Don't think there is any "tone" offered in the reply. The underlined section is the gist of the message "Plan on being out for 17 days" With your experience in ACMI you understand the impossibility of a cookie cutter answer. Also, tendencies tend to change in this biz so what is going on now can change in a few short turns of the cycle. I have seen mostly 17 day+ trips with lots of unproductive sitting in between (not complaining - just the facts) The bases here at Atlas are somewhat notional to begin with. You can bid a specific pattern - and then by the time you execute that bid - it may not even remotely resemble what you bid for. The only absolute is that you owe the company 17 days a month which can be involuntarily extended to 21 days. You may work less, but chances are once they have you on the road they will keep you until they burn thru your days (regardless of what you have bid for) I am sure that I will be corrected by others, but my viewpoint is that of a 6 month employee with no seniority. All in all it is a great place to work with a bright outlook for the near term.