I did a search but couldn’t quite find what I’m looking for. But if the thread already exists then I apologize in advance.

I’m looking for some insight into what to expect from a reserve schedule starting out as a newhire most likely in JFK/BOS on the bus or 190. I’m assuming working weekends is likely, but I’m looking more on what to expect with work blocks.

I’ve seen other threads talking about maximizing long reserve blocks, but is there a decent likelihood of working more of a 4 on 3 off schedule starting out? At my current regional, we can bid reserve days off but it doesn’t really work that well and my experience has pretty much been a couple 5 day blocks with two days off in between and then two more 4 day blocks with 2-4 off in between.

Also, is it common to get any scheduling assignments that are greater than a 2 hour call out?

 

My experience is in the 320, but it’s relative.
Reserve is either short call or long call. SCR is a 2:30 hour call out (2:45 to LGA), LCR is 14 hours.
You have a lot of flexibility in scheduling your reserve days. SCR has 14 days off, LCR has 13. You can pref bid specific days, weekends, blocks, and waive the amount of days on in a row to be above six (contractual limit) if you wish. My experience has been very good with regards to bidding and receiving what I wished. For instance, the last two months in a row I’ve had the entire first week of the month off. I specifically ask for that. However, I’ll then work 5/2/5/3 or something.

With regards to call outs, the Daily Reserve Outlook (DRO) happens every day at 0800, at which time they assign trips to reserves in a contractual order for the next day (basically IOE, LCR, SCR with same number of day’s available as the trip). If you are SCR and do not get assigned a trip, you will be assigned an RAP, starting in one of four silos you can bid from daily. For instance I recently had 1200-2200. During those times, if you are going to get a trip, expect it to be a minimum call out. I’ve seen trips sit there for hours that could have been assigned early, but they prefer to wait until the last minute. In August - September I had six call outs that were 2.5 hours (or less because they try and get you to rush in early).

Hope that helps.

 

SCR is 13 or 14 for a 30 or 31 month, LCR is 12 or 13 for a 30 or 31 day month

 

True.
Thanks.

 

Thanks that’s exactly what I was looking for. Does LCR tend to go more senior? I’d be commuting but also have a place in NEPA that I could use that’s borderline probably not close enough for a SCR call out to JFK, but I’d much prefer that to a crashpad.

 

It’s still too new to really say.
LCR reserves will fly more, and we have a fair amount of local guys, so with SCR flying less, it seems some more senior people than normal are testing those waters. I am a spring new hire and can hold LCR.

 

This is great insightful info. Thanks. As a reserve living in domicile, can you pick up trips while you are on reserve? What I mean is, while you are in your window to be called for a trip, and there is something in the system that pops up as needing a pilot, can you grab that and then be on that trip and released from your reserve waiting? Sorry, I don't know all the JB/airline acronyms yet to probably explain this better. Thanks for any info.

 

Yes, sort of.
Prior to the DRO (see above), any reserve pilot can request to fly a trip that is in open time provided that he has the available days of rsv to fly it (ie, it can’t extend into your days off). These are awarded in seniority order, and LCR before SCR requests are given priority.
So, for example, if you see a two-day trip in open time on Monday that begins Wednesday morning, you have to be submit a RSV OpenTime pick up request no later than 0300 Tuesday morning in order for it to be processed by the DRO at 0800. At 0800 you would then be approved or denied your request.
Once PASSED the DRO, despite whatever pops up in open time, you are unable to do anything to get those trips except wait see (you have a fairly decent idea however based on reserve availability).
That all said, I’ve had fairly limited success doing this, to the tune of about three approvals vs 60 denials. All about seniority.

 

Working 4 on 3 off is doable. Weekends are usually “coverage” days when awarded via PBS so you could very likely bid and receive Thur- Sun reserve since senior pilots are more likely to want weekends off. I’m sure you want weekends off too but I wouldn’t count on it without creative swapping.

320 FO in BOS - at over 1.5 years I can hold short and long call reserve and a line. 1-2 weekends off in the initial bid.


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Good to know, thanks for the info. Having done reserve in the past at my current airline, I prefer to have a consistent number of days between work blocks over having every weekend off. Commuting and only being home for two days at a time, especially if it’s commuting the night before or morning after are absolute killers, and until I’m based where I live, it’s more important to be able to consistently have 3 off in a row as much as possible.