Originally Posted by
Skylarking
For example, at some bases there are a lot of senior people who bid reserve in the shoulder months, etc.
October is the lowest flight time month of the year. That means fewer lines and more reserves. Sometimes the reserve to line holder ratio has dropped from 1:3 (25% reserve coverage) to 1:1 (50/50). In other words you might expect to fly 1/3 as much in October vs the yearly average as a reserve pilot. Bid reserve and hope the phone never rings!