dera

Thankfully at an ACMI with a few years of seniority, you can have 18 real days off as a lineholder, enjoy 90 hours credit at 200+/hr as an fo (or 300/hr CA), and not have to worry about getting called.
It sure is the life.

crewdawg

Lots of us do live within an hour or two drive to the airport, while not even living in the same metropolitan area (or state) as our base. A vast majority of my reserve month is long call, with maybe 1-3 short call days/month. The few short call callouts I've received were rarely a scramble for me. For many, Notenuf's post is a reality and has validity. When your storyline plays out and the "dream ends," the boat pulls up to the dock, drops you off to go shower and head to work while everyone else goes back out on the water. Or more likely, you weren't on short call, so you checked your phone before hitting the water and again just after noon to ensure you're not being used that day.

This thread has always been centered around Pay/QOL, and days actually gone from home is HUGE factor wrt QOL. Most of us grasp the concept that wrt to contract/contract talks, a day of reserve is a day worked. However, we also know that on the QOL side of things, I mostly care about days in which I have to put on a company uniform and step foot in a company jet. There is a reason that at some carriers, reserve goes senior. We occasionally have categories where guys are too junior to hold a line.

Anyway, I think most readers understand this, or maybe we add a few lines to the posts...1) Commuter/Live in base, 2) Days the contract said I worked, 3) Days I actually put on a uniform.

Profane Kahuna

If you are tethered to a location and a phone it is not a day off.

Especially if you have a family and enjoy traveling with them, you need REAL days off to do that.

BoilerUP

A day on-call isn’t a day off…

…but if the phone doesn’t ring, its not a day worked, either.

tom11011

Once you make captain you can get the boat with the helipad.

Profane Kahuna

If your goal in life is to be tethered to a location and a phone, but “not work” one day at a time until retirement then congratulations!

Many people with families actually want to have REAL days off and travel and do things.

pitchtrim

A day at home on long call is a nice perk. I've been scheduled to sit in another city days at a time on long call and due to the rules, distance, and options flown myself home till something popped up on my schedule. Doesn't feel very tethering to me.

Profane Kahuna

Were you able to take your family and travel without your phone?

Nope? Not a day off.

pitchtrim

Did I say it was a day off?

Profane Kahuna

The constant attempts by people to claim a reserve day is a day off remind me of those guys who wear elevator shoes and drive lifted trucks…..

They obviously feel inferior and continuously attempt to make something seem more than it is…..

What are they compensating for?