Looking for info on commutability from SMF, which base is easiest? Are lines built to allow some same day commuting or are you having to commute in the night prior a lot. Thanks

 

https://sacramento.aero/smf/flight-a.../flight-status

It would appear that SEA and PDX are, unsurprisingly, likely to be easiest. At least for direct commuting. And once you go to two-leg or greater commuting, QOL tends to go down precipitously.

 

SMF is easy to PDX/SEA.

 

Did it for 2 years. PDX. The few times I had to go to SEA for various business I was >50% in the jumpseat. Rarely going to PDX and only once was I ever with another commuting pilot. And the frequency to PDX isn’t much less.


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What about same day commuting vs having to come in the night before? Are the lines built to allow some same day commuting or is it all 5-6am shows?

 

Well, gee....

Here’s the whole schedule. Horizon flights are those numbers in the 2000-2999 range. Judge for yourself.

https://resource.alaskaair.net/-/med...arch18-AIM?v=1

 

This is great info. Do you have a link to the reserve lines?

 

I'm not sure what you mine by reserve 'lines.' By definition, people on reserve really don't HAVE lines. They have availability times on their assigned days - depending on RAP - and days off.

Under normal circumstances (see Compass before the hiring freeze or Horizon before they got short on pilots and then got even more fouled up by the E-175 transition) they were called up for flights as needed. I guess it's still that way, it's just that they are continuously needed at present at Compass because they are short of FOs now.

Could be worse. A whole bunch of junior E-175 FOs here at Horizon are just sitting, not a good thing when you just got your type rating and are not going to get your consolidation time in the first four months. Looks like newbie Compass hires will get that in their first six weeks out of LOE.

 

Ridiculous information. The pilot is asking a valid question. "Judge for yourself?" He (or she) can't; this information is available on Kayak.

Could someone please answer the question that a lot of have about lines, as opposed to just sending out the whole schedule? What are show times like? What are typical city pairs for your base, etc? Is your first day of reserve a 12 hour call out or airport ready, for instance?

It's a QOL question. And it's a "do I need a crash pad" question.

The flight schedule FROM Costa Rica TO Los Angeles is not helpful. You're just being, oh...what's the word?

 

When you’re junior at any airline you will have schedules that are hard to commute same day on both ends. At Horizon especially in the outstations there are many early shows and late finishes. This will require you to most likely spend the night in base on either end if not both ends. Until you gain some seniority and figure out how PBS works that is just the reality. Seniority is the name of the game as a commuting pilot, being junior just plan on burning a few extra days off commuting.

As far as trip pairings there is a mix of 2,3 and 4 days. Sometimes you will have back to back trips, being gone up to 5 or 6 days before a few days off to commute home. Example : Monday you start a 2 day trip at 430am. You comeback at 3pm on Tuesday and have a 5am show Wednesday for the 3 day getting back Friday maybe around 1130 or midnight. Just in that scenario you will need to be in base three nights, Sunday night, Tuesday night and Friday night. Unless you want to buy a hotel room on the nights you’re in base. I recommend a crash pad. Good news is on the Q in places like MFR the pads are cheap (sub 200). In SEA the crash pad will cost a bit more (around 250-300).