Reserve works a little different at AMF. At AMF, pilots are paid a certain "unit" value based on the run they fly. The majority of the runs in the company are "8 units per day" runs giving a pilot 40 units per week. A pilot is guaranteed 40 units per week minimum. Some runs have a higher unit value but they are relatively sparse. For the most part, the runs you will be flying as a new hire in the PA31 are 40 units per week.

As for reserve, a reserve line is also worth 40 units a week. Since the pay for most runs and a reserve line is the same, the reserve lines tend to be held by rather senior guys (same pay with the chance NOT to do any work). That said, after being hired, you will probably start flying a run from day 1 after your checkride.

Of course, this is all based on the needs of the company / base assigned to.

Different bases do different things with reserve. Some bases, reserve is a full week thing (like flyboyknight said, usually covered by the senior pilots).

At my base, we split up reserve (typically, if there are enough pilots you can plan on at least one reserve day a week). One run typically blows out, so the junior reserve pilot usually does an out and back to cover the excess (if they don't cover a sick call first).
The senior reserve pilot has a much better chance of going home early without flying.

Thanks guys.

How close do you need to be to the airport while on reserve?

Usually you have to be at the airport while on reserve. Some bases make you wait there for several hours. Other bases have you wait until all the flights in the AM have landed, then you can go home. Even though you are home they could call you back in if they get a special flight. This doesn't happen very often but does happen. There is also PM reserve which works basically the same way. Almost all reserve is senior but each base has its own ways....

Thanks again. Lots of great info! Thanks for taking the time.

Can any one find out when the most junior 99 captain was hired in OAK?

Looks like Nov 2011. With 6 PA31 guys after him.

I have checked out the flying with the 99 out of OAK on flight aware and although good for me, the all night flying can be a deterrent for some. Are there some on the PA31 that have passed on the 99 by staying on the PA31? In other words, is the most most senior PA31 pilot senior to the most junior 99 pilot in OAK?

Thanks again guys. You are the best! These are questions that have been floating around my mind for a while. This info REALLY helps out.

***Bump***

Not real sure on that specific question. Maybe an OAK pilot can shed some light on this but I haven’t seen any 99 bids come up company wide for OAK as far back as I can remember so I would say no. Most of the time a 99 bid will get filled in base but we do get company wide bids for equipment also. These bids come out if no one in that specific base wants to fill the run or it’s a new run and the base needs additional pilots to fill it. The Company wide bids are scattered throughout the system so you never know what you might see come up for bid.

Feel free to PM me if you like. Good luck out there :D

At one point, they had opened up at Sacramento 99 bid. I believe it was May 09.