Originally Posted by
Zoomie
A bit of clarification:
Some people were saying at TK you have 12-13 days off, it's 13, period. 13 plus fly days. For NB, you get 2-3 Fly days a month and WB gets roughly 3 days per month, but sometimes TK gives 0 fly days for WB guys in some months, then 6 Fly days in other months.
Pros:
1) To equate it to the line, this is a senior-type day turn schedule. If that's what you like, you will like the schedule. Do 0400/2200 sim periods stink? Yep, they do, but some guys choose a whole line of these events and have a side gig. I suspect these people are vampires or don't sleep as these event times are brutal when u get a string of them.
2) Even as a junior TK instructor, you can typically get 2 weekends off a month. Throw in a vacation every 2nd or 3rd month, and depending on vacation weeks thru the year, you can average 2.5 weekends off a month. You will not get this as a lineholder in most NB bases until you are above 50%. The scheduling rules are "more fair" and seniority mostly only helps you with your schedule build and overtime.
3) Vacation weeks: summer goes junior. To keep it simple, in a month with vacation, you basically get an extra 5 days off that month. So instead of working 15-16 events, you only have to work 10-11 events. You also aren't affected by FAR 117 while teaching, so if you desired to front load or backload your schedule like you can do out in GUM, that is a possibility. So work 10 days, get the next 20 off (if you got ahead on fly days or you can do them before the end of the year).
4) Trading is easy for NB instructors: We have about 270 instructors on the 737. I almost never see a trade request that isn't filled in the same day. It's easy to trade.
5) You will learn more about SOP on your aircraft than most care to know
6) You get to know fellow pilots on your fleet better and go to the 3 day standards meeting with them once a year.
7) You want to coach a kid's team, you will probably be able to manipulate your schedule to do so.
8) You get to fly whatever trips you want by FBO as long as the lineholder allows it. This is great for someone junior that might be flying a lot of undesirable trips anyway.
9) Pay equates to a reserve CA pay.
10) Flexibility is huge since you can be given 3-4 fly days in a month. You can choose to fly 0 days during that month and make those days up in another month. Or you can get ahead on fly days early in the year and basically give yourself more days off in schedules later in the year.
11) You are guaranteed Thanksgiving day, Christmas day, and New Years day off. Those days off are in addition to your 13 days off each month.
Cons:
1) Everyone does Reserve days from time to time no matter seniority, so everyone can get tagged for something at a time they would prefer not to work (but you can trade reserve days for a guaranteed sim lesson)
2) 13 days off isn't a lot and it can wear on you
3) Flying skills do suffer since most average less than 90 hrs a year
4) While teaching is rewarding, most will agree it's not as "fun" as flying. However, you also don't have to deal with weather, ATC, passengers except when flying 2-3 days a month.
5) Work becomes more political
6) If you can hold weekends and holidays off on the line, you will likely have better pay and time off on the line.