There's a couple of captains that commute from Idaho. The schedules are decent, either an early show/early finish or late show/late finish. Rarely do I see trips that are commutable on both ends. Most guys use a crash pad or the Hacienda Hotel (largely a commuter hotel near LAX). They've increased the amount of 4 and 5 day trips each month in LAX so once you're holding a line you can bid for 3-4 trips to get your credit up to 80+ which what seems like a lot of the commuters are doing.

Reserve shouldn't be too long, but there are 5 RAP periods. I think they usually assign RAP 1 and 3. 1 starts at 4am I think and 3 starts at 10am. Not sure exactly. 2hr call out, and you're released at 6pm on your last day regardless of RAP.

How are the chances getting an interview without having a degree?

If you look at the last 2-3 pages of this thread, you will find your answers with some good information on that topic in detail. Good luck

Do all pilots, regardless of base, tend to see the whole route network? Does the company route you through all bases during trips, or do you just tend to do out and backs from your own base? For instance, will a west coast based pilot ever see the east coast and vice versa?

I'm based in LAX and had overnights in NY next month. Lots through SLC, MSP, even DTW. Before October it's been mostly up and down with a sprinkling of SLC.

I even saw a trip that had YVR-MSP-YUL one of the days. Regional huh?:eek:

It depends, but it's a mix.

I don't know about the LAX or DTW crews, but on reserve out of MSP I've seen both coasts in the same trip fairly frequently, been through all three bases once or twice during a month since April and regularly hit what seems like half of Canada and most of Texas, again in a single trip.

Next month, with a line, overnights are HLN (twice), EWR (twice), ALB, PVD, IAH, and YUL. I go through DTW at least once, CLT, BOI, MDW, FAR and YEG. I wind up going through MSP a couple of times, but there's a fair number of trips that leave base and don't come back until you're done.

There were a bunch of MSP-based trips next month that include a YVR-MSP-EWR day. Ouch.

It certainly isn't classic "regional" flying, doing 6 legs a day into the same hub. I love it, but that's just me.

Will

Just curious as to why you say "ouch" to a productive 2-leg day then?

Probably because of what he said later, it's not really regional flying. Hopefully flying like that eventually goes back to mainline.

Doing coast to coast trips sure as hell sounds better than IAH-CRP-IAH-AEX-IAH-CRP-IAH-LCH!! Not sure I like the sound of 5 day trips though! Are they easily avoidable with a little bit of seniority?

I remember a trip that had a report at 5pm in IAD and went IAD-MSP-YVR, and finished at about midnight in YVR. That was ouch, because it was a DTW trip and it was 3am when we arrived in YVR. I wasn't right for a couple days, I'm not sure how guys do red eyes repeatedly.