Since May came out, I'm pretty light on credit (50ish hours) due to MLOA. I do have an 11 day block of non MLOA time at the beginning of May with no trips, so, in order to get back to a normal paycheck I suppose I'm going to have to pick up a trip. Having never done this, I think these are my options, you let me know what works best. Keep in mind I'm junior junior junior in my base so green slips aren't likely to trickle down to me. Anyhow;

1-Pick up trip via WS in base
2-Pick up trick via WS out of base (I realize this would only happen the day before, I think at 0800?)
3-Green slip (I know theres w/conflict and w/out conflict, I don't think this would matter since I'm off?)
4-Pick up reserve days

I'm told the best picking for open time is around the 20th. Is it best if I just list all the trips I want in preference order and then they are awarded in seniority order, is that correct? So I assume if there are real good trips that go into open time, I probably won't get them. Or, is it first come first serve?

Thanks!

 

It's usually advantageous no to pre-post MLOA if possible. The big reason is that if your orders are canceled or changed, you're completely hosed.

It gives you far more control of your schedule and your bid.

 

What category and base? Next time you might also consider waiting until the bids close to put in mil leave. You can then bid a full schedule. Take a look at the daily trip coverage in your category to give you a idea of what is available. If you see GS2's then you can hold greenslips.
A lineholder can't pic up reserve days.

 

don't pre-post mil leave chief. You're giving up the leverage. I'm just a supervisor of TRs, not an airline guy yet, and even I know that (by function of having to get smart on airline bidding in order to max flex my guys' mil schedule).

 

Because I have the pleasure of visiting the chief pilot every 100 hours for the next 8-12 months, I'm just trying to do everything the right way. Unless I was mislead on my first CP meeting, I have to put in for known mil leave before the bid closes. Honestly, I'm not going to play any games until my probationary period complete. It's not worth it to me. So I put in drill weekends and bi-annual sim days in advance if I know them and the occasions aftp I'll be doing.

Anyhow, May's schedule was a good lesson from HKU for the future, non probie, me.

In the meantime, I need to pickup a trip. Back to my original question, it sounds like just picking up an open trip in advance is my best bet. Is it true that the 20th is the best picking for open time?

If I just put in for a green slip I run the risk of not getting a trip/credit where as white slipping an open trip can guarantee I get those credit hours.

 

White slipping won't happen until the 20th. Greenslips almost never go out more than a day out. Your options are wait until the 20th and whiteslip or pick up trips off swap board. Those go through immediately.

 

Make sure you check out the swap board as well. Many trips are usually available for pick-up (no swap required).

 

Go to the swap board and you can pick up now. Wait till the 20th and see what develops. It's really so category specific it's hard to give specific advice.

Lastly, contact your mentor, they should be able to help you with your options and you are correct, on probation especially, I'd pre post KNOWN MLOA commitments as that is what is in the FOM.

 

The first PCS run in which the May open time will become available for pickup will be on 20 April so, yes put in white slips in priority order for the trips you desire. After the 20th, there will be a new group of open time trips once swaps and white slips are processed. Those trips get processed daily after the 20th, so keep an eye on the open time after the 20th if you don't get anything from the 20 April PCS and submit for any new trips that may pop up meeting your needs. Your white slip(s) will be processed in seniority order with any others who may have submitted white slips for the same trips.

As far as green slips, those would not be processed until the day prior to the trip requested. And I don't think you'd have enough May credit with your Mil leave to actually trigger the extra pay for the GS anyway (I could be wrong on that).

You're absolutely correct in following your CP's directive regarding pre-bidding Mil leave. You don't want to draw attention to yourself in that regard prior to the end of probation.

 

Back to your original question. It is a no-brainer - WS in base. You can put in for a GS, but even if you get a GS it will only pay as a GS if you can reach the GS trigger.

Remember you can apply up to 5 hours of bank withdrawal toward hitting the GS trigger. So for example if the GS trigger is 75 hours you can withdraw 5 hours from your bank (even if it results in a negative bank) and apply that to the trigger, so in this case you must get to 70 hours before GS pay kicks in.

I find myself in this exact situation about 3 months out of the year due to MIL and other obligations. Since I am senior in category I will sometimes put in for a GS even if I am well below the trigger knowing that I can almost always WS to within 5 of the GS trigger.

Being junior I would recommend to try to get a WS as early in the month as possible. Not only will this allow you to prioritize your trips, possibly even put in some blind requests for certain dates, and line up a sure WS on the 20th of April, but being junior you will a much better chance of getting a GS later in the month.

Finally depending on the monthly timing of your GS be ready for some knuckleheads to give you grief for putting in a WS requests if GS's are flying out the door - some guys fail to realize that not every DAL Pilot lives to work - some of us work to live, and we don't fly 80+ hours every month and sometimes for whatever reason we are below the GS trigger.

Good Luck - Scoop