Originally Posted by
USMCFLYR
Agree -again - looking at it from a new employer's point of view. But the compnay you are flying for currently ought to know whether Johnny flew airplane XXX from Silvis to Perioa on 15 July 08, and if the new compnay wantedto know badly enough - I would assume that they could contact said company and ask - did Johnny fly airplane XXXX on such date and for how long. I only have my experience to relate to but if you wanted to know if I really flew my airplane on a certain date for a certain amount of time then my employer (the squadron) has manny different ways to find out that information - rough flight schedules, smooth flight schedules, NAVFLIRS, maybe gripes written against the aircraft, 'Acceptance' sheet signed before I ever walked for the flight, etc.... I guess I am just surprised to find that other businesses don't have a more cntrolled method of logging the pilots time flown and leave it up to the individual. I would have thought it more tightly controlled.
USMCFLYR
In the civi world things can get more complicated than that. And I'm sure that the issue I'm about to explain is unique to the one company. But in the case I'm using, there are two things that record "flight time" as it's measured from block out to block in, depending on whether it's the company keeping track of it for pay, hourly time used to track MX issues, whatever. 1) The baggage door, 2) The main cabin door. At times it can be common to park the plane, set the brake, rampers pop the bag door, clock stopped. Meanwhile, you're waiting 10-15 miuntes with an engine running, people on board, waiting on a gate agent to 1) Get to the gate, 2) Get the jetway up to the airplane to pop the main cabin door, where the ACARS clock is hooked to. Imagine this happening between 2-5 times a day.
Now, this scenario doesn't happen ALL the time, but I did notice a discrepancy when doing my YTD totals between what I log in my book (acars time) vs. what the company keeps track of in the amount of about 5%. Now, if somebody really wanted to give it the full court press, question my flight time, and call my employer and go through EVERY SINGLE time for EVERY SINGLE leg, they would question why my times don't match up with what the company keeps track of. Now, I would be able to explain that, along with all the legal issues my MEC has had the pleasure of going through with management on the issue. But that's not a situation I want to find myself in.