Here's my experience: 20 year military background. No contracts there. You usually fly what you're told to fly, partially because your scheduler is maybe also your weekend golf partner and you don't want to screw him/her too bad if you don't have to.

Last year I was maybe two weeks removed from probation. I checked my schedule before going to bed on a last X day prior to LC. Nothing on the schedule. Cool....has to be there before 12:00 on the day prior or they need to call me and give me 18 hours. I woke up the next morning with a mid day report on my schedule. So I call. They said they called and were unable to leave a message. I have no missed calls on my phone. After an hour on hold they remove the trip from my schedule with no further explanation. 24 hours later I'm on the phone with CPO explaining to them why scheduling thought I was "uncontactable" while on LC. Literally the first time I exercised my knowledge of the SRH, gave CS the benefit of the doubt, I'm on the carpet the next day defending myself to a skeptical CPO. As a former mil guy, my first instict is to just say **** it, and take the trip. But I also feel I have a responsibility to hold the line.

That's why I follow these forums. And the Widget FB groups. The contract is 575 pages long. The SRH (which explains just ONE chapter of the PWA) is 276 pages long. [/size]

 

You did the right thing. It's not fun, I get it. Especially these days with such adversarial CPOs and management. It wasn't like this even 5 years ago..

 

My recommendation to my reps for the last contract was to use PB days as a PWA "if-then" penalty for contract violations. 23.M.7? Okay, affected pilot gets single pay plus equivalent PB days.

Clearly my suggestion didn't make it ... this time. But we all know how much the company hates PB days.

A5S

 

it’s not a good suggestion. Simple as that.

 

Forgive the ignorance here as I haven’t commuted in a few years…

So if I’m a commuter to SC, legitimately using NC, and I check my schedule on icrew with the airplane’s free WiFi while airborne, I’ve deleted my NC? What if I still need it? Is the gouge not to check your schedule while commuting in?

Example: SC starts 1400. My plane lands 1500. I check my schedule at 1410 while airborne. Or I check at 1330 while airborne. Both times I’ve deleted NC?

 

During NC they cannot place a report on your schedule inside the first 2 hours. But they can put one on for 2+01. And you have 0 minutes to be able to report. That's how I understand it.

Edit to add: If you check your schedule on wifi while airborne to your SC, you now have the standard "promptly available" standard to meet. Which is undefined but generally understood to mean about 2 hours depending on local conditions at your base.

 

should we all just delete MiCrew from our personal phones?

 

Let me clarify a concern:
If I’m airborne and check my schedule on icrew at 1410, NC is removed?, and I put away my phone. Unbeknownst to me, scheduling calls me for a trip at 1420. My phone doesn’t ring, it’s in airplane mode and I’m no longer on icrew.
I’d hate to get a “unable to contact” note left by the scheduler. I know I can acknowledge a trip through icrew, but just because WiFi works earlier in the flight, doesn’t mean it lasts the whole flight or that I’m constantly able to check my schedule, hence the whole point of NC. Again, if you’re actually using NC, is the gouge don’t check your schedule until you land?

 

Use MiCrew instead, it's not an official schedule check. Or continue using iCrew and check back every 15 minutes for a SC award that meets standard SC report criteria. You can acknowledge airborne via iCrew. If you really feel the need to communicate more than that, send Crew Assist a message.

*I use MiCrew when airborne and then iCrew after landing

 

But, at that point, you don't care: you're already airborne, presumably (if you're playing by the rules) arriving at base no later than the 2-hour window. The point others are making here is (adoping the undefined "two hours" for a SC report), by ending your NC, you actually give yourself *more* time to report. If you *don't* end your NC period, you could get an assignment for 2:01 after the start of SC, with an "immediately available" requirement.