Brake Drop Delta requirement
 

I'm with SkyWest, very senior. This is not a slam on any airline or anybody.

We recently got a new requirement that we can't drop the parking brake until we have been cleared to push. For some domiciles there are typically 10 minute delays to push, thus this is a big pay cut. We have no recourse to battle this as we have zilch representation.

My question for this group is this new rule been put to your pilots and what are your union reps able to do about it?

It was reported that your MEC told your management "NO" to what is basically a pay cut? This being said I'm presuming your time begins at parking brake drop?

Just looking for some info to pass along to the SkyWest pilot group.

Again this is not a jab at anybody or any pilot group.

Thanks for any info!

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Our pay begins at brake drop technically, but most legs are so overblocked it really doesn't matter much as I don't often overblock. But I drop it when we talk to the ramp crew and everybody's ready. Nobody has said zilch to us though, our FOM has long said you're supposed to have push clearance, but I figure if we're ready to go, I'm gonna drop it, plus a lot of stations have lektro tugs anyway so our FOM even has an exception for that.

From what I’ve seen, at cpz we drop it ASAP, provided it’s safe to drop the brake for one second while holding the foot brakes, all the doors are shut, and it’s not more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled out time.

But in reality, usually I just stare anxiously at the ticking UTC clock as it hits D-0 and pray the rest of the crew will slam the door shut and slap the brake down in time to ever so slightly reduce the chances I get furloughed/downgraded in 2020. Either that or just look sadly out the window as we work our way into D+2 for some trivial and preventable reason. (Assuming our inbound plane wasn’t 2 hours late)

But in all seriousness, I think at CPZ we drop the lever as soon as we safely can, and that’s the way it will stay regardless of what the company wants. We all want to keep our jobs here IMHO

I'm no longer at CP, but when I was a CA there, I'd drop the brake once I heard the FA arm the door. As soon as the box registered an out time, I'd set the brake. It's ridiculous that the airline feels you shouldn't be getting paid in an enclosed tube, with an engine (APU) running and a multitude of issues could arise. Screw that. I did it 100% of the time, even on upgrade OE and never heard a peep.

This! On AA the gate agents would sometimes close even 15 early, and guess what, we got paid for every second, and also never heard a word. Do your thing and get paid!

Is this for our DL flying only? I haven’t heard anything about this.

It’s also important to note that SkyWest gets paid differently than Compass does. Historical average Vs. Block or better. If everyone played by the rules and does not drop the brake until push clearance received it would hurt OO paychecks more than CP.

This used to be policy here but almost no one followed it. You would sit at the Delta gates in lax for 30 minutes sometimes waiting for a push clearance.

Like others say it’s now allowed 10 early. Delta says don’t leave more than 5 early into a key station.

If everyone is on board, I say close em up and let’s go!

Agent has closed-out the flight + cockpit is ready + cabin is secure = Clear to Close! Trigger the Out time the second L1 is armed. Nobody enforces the early departure guidance, because CPZ makes more $ in On-Time than they do in paying Overblocks.

Plus what’s the point in sitting there when the sponsor airline has already closed out the flight. Customers care about A0 and flying fast. Sometimes you have to drop early in order to make A0. D0 is nice in a perfect cubicle...I mean world.

If I know there is gonna be long flow time, I try to block out as early as possible. The intent behind the block out rules is to not create gate space issues downline (I think). Like you said, if the gate agent is ready to close flight out, then let's go. I think the block out times haven't been enforced because it works in everyone's favor when done well. Its not a problem till it's a problem.

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