I'll bite. What possible good does it do to not answer the call (promptly available) on SC?

 

What's the difference? The argument was whether you had the option to turn down (proffer) a trip once you've answered your phone and you've been notified and acknowledged. The PWA says No and you are obligated to fly the trip. I know from experience. I made the mistake of answering my phone halfway across the country and the only thing that saved me was they were able to find the next guy in line to fly the trip. Scheduling wasn't happy about it and referenced that exact part of the PWA. Don't shoot the messenger. If you can find a reference in the PWA that says you're allowed to turn down a greenslip that you've acknowledged (for any reason) let me know. I'm all ears.

 

Mmmm. Yeah. Wouldn't want to press to test that one. Answer the phone on SC. Or call back very quickly if you were showering.

SC is the only time I answer a phone call from Scheduling. And maybe the 6hrs of 23K.

 

I don't....wait...what?? Cycle, my man. I said the EXACT same thing you just said....YOU HAVE NO CLAIM TO REFUSE A GS, it't NOT a proffer. I'm not at ALL sure where you're interpreting that I'm suggesting it is. The ONLY time you can say "sorry, love to but can't" is outlined in the SRH, it's in your content locker, concerns alcohol consumption, unrealistic distance, no access to transportation and being the sole provider of child care. Help me out here, how is my statement divergent from yours??

 

I see what you're saying. Sorry about that. What I'm saying is that the PWA doesn't specify alcohol, child care or being out of position for a green slip. Why would you place an unrestricted green slip in knowing that you could be called at a moment's notice to fly and then crack a beer open? Or why would you have no restrictions but be 12 hours from a base? We have green slip parameters for a reason. By entering a green slip with no parameters, you're essentially telling scheduling you're willing and able to fly the next green slip that pops up. If you answer your phone, according to the PWA, you're obligated to fly it. I'd be willing to call ALPA to clear this whole thing up. I'm just reading the PWA. It's pretty clear, in my opinion. Sorry for the miscommunication.

 

It buys you the extra minutes to get the cover back on the boat. Plus if they panic and call the next guy for the trip, then the boat cover never goes on.

Schedulers do some weird things under stress, like call multiple people. They can ignore the coverage ladder in an immediate need. Beware......nevermind, you're right, answer the phone.

 

That might be a dangerous game to play, especially in light of what occurred with the 747 pilots on short call a few months ago.

Scheduling may decide to move on to the next pilot in the coverage ladder, and you might be off the hook for the trip. The more likely scenario, however is that they will put it on your line after leaving you a message and wait to hear back from you in 10-15 minutes. If you don't acknowledge or call back in that time frame they will cover the trip and put it down as a no-show.

Beyond that it's not particularly fair to stick the next pilot on the trip when your were next in the coverage ladder sequence.

I'm guessing your being a little facetious about getting the boat cover on, but I'm personally a little leery of being somewhere without questionable cell coverage while on short call. The "I didn't have cell coverage" argument may not hold up. I switched to T-mobile a few months ago and the service is terrible, so it has certainly been a point of angst for me.

Rumor I hear is that the 747 pilots got there jobs back, however I believe the company did their best to keep them off the line for as long as possible. A few months with no pay in the prime of your career can't be the easiest pill to swallow. I do believe the company has been gunning for some of the pilots on that fleet though for sometime, so take if for what it's worth.

 

It's always good to try and stick your fellow pilots with work you should have been doing.

 

From SRH:

A pilot on short call is required to be within the general area of his base and promptly available for contact by
Crew Scheduling, and must be able to promptly report for an awarded/assigned rotation. Since each base has
its own particular traffic problems, the phrase “promptly report” has never been defined in terms of time or
distance, and is based upon normal circumstances that can be expected throughout the day or night. Actual
realistic response time may vary from base to base and with weather and time of day. It is not possible for a
pilot to anticipate and account for abnormal conditions beyond his control, which may extend response time
beyond that normally required. For example, a NYC pilot encountering a snowstorm or an LAX pilot caught in
rush-hour traffic might each require more time than normal to sign in.
Occasionally SC assignments may report very shortly after the SC begins.

I don't answer the phone in the bathroom or while driving. Scheduling's panic reaction is beyond my control. Sorry I DON'T answer the phone.

 

No apology necessary.

"Promptly Report" is not the same as "Promptly Available For Contact".

Deliberately not answering your phone would constitute not being "Promptly Available for Contact". Choosing to wait in hopes a panicked scheduler will quickly move on to the next pilot in sequence is a way more risk-than-reward situation.

I highly recommend any new hire/probationary pilot not heed this poster's advice.

To each his own, do as you may.