Originally Posted by Herkflyr

You are not quite understanding just what the contract says, though you are mostly correct.

IF on the first day of on-call days, the company is going to give you a trip with a report before 1200, or a short call starting before 1000, then they MUST put that assignment NLT 1500 on your last on call day. If they do not, then you just assume long call at midnight.

Your only requirement is to acknowledge the trip NLT 3 hrs prior to report, or a SC NLT 1 hour prior to start of SC.

Of course, if you are smart, sometime in the afternoon (but no earlier than 1500) you should check for any trip/SC assignment--makes things easier all around. Wouldn't you rather find out about an early report or early SC the prior afternoon, rather than oh-dark-thirty? But in our example here, PilotFrog did not do so (as I read it; correct me if I am wrong) so scheduling made a "courtesy" call at 0400 to remind him of his 0500 SC, since he did not check NLT 0200--they did not have to do that, as they had already had legally assigned the short call the previous day before 1500. Frog, by making that courtesy call, they actually helped you AVOID violating your responsibilities under the contract! Don't be "mad" at scheduling for calling you at 0400--be mad at yourself for not checking your schedule NLT 0200--which the contract mandates.

Contract compliance is a two-way street folks. It's not just scheduling that makes mistakes. It is IMPERATIVE that you understand what our contract says and requires. This reserve system takes a couple of months to wrap your brain around. Once you get a good feel for it, you will find it very intuitive and a good system--short call and lack-of-seniority discussions notwithstanding.