For the newbie, what do those numbers mean?

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Our Pilot Reserve Level, also know as "The Matrix" shows the entire month, by day, and shows the number of Reserve Pilots required (based on some cosmic formula) and how many are actually available.

If Available > Required, the numbers show up blue (positive coverage) so people are able to drop rotations, move Reserve days, etc.

If Available < Required, the numbers are black (negative coverage), so trip drops and reserve days moves are not allowed (with a few exceptions)

 

It's talking about reserve coverage required vs available. Once the monthly schedules have been awarded and posted in icrew you can view a matrix for the month showing each day's # of required reserves and the # actually available for that day. Any time the available exceeds required the number will be in blue, if it is exactly equal or required exceeds available the number will be black. Where is matters is the ability, or lack thereof, to manipulate your schedule. In order to drop a trip or reserve day(s) the days(s) you want to drop must be blue. Swapping is somewhat more complicated as you can swap from negative days to negative days as long as you are swapping into more negative days. You cannot swap from days of bad coverage into days of good coverage.

 

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Blue= coverage to drop
black= not enough coverage to drop.

It’s the color coding in the Icrew reserve grid

 

These are the reserve month bidding/award rules.
The first number is the minimum number of consecutive on-call days for a reserve block. Prevents you from being on-call for only 1 or 2 days, at least from the initial bid.
The second number is the max number of consecutive on-call days, so having it at 99 makes it irrelevant.
The last number is the maximum number of X day blocks (X day is a day off) in a bid period. So your off days can’t be split into more than 4 or 5 groups depending on that number.

 

They are referring to the reserve coverage for a category. Basics - Blue = "positive coverage" and you can drop at trip into open time or swap/drop a reserve day(s). Black is "negative coverage" and you are cannot just drop a trip into open time or drop a reserve day, and swapping days on reserve may not work.

It's much complicated than just this and I'm sure people be along to point out this or that can or can't be done with black or blue days.

 

Perhaps not the right thread, but I'm a dummy.

Who has commuted for reserves for 3-4 day blocks and stayed in a crash pad? Did you do multiple or single occupancy?

I ask because I'm not sure how I'd sleep with 6-7 dudes entering/exiting the room at all hours of the day, even with earplugs. It's just asking for poor sleep. Then again, single occupancy is pricey.

What are some ways you mitigated the lodging challenges when working reserve?

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How far are you from base? Can you do long call from home? Commute in for just the short call periods?

I assume by the question you are probably coming cross country?

 

Correct, cross-country.

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I am not a commuter, but perhaps I have something to offer.
If you are not familiar with a yellow slip (YS), it is a preference to fly. That is one way to avoid a crash pad or hotel. You can YS specific rotations (trips), or you can put in a blanket YS with some qualifiers.

Important info follows!!! If you put in a blanket YS saying “I want to fly when I am on call,” it is imperative that you put in a no report before xxxx preference in the template, ESPECIALLY if it is your first day of availability after a day off. Normally you could not get an assignment before 1000 base time on your first day (or 1200 base time if your on call day follows a vacation day), but if you neglect to put in a specific time on a blanket YS, you waive your ten hour rest requirement and can be assigned a 0500 report on your first on call day (which might be 0200 to your body).

^That info might have been shared earlier in this thread. If so, IMHO, it is worth repeating.