debate at NJA about picking up flying during a time of furlough.......


Some say it increases companies chances of growth.

Others think it is a kick in the nards.

Want to get the opinions from the Major guys who may have been around the block moreso than the fractional/corporate guys with little union experience besides NJA.

Is it a ok thing to do or not??

 

I've never had an issue with doing it. Picking up flying is part of the job. It's not your fault that the company hired too many people. Fly what you need to fly to make the job worth it to you. That is one of the advantages to being more senior, and like it or not, that is part of the industry.
It would increase your companies chance of growing from the perspective that it is much cheaper to have 1 pilot fly 100 hours a month than it is to have 2 pilots fly 50 hours, but that is not why I pick up open time. I pick up open time because there is a financial benefit to doing so.

 

^^^^ ...Wow...

 

This guy is probably one of the "saviors" of Continental from 1983....There is a special list for this type of pilot. Luckily there are less than 400 left at CAL, so hopefully that well isn't as poisoned as it used to be.


To answer your question:

It hasn't been empirically shown either way to increase or decrease the amount of time pilots remain on furlough.

Once the company runs out of volunteer open time pickup it usually begins offering double pay open time pickup, and if that still fails to find volunteers then if able the company will junior-man or inverse assign pilots at premium pay.

So in essence the flights will get covered, but picking up at straight time is bad form and the sign of a greedy, self-centered type of person.

Remember though, not all open time pickup is to pad one's paycheck while others are on furlough.. Some guys dropped a trip and need to get back to a "normal" line value for a month, somebody might have taken FMLA for some reason and are short on pay, etc. Don't go throwing the baby out with the bath water if you know of a perpetrator.

It is contractually allowed at most airlines, really it is up to you....Its the "max-fly open time wh0res" that really bother most people.

Side note, while CAL was furloughing junior 737 FO's (31-57/hr.) and started paying 737 captains 200% pay to fly as FO's (approx. 280-300/hr.) because the were so short of FO's.......737CA's ate it up over there.....That is just wrong.

 

Most major airlines claim they do not base their staffing formulas predicated on pilots picking up open time as they cannot predict how much time would be picked up. Having said that, I believe they do use some historical data in their manning levels just as they do in booking levels.
I don't think anyone has a problem with someone picking up time to fly a "full schedule". Anything over that is a personal decision but would probably be frowned upon by most others.

 

Why don't you voluntarily swap with the furloughed pilot. Let your unemployment run out, figure out how your gonna pay the bills, while you watch your "swap" pick up a bunch of open time, pay cash for a new car and oh yea.........wait for it.......help your company grow?!

Then take a stress test, get on APC, respond to this thread and see if you feel the same. I am betting not. Any takers on that bet?

 

Glad you threw in that caveat -- it is an important point.

Not that it matters for me -- I am a reserve guy, so I don't pick up open time (technically it is allowed, but I value my days off).

But I prefer to assume guys are doing the right thing until they prove otherwise, and there are often extenuating circumstances that must be understood before jumping to conclusions about others.

 

I dug up this old thread. Some of the discussion addresses your question.

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...tml#post430326


Here a few excerpts:

I have to disagree that picking up open-time and VJMA does not affect staffing levels, especially as any company moves towards furlough. Though I am not privy to management’s exact methods, I have to imagine that they use historical data in their future projections- i.e. in the past they needed ‘X’ amount of pilots to cover 1,000 hrs of block flying, it is likely that they will make plans based on the assumption that future needs will be close to that ratio. Every pilot that picks up open time and/or VJMA willfully validates management’s assumptions. Why staff the company properly (and keep guys/gals off the street) when all or the vast majority of the flights operate as scheduled?
.....

Then there are some that were saved by age 65 who are picking up open-time/VJMA for important (to them) projects such as upgrading their motorcycle, boat, significant other, etc.- Inflict wound and then generously pour salt.

 

Its complete bs and selfish.
Ive never nor will i ever pick up open time when there are pilots on furlough at my company

 

F those guys, I got mine mentality is what drives up line values and drives down pay per hour so we all get to work longer for the same or less pay. Seems like a lot of people swarm to pick up open time but not advert pickup time which directly helps the company not the individual pilot.