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I was having trouble finding a reference to verify this. Does using a PB Day cover the pay no credit items like EDP, Carve, Holiday, etc?

On the same lines, if you use a PB Day for a "2 Day" trip that includes a Redeye into the 3rd day (ie a 15:45 credit trip), do you only need 2 PB days to cover the whole rotation?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly Casual (Post 3725403)

A PB day will pay all soft credit other than holiday pay if you use a PB day for the last day of the trip. In other words you need to cover the entire trip with PB days if you want the soft part since all credit pays on the last day and you can’t just use a PB day on the last day - you have to start on day one and go forward each day. Generally if max money is your goal you will do better by finding a high block first day and just using that repeatedly. If you can find a 2 day trip that has some good EDP and sit pay in addition to high block on both days then that can work well for using 2 PB days. A 3 or 4 day to would have to have a ton of soft pay, even if it is a hard time trip, to beat churning a 7-8 hour block first day.

You should only need two PB days to cover a trip ending in a red eye but I’m not 100% sure on that one.

I know some Pilots will drop a PB in the middle of a 5 day block of on call days to prevent from doing a 3 day trip in International categories. This seems like an inefficient use of PB days. Couldn't you just use a PD day? Does a PB day have more "clout" with regards to breaking up days of availbility or requiring positive coverage for drop then a regular PD? If so it would make sense, if not why not use a PD and use the PB for a high block day 1 trip TOFF?

Scoop - Confused as usual

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoop (Post 3726403)

im in a 4-99-4 category and I’m almost 100% sure you can’t drop below 4 day blocks with PDs. I think you can do that in 3-99-5 categories but I’m not sure.

I think PB days do have more “clout” as you put it than a PD.

Also, on reserve you can’t fly over a PD day but can over a PB day. Helps if you are trying to GS or roll thunder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gone Flying (Post 3726411)

This. In such categories PB days, IVDs, and APD all allow you to drop below the 4 day min block of RES. P/D does not, regardless of Reserves Available.

From a QOL perspective, this makes PB days MUCH more valuable when used as such…if that’s important to you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by connollc (Post 3726484)

This. In such categories PB days, IVDs, and APD all allow you to drop below the 4 day min block of RES. P/D does not, regardless of Reserves Available.

From a QOL perspective, this makes PB days MUCH more valuable when used as such…if that’s important to you.

The PWA just says it "may" be denied on WB categories. So it's not an absolute no, but I don't remember ever having one approved in my time on a WB lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunfighter (Post 3725139)

Using PB days is pay and credit, so you will hit the limit if using multiple days. Another way around the pickup limit is swapping one trip for two trips since the only swap constraint is FARs, not WS pickup limit.

Here is the PCS logic I used without a PB friend.

PCS cycle 1
PB drop Trip 1
PCS swap Trip 2 for Trip 1 and Trip 3

PCS cycle 2
PB drop Trip 1
PCS swap Trip 3 for Trip 1 and Trip 2

lather rinse repeat till out of PB days

Or double down
PB drop Trip 1 & 2
PCS swap Trip 3 for Trip 1,2 and 4

PB drop Trip 1 & 2
PCS swap Trip 4 for Trip 1,2 and 3

this burns 2 PB per PCS cycle vs just 1 PB

* Any resemblence to Trip 7 is purely coincidental and not an infringement on a trademarked screenname.

Other thoughts
PB days are pay/credit, so if you PB drop 70 hours (GS trigger), you can fly an entire month at GS pay for every trip.

In your first example, would trip 2 and trip 3 have to have the same dates (e.g. four day trip starting on Dec. 10)? Otherwise, due to reserve coverage, is it possible for the trip swap to work in one direction but not the other (e.g. four day trip starting on Dec. 10 and four day trip starting Dec. 12)?