Originally Posted by
skyhawk677
I am a part 135 cargo pilot working 5 nights a week and back at home each day and weekends. I am thinking of going the part 121 regional pilot route. My question is, what kind of time do you get off when your on reserve? 10-12 days off a month seems to be the normal answer, but are these days off consecutive, and do you know an advance when they will be? I ask because I am wondering if it is possible to jumpseat home on a regular basis when on reserve for a regional airline.
The short answer is, unlike the drama queens above me who answer their phones on their days off, if you have 11 or 12 days off the other 20 you are working. Working may mean sitting in a crashpad if you live out of base, it may mean sitting airport standby, it may mean working a crappy low value trip.
It will most likely be a combination of 4 on/3 off, or 4 on/2 off (it's impossible to work 6 on/2 off all month long, and if you ever do you should be getting your day off restored or at least pay on top of your guarantee for the day you worked).
Reserve does suck everywhere, because you spend a lot of your 20 days a month feeling like you aren't quite working but you're not quite off work either....you have to wait by the phone or sit at the airport. But if you dont work at a ****hole company you can at least enjoy having rolled days off restored, a good fatigue policy, an extra day off or two over the crappiest companies, trading days off, etc.