Airline Pilot Central Forums - Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by gloopy (Post 1106059)

From where? Anything over 8 runs a very serious risk of turning back with the slightest ground delay on the way out or (worse) any delay for the flight back. A major fulcrum to the increase in hours for us is the issue of the new total daily block limitation being a hard time or just a "scheduled" (legal to start legal to finish) time. If the new times are hard times in all cases then that is a huge victory for us in the long run.

Again, if it is a hard time with no waivers, the 2 man ETOPS nonsense deep into Western Europe will be very rare. Likely even more rare than today because what you can safely do with 8 today with the ability to go over 8 (legal to start legal to finish) will have no margin for error and face instant cancellation either outbound or worse inbound on some flights stranding crews and cancelling flights all because some bean counter thought he'd be spiffy and save the cost of one FO.

I was very concerned about upping the block times due to the potential mass reduction of augmented flights. If the block times are really hard times with no flexibility, that no longer looks like a credibile threat for any ops...W.Europe, Aug Caribbean or even one more domestic leg, as anything anywhere near 8 hours of block is just begging for a cancellation if its even a little late and there's no way a company is going to schedule all the way up to 9 hours block if one minute over means the flight cancells or has to gate return and recrew.

According to the latest alpa email, it is a hard time. Legal to start will no longer apply. Like you said, that could wreak havoc if you have a long taxi out on the initial leg.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloopy (Post 1106074)

On the way there, maybe, sometimes, under some circumstances. On the way back for 8-9 hour blocks with more than 1 leg...the already risky gets even riskier. I just don't see them doing 8-9 block hour unaugmented days, if (and again, if) the new times are hard and absolute. Just putting the extra FO on it is cheap insurance for operational integrity.

True, it just depends on how much risk the airlines are willing to save for a few bucks. One cancelled flight makes it will worth that airplane having a the extra pilots staffed on it.

Of course, until there is a contractual change, this is moot for DAL pilots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLpilot (Post 1106095)

According to the latest alpa email, it is a hard time. Legal to start will no longer apply. Like you said, that could wreak havoc if you have a long taxi out on the initial leg.

It is hard time, and that is a major win.

Quote:

Originally Posted by acl65pilot (Post 1106111)

It is hard time, and that is a major win.

From the email...

Quote:

The FAA limits unaugmented flight time to eight or nine hours depending on the start time of the pilot’s flight duty period. These new times are hard times, not scheduled times. This means that, unlike today, you cannot go over the maximum unless already airborne on the last leg.

Big win is right. I think they are going to need a lot more reserves.

A reminder to those of you living the reserve life:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OzXJuNyMIK...1_paths_sm.jpg

And when deciding what to do with said growth, here is a friendly guide (large picture... you're welcome for me not posting it): http://findlaydonnan.files.wordpress...ches-chart.jpg

LOL... They need a picture of "The Couch Potato" 2 day stubble, and of course, "In Base Reserve". And maybe "The RJ FO" which is kinda a cheesy chin patch soul patch sideburn thing.

Memphis Reserve ramp. Single point refueling valve inop; the fuelers manually put all the fuel in one wing first, causing the airplane to tip.

I know it's been said before, but maybe it's worth reminding everyone that our contract prevents any un-augmented flying over 8 hours. We don't have to give that away just because the rule changed. If the company wants to buy it from us, the price needs to be really big. Although, with the hard time aspect of the 9 hour limit in the new rule, I don't think the company will think it's worth a whole lot to them to negotiate a change to that part of our contract. Bottom line, I don't think we'll be flying much more un-augmented flying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by newKnow (Post 1106115)

From the email...

Big win is right. I think they are going to need a lot more short call reserves.

I added short call.

We may get to reinvent the short call wheel here and I bet some folks in crew resources and planning are going to be busy.

Let's put the "regional" back in regional and acquire those retiring turboprops from AE and push out some non "regional" aircraft.