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-   -   Short Call QOL Improvement (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/delta/117585-short-call-qol-improvement.html)

Planetrain 10-25-2018 05:38 AM

Agreed Scoop.

Sit SC long enough and they eventually get you! Back in August I was called in on the graveyard SC sit at the tailend of my period to cover a mechanical flight where the original flight crew timed out. 1 short leg to an outstation, sleep during the day, dh home that turned into a deviate deadhead ironman. A 9 hr SC would have prevented this.
I actually hate to call the schedulers 2 hours prior to release asking to get off early. Somehow I feel I'm reminding them to use me. :D

Additionally, if you want to take 2 SCs early in the month and get them out of the way so youre in the next SC bucket (if they really even honor that), this allows you to get them done quicker and potentially commute home on day 2 vs 3.

StartngOvr 10-25-2018 06:08 AM


Originally Posted by Herkflyr (Post 2697426)
Let me just state that you will likely be in significant minority with this view. If shortening SC from 12 to 9 hours is a "job killer" (it isn't) then can I assume you will be in favor of lengthening SC?

No. Not sure how my argument translates to "I want longer short calls?" I can see already that I'm in the minority. On that I'll agree. But it doesn't prove I'm wrong either.

Can I assume your preference is to sit for 7 9-hour SC's each month instead of 3 12-hr short calls? This is my concern as to where this is going......

Your simply stating that this isn't a job killer doesn't make it true. Can you provide a rationale or elaborate as to as to why I'm wrong? I'm willing to listen to a reasonable, respectful discussion about it, and hopefully I am wrong. But, for now I'm still skeptical.

Iceberg 10-25-2018 06:27 AM


Originally Posted by StartngOvr (Post 2697442)
No. Not sure how my argument translates to "I want longer short calls?" I can see already that I'm in the minority. On that I'll agree. But it doesn't prove I'm wrong either.

Can I assume your preference is to sit for 7 9-hour SC's each month instead of 3 12-hr short calls? This is my concern as to where this is going......

Your simply stating that this isn't a job killer doesn't make it true. Can you provide a rationale or elaborate as to as to why I'm wrong? I'm willing to listen to a reasonable, respectful discussion about it, and hopefully I am wrong. But, for now I'm still skeptical.

You just covered 63 hours of shortcall instead of 36... If they were covering the same 36 hours they would need 4 9-hour periods. I don’t think that argument is reasonable.

If everyone can do only 7 SC in a month they will need more reserves to cover it all. They still will have to cover the regular flying so they can’t reduce regular lines to carry more reserves. I don’t think this will reduce jobs. It might spread more SC to the senior reserves, though. It could require more reserves to cover it, but if it did that I’m sure it wouldn’t be happening.

I just don’t see how it will require less pilots to cover the same amount of time. I can see the concern it will lead to more SC periods per pilot, but they could easily have run everyone out for 7 12-hour periods each month too but that didn’t seem to be a regular occurrence.

tunes 10-25-2018 06:40 AM


Originally Posted by StartngOvr (Post 2697423)
Scoop,

Usually I agree with you, but I'll go ahead and take the bait.....

This is bad for pilots. There. Ok, I said it.

Here's my concern. By releasing pilots sooner, this is is an advantage to the company as they can now release you to rest and then assign another short call RAP that much sooner. Big picture, this means more short call coverage with fewer pilots. Translation: "job killer". They have identified an inefficiency which requires more pilots, and are looking to trim the fat.

Obviously the end game for the company is NOT to have the same total number of reserve pilots with shorter Short Calls. It's a way to reduce required headcount and keep essentially the same short call coverage to protect the operation.

I sit Reserve in my category a lot. I live in base and actually put in yellow slips sometimes to be first on short call. I still have never had a month of 7 short calls. Even when I ask for it. With this change, I'm predicting an increase in the number of short call periods per month for those exposed to it.

As far as the guy who can now commute home? I don't think it was a big deal as you could have called and got released early most times. (Intl might be different?) Additionally, now you won't be able to go home anyway because guess what, since you're done earlier, you're back on short call tomorrow morning!

Scoop, as someone who argues against the 30-day bid periods as a job killer, I'm surprised you aren't thinking the same way on this change?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

this.

It's great when you are sitting the actual short call because its 3 less hours, but on the flip side it's going to put more people on short call, and put you on long call sooner--making you ripe for an assignment 3 hours sooner. Even the scheduling committee has said this is a productivity gain for the company and a net negative for the pilot group. It sounds good in theory, but when you actually dig down and look at it, it's not.

Herkflyr 10-25-2018 06:45 AM


Originally Posted by tunes (Post 2697465)
this.

It's great when you are sitting the actual short call because its 3 less hours, but on the flip side it's going to put more people on short call, and put you on long call sooner--making you ripe for an assignment 3 hours sooner. Even the scheduling committee has said this is a productivity gain for the company and a net negative for the pilot group. It sounds good in theory, but when you actually dig down and look at it, it's not.

But with this change the company can assign you no more SC than they already have the ability to assign. Less time on SC is a net positive, no matter how determined some of you are to find the black lining in a silver cloud.

And if guys get a LC assignment three hours sooner, who cares? LC assignments are quite civilized. SC not so much. I still take your logic and spin it the other way: do you think that longer SC windows would be a net positive? I'm guessing most guys on reserve would not agree with that.

I guess the real issue is...let's see how this all ends up after a few months before we draw any conclusions. Remember "all reserves will sit 7 SC a month and fly 99 hours!" It didn't exactly end up that way did it?

Planetrain 10-25-2018 06:54 AM

I cant help but laugh at posters against a 9 hr SC!
It's like a criminal is up for early release:
"Sir, your sentence was 12 years, but we are going to reduce it to 9 since the 3 extra years just doesn't add any additional value to the state."

"Oh man! Thats terrible!!! If I'm out early that just means I could get arrested sooner! Please let me stay in jail!!!":D

GogglesPisano 10-25-2018 06:59 AM


Originally Posted by Planetrain (Post 2697472)
I cant help but laugh at posters against a 9 hr SC!
It's like a criminal is up for early release:
"Sir, your sentence was 12 years, but we are going to reduce it to 9 since the 3 extra years just doesn't add any additional value to the state."

"Oh man! Thats terrible!!! If I'm out early that just means I could get arrested sooner! Please let me stay in jail!!!":D

No kidding. This subject certainly seems to separate the glass half full/half empty guys.

sailingfun 10-25-2018 07:01 AM


Originally Posted by StartngOvr (Post 2697442)
No. Not sure how my argument translates to "I want longer short calls?" I can see already that I'm in the minority. On that I'll agree. But it doesn't prove I'm wrong either.

Can I assume your preference is to sit for 7 9-hour SC's each month instead of 3 12-hr short calls? This is my concern as to where this is going......

Your simply stating that this isn't a job killer doesn't make it true. Can you provide a rationale or elaborate as to as to why I'm wrong? I'm willing to listen to a reasonable, respectful discussion about it, and hopefully I am wrong. But, for now I'm still skeptical.

The company has been aware that shortcall pilots are of limited use in the last few hours because of FAR 117. It’s not like the old days where you started a shortcall at midnight and could and did get called out for a 14 hour duty day the next night at 11:55PM. Their current shortcall assignments account for the inability to use shortcall pilots the last few hours. I doubt you will see any change in the overall number of shortcalls assigned.

tunes 10-25-2018 07:10 AM


Originally Posted by Herkflyr (Post 2697467)
But with this change the company can assign you no more SC than they already have the ability to assign. Less time on SC is a net positive, no matter how determined some of you are to find the black lining in a silver cloud.

And if guys get a LC assignment three hours sooner, who cares? LC assignments are quite civilized. SC not so much. I still take your logic and spin it the other way: do you think that longer SC windows would be a net positive? I'm guessing most guys on reserve would not agree with that.

I guess the real issue is...let's see how this all ends up after a few months before we draw any conclusions. Remember "all reserves will sit 7 SC a month and fly 99 hours!" It didn't exactly end up that way did it?

so let's assume there are 15 pilots a day on short call, with this change it requires more pilots per day to be on short call and because of that you will sit more short calls than you have been if you weren't already maxing them out. Again, the scheduling committee has said this is a win for the company in terms of productivity gains. Instant gratification for the pilot sure, but overall not a win.

Tummy 10-25-2018 07:11 AM


Originally Posted by StartngOvr (Post 2697423)
By releasing pilots sooner, this is is an advantage to the company as they can now release you to rest and then assign another short call RAP that much sooner.

They could already do that. It's not unusual for me to get a 1000-2200 SC on my first on call day. Later that day, around noon, I get a notification that my SC has been truncated to 1000-1700, and I'm on SC the next day from 0500-1700.


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