FDX commute to RA
05-12-2011, 08:08 AM
#21
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Posts: 177
Originally Posted by Adlerdriver
Bottom line, get on first fly and get an assignment you can legally JS into and you will be protected like any lineholder (ops tested personally).
SG
05-12-2011, 09:31 AM
#22
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 767 Captain
Posts: 3,988
Originally Posted by Some guy
I like the idea of using First Fly, but how far in advance do they do First Fly assignments? One day prior or at 0900 in the morning for that night (AM launch)? If it's at 0900 and you don't get a legally commutable assignment, you just boxed yourself in as Overnite suggests.
SG
SG
Normally, the assignments begin at 0900 the day prior. So, if you have RA on Wed at 0130L, the assignment process begins at 0900 on Tuesday.
The process that generally worked for me was this: (all times MEM local)
- Get a reserve schedule with no more than two blocks of R days. This will mean you only have to go through this commute/jumpseat into RA consideration no more than twice.
-Put yourself on first fly for the whole month. You can't select first-fly the day prior. It has to be selected at least two days prior. The flexibility in using it will be obtained by selectively removing yourself from FF the day prior. Select first-fly MANUALLY. Don't select the option that puts you on it until further notice. Just do it each month after you have your schedule.
- NLT 0900L the day prior to your first RA day (i.e. the morning of the day you would be commuting into MEM), take a look at the leveling list and the open time. I generally tried to do this around 0800-ish. Keep in mind, the sick calls for the next day won't go into open time until some time after 0700L, so no point in looking before this time. Since guys hawk open time shortly after 0700 to pick up trips dropped for sick, you need to give them time to do that or your assessment of your situation won't be accurate. The closer to 0900 you can wait the more accurate your snapshot will be.
- See where you fall on the leveling list as a first-flyer and where you would be without it (based on leveling hours).
- Look at the open trips and get an idea of which one you'll get. You have to look at days of availability of those ahead of you as well as the CH value of the trips. They're assigned by highest CH, then by dep time. The highest CH trip will go to the first pilot on the list legal to fly it. Equal CH trips go based on when they depart. The "wild cards" are longer trips with greater than 50 hours TAFB. Those can be assigned out of leveling order to maximize use of a pilot's r-days (with consideration for those on first-fly). Those aren't as likely to end up in open time but it does happen, so you need to watch out for those.
- If you stand a pretty good shot at getting a trip, then stay on first fly and hope for the best.
- If you're not lining up for a trip but first fly will leave you in the top few pilots, see what taking yourself off first fly will do. It might move you down significantly and take you out of the cross-hairs for the following morning. If it only moves you down one or two spots, it might not matter. Generally speaking, if it didn't look like I was going to get a first-fly assignment right off the bat, I took myself off FF BEFORE 0900 and hoped for the best with the commute that night.
- You can also go through this process as you sit reserve, day by day. It can help you be somewhat selective about what trips you fly. Don't like what you're lining up for tomorrow on first-fly. Opt out before 0900 and hope for something better. Or, don't like the longer trip you're lining up for, opt out of FF and take the shorter trip further down the open time list. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
- All this also involves the standard commuter cross-check of Wx, back-up flights, etc. Being 10 deep on the leveling list probably won't matter if MEM is going to get blasted with an ice-storm or t-storms. Probably time to go off-line and get in early if that's an option for you.
Good luck.
Last edited by Adlerdriver; 05-12-2011 at 09:54 AM.
05-12-2011, 01:31 PM
#24
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Joined APC: Feb 2010
Position: Socket Drawer
Posts: 1,797
Of course now that everyone knows the technique, you will also have to figure out whether the other guys on first fly are going to pull their preference, and what effect that will have on your leveling order if they do or do not.
Starting to sound a little like a practice bid.
Starting to sound a little like a practice bid.
05-12-2011, 01:58 PM
#25
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 767 Captain
Posts: 3,988
Originally Posted by The Walrus
Of course now that everyone knows the technique, you will also have to figure out whether the other guys on first fly are going to pull their preference, and what effect that will have on your leveling order if they do or do not.
Starting to sound a little like a practice bid.
Starting to sound a little like a practice bid.
However, if you choose to stay on FF because it's looking good for you to get a trip, then usually changes made by others involved will result in it being even MORE likely that you'll get a trip.
Someone can only take themselves off first-fly, which will move you further up the list. Reserve pilots on the leveling list calling in sick effectively move you up the list, additional sick calls from trip holders or other open trips after 0900 will mean more trips to fill.
Beyond that, it's just a WAG anyway.
05-14-2011, 05:47 AM
#26
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: Gear Monkey
Posts: 3,193
Originally Posted by Adlerdriver
True. So, it takes a little assessment of the open trips, your position on the leveling list and how first fly will affect that position.
Normally, the assignments begin at 0900 the day prior. So, if you have RA on Wed at 0130L, the assignment process begins at 0900 on Tuesday.
The process that generally worked for me was this: (all times MEM local)
- Get a reserve schedule with no more than two blocks of R days. This will mean you only have to go through this commute/jumpseat into RA consideration no more than twice.
-Put yourself on first fly for the whole month. You can't select first-fly the day prior. It has to be selected at least two days prior. The flexibility in using it will be obtained by selectively removing yourself from FF the day prior. Select first-fly MANUALLY. Don't select the option that puts you on it until further notice. Just do it each month after you have your schedule.
- NLT 0900L the day prior to your first RA day (i.e. the morning of the day you would be commuting into MEM), take a look at the leveling list and the open time. I generally tried to do this around 0800-ish. Keep in mind, the sick calls for the next day won't go into open time until some time after 0700L, so no point in looking before this time. Since guys hawk open time shortly after 0700 to pick up trips dropped for sick, you need to give them time to do that or your assessment of your situation won't be accurate. The closer to 0900 you can wait the more accurate your snapshot will be.
- See where you fall on the leveling list as a first-flyer and where you would be without it (based on leveling hours).
- Look at the open trips and get an idea of which one you'll get. You have to look at days of availability of those ahead of you as well as the CH value of the trips. They're assigned by highest CH, then by dep time. The highest CH trip will go to the first pilot on the list legal to fly it. Equal CH trips go based on when they depart. The "wild cards" are longer trips with greater than 50 hours TAFB. Those can be assigned out of leveling order to maximize use of a pilot's r-days (with consideration for those on first-fly). Those aren't as likely to end up in open time but it does happen, so you need to watch out for those.
- If you stand a pretty good shot at getting a trip, then stay on first fly and hope for the best.
- If you're not lining up for a trip but first fly will leave you in the top few pilots, see what taking yourself off first fly will do. It might move you down significantly and take you out of the cross-hairs for the following morning. If it only moves you down one or two spots, it might not matter. Generally speaking, if it didn't look like I was going to get a first-fly assignment right off the bat, I took myself off FF BEFORE 0900 and hoped for the best with the commute that night.
- You can also go through this process as you sit reserve, day by day. It can help you be somewhat selective about what trips you fly. Don't like what you're lining up for tomorrow on first-fly. Opt out before 0900 and hope for something better. Or, don't like the longer trip you're lining up for, opt out of FF and take the shorter trip further down the open time list. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
- All this also involves the standard commuter cross-check of Wx, back-up flights, etc. Being 10 deep on the leveling list probably won't matter if MEM is going to get blasted with an ice-storm or t-storms. Probably time to go off-line and get in early if that's an option for you.
Good luck.
Normally, the assignments begin at 0900 the day prior. So, if you have RA on Wed at 0130L, the assignment process begins at 0900 on Tuesday.
The process that generally worked for me was this: (all times MEM local)
- Get a reserve schedule with no more than two blocks of R days. This will mean you only have to go through this commute/jumpseat into RA consideration no more than twice.
-Put yourself on first fly for the whole month. You can't select first-fly the day prior. It has to be selected at least two days prior. The flexibility in using it will be obtained by selectively removing yourself from FF the day prior. Select first-fly MANUALLY. Don't select the option that puts you on it until further notice. Just do it each month after you have your schedule.
- NLT 0900L the day prior to your first RA day (i.e. the morning of the day you would be commuting into MEM), take a look at the leveling list and the open time. I generally tried to do this around 0800-ish. Keep in mind, the sick calls for the next day won't go into open time until some time after 0700L, so no point in looking before this time. Since guys hawk open time shortly after 0700 to pick up trips dropped for sick, you need to give them time to do that or your assessment of your situation won't be accurate. The closer to 0900 you can wait the more accurate your snapshot will be.
- See where you fall on the leveling list as a first-flyer and where you would be without it (based on leveling hours).
- Look at the open trips and get an idea of which one you'll get. You have to look at days of availability of those ahead of you as well as the CH value of the trips. They're assigned by highest CH, then by dep time. The highest CH trip will go to the first pilot on the list legal to fly it. Equal CH trips go based on when they depart. The "wild cards" are longer trips with greater than 50 hours TAFB. Those can be assigned out of leveling order to maximize use of a pilot's r-days (with consideration for those on first-fly). Those aren't as likely to end up in open time but it does happen, so you need to watch out for those.
- If you stand a pretty good shot at getting a trip, then stay on first fly and hope for the best.
- If you're not lining up for a trip but first fly will leave you in the top few pilots, see what taking yourself off first fly will do. It might move you down significantly and take you out of the cross-hairs for the following morning. If it only moves you down one or two spots, it might not matter. Generally speaking, if it didn't look like I was going to get a first-fly assignment right off the bat, I took myself off FF BEFORE 0900 and hoped for the best with the commute that night.
- You can also go through this process as you sit reserve, day by day. It can help you be somewhat selective about what trips you fly. Don't like what you're lining up for tomorrow on first-fly. Opt out before 0900 and hope for something better. Or, don't like the longer trip you're lining up for, opt out of FF and take the shorter trip further down the open time list. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
- All this also involves the standard commuter cross-check of Wx, back-up flights, etc. Being 10 deep on the leveling list probably won't matter if MEM is going to get blasted with an ice-storm or t-storms. Probably time to go off-line and get in early if that's an option for you.
Good luck.
(...but, I'm still thankful I choose not to sit reserve!
)
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