that airplane and take pride in its performance.
When I arrived at Kalitta in 2011, it was my final surrender to the “dark side”. I had friends that had worked there from 2007 and had asked me to come over. I let posters like you, convince me that ACMI was a horrible end to a career. I was a moron for allowing an internet website to influence my career choice. I should have come in 2007. K4 was the best kept secret in aviation back then. Now that they pay a living wage it is even better.
However, if you are: a whiner, a person who cannot be flexible about changes in their schedule when at work, have lots of family issues that need you at home, have been an FO your entire career and cannot make the leap to being in charge when you fly, please stay away. You will not be happy with us and we will not be happy with you.
Not everyone is cut out to be an international ACMI Pilot. It is the most difficult flying you can experience. Not because of the destination or the company. Because you never get to fly. After a month off you are up to bat. A little cross wind of 10 kts, bit of gust on arrival, you with little confidence in your skills. What happens next? Instead of letting the aircraft autoland, you decide to leave the AP an AT on until you break out at 300 feet. You kick them off, forgetting that the rudder was being trimmed by the multiple autopilots. Wing drops, you correct, forget to flair and turn off the AT, you can write the rest.
You will be at the top of your flying skills after IOE. It is all down hill until you upgrade.