Originally Posted by withthatsaid182

Reserve is tough no matter how you swing it. I was on reserve for my first year at Eagle before getting furloughed. I plan on being on reserve for at least another year. I was the junior guy in the company so I was the last at each base I went to which made my situation a little more painful.

If you live in base it can be bearable, if you commute, get a crashpad. Flying when I was on reserve was scarce. The most I flew in a month was 55 hours. I average 25 hours with as little as 8 hours one month. Like people said you end up with 5-6 day stints which blow if you're doing ready reserve (sitting at the airport). Ready's do not fly. They are used as a last resort. If you hold a ready line be prepared to sit in the crew room each day. Junior guys on call got more flying b/c CS worked from the bottom up on the list. Senior guys usually did not fly but they preffered that most of the time. The sweet spot I think is the top 25% of the list. These guys can sit at home if they want and not get called unless there is the perfect storm, but they can proffer for open trips and usually get them.

With all the hiring going on and change in flying I think that reserve will play out a little different then I experienced but being on the bottom is being on the bottom. The best advice I can give to guys joining me on reserve is to figure out and adapt quickly. Find a way to use the system to your advantage (what little advantage there may be), learn the ins and outs of the SABRE system so you know when you can expect to fly or expect to sit around and wait. Also find ways to pass the time in the crashpad or at the airport. A lot of flying I got on reserve would be 2-3 deadhead legs to fly 1 leg. It sounds ridiculous but happened to a lot of guys. Patience will be your best virtue.