KTM Rider

Bull****! A pilot just posted on the message board they were called in a couple weeks ago to explain their fatigue calls and low flight time.

Their flight is low because they're on the Hawker which was put in disposal. The fatigue calls are due to NJA's continuous unsafe scheduling practices. Issues that pilots at NJA have no control over except for the right to fatigue.

Jetlife

Bobo made it very clear in my last recurrent that they tracked low hour pilots with lots of fatigue calls. Several were called in to “talk” about it. At no point was there a comment from anyone about the concern as to WHY they fatigued, but were very focused on the lack of productivity. Pilots that never fatigue are hailed by management and the ones that actually mitigate their fatigue are chastised by management on some level. What is crazy, that it isn’t at all inconceivable to have over 100 fatigue in a year for the average pilot that actually calls in fatigued. That is such a startling statistic. Even 50 a year is absolutely unheard of anywhere else.

Seems like the culture of making examples out of pilots randomly at NJA is still going on which is sad. I thought they squashed that.

tm602

Then why, when our pilot group is 1/10 the size of a big airline's pilot group, is our fatigue call rate outrageously higher?

tm602

Yeah its crazy, crazy low. Most everyone I fly with has to do it once every week.

AirBear

What the company claims is someone with a lot of Fatigue calls is called in to make sure they don't have some personal issue that is causing problems. I'm skeptical but it could be true.

I've gotten MX pushback a couple of times, had to ask "So when is a red line not really a red line" (nitrogen pressure on the BeechJet). Had some items that were not clear cut, like pooled water in the landing light. Had to flat tell them I wasn't taking it like that. Last time I checked water and electricity don't mix well.

Sitting TNTV one day got a call from the Phenom CP asking me why I wrote up so many lav doors. I told probably because I was the only one checking them for proper operation. Had to go back in flight once and rescue a pax who couldn't get the doors back open. I had a medical condition that gave me a 2 hour bladder (actually had to get a Doc's note). The Phenom Lav Doors were a Rube Goldberg nightmare, way too complicated. So I always checked them. Just love telling Thurston and Lovey "btw, here's your $8M jet and if you want to use the Lav you get to do it in front of everyone"

But overall I didn't feel like I was pressured hardly at all. I actually liked working at NetJets except for the early shows and circadian rhythm flips. Over 13 years and I flew very few tours where I didn't see a new airport. That and some of the interesting people I flew. And the pets!

I'll shut up now and get back to painting my living room

FLYLOW22

How would you schedule and unscheduled airline with 420 jets?

The answer is that scheduling can’t schedule like an airline for many reasons.

When a crew is done, they need to call in. Being upset at fatigue calls existing in a 24-7 on demand company with duty throttles is like being made at a porcupine cause it’s prickly.

There really is no comparison of NetJets scheduling to an airline.

The airline buys a 737 and advertises 2 months out at www.airline to sell seats.

I wish we had that problem to fill a plane.


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Knobcrk1

I got the phone interview. I’ve been reading this thread and I know things don’t look good but I live in an area that doesn’t have too many airline base options, NJ base seems very appealing along with not flying dirty broken planes. Any tips on making it through the phone interview? Thanks.

tm602

But you said we have the most fatigue mitigators and that our system works. Yeah it works great, like my 0800 day 1 show on the West Coast, airline 2 legs, then fly two legs, and then get a 0600 EAST Coast show the very next day. Do 12 hrs day 2, a 10 hour turn and then be scheduled for 12 more on Day 3? Yeah, real mitigating.
This can be handled if they want to fix it. AB said himself that changing showtimes from 0700 to 0300 in one night is acceptable. They have their heads in the sand.

Jetlife

You don't think metal moves at the airlines 24/7? Sure it is scheduled but our airplanes move just like NetJets. NetJets could make a better schedule for pilots but they don't. They could easily realistically mitigate fatigue but they don't. On one hand you say NetJets has the best, unmatched fatigue mitigation program on the planet, then on the other hand you say its impossible to mitigate fatigue and make better schedules because the metal moves 24/7, Which is it?

I worked and flew less when I was literally on call 24/7 at a crappy bottom feeder 135 outfit than I did at NJA. NJA can do way better on that front but they wont because it costs money. Now, NetJets has the financial front to deal with AND a pilot shortage, so they waited too long and did nothing about legitimate shortcomings for a potential new hire, and the damage is done. It will be an uphill battle to get anyone in the door and even more effort to get them to stay.

CA1900

It's OK, you'll get 18 hours of rest on the last night of your tour to get your average rest back up for the airline home.