Nope not in the least after some of the scheduling boofonery they have done to me. My answer to those is I’ll try but I don’t think I can be there until exactly two hours from now.

 

Isn't the company obligated to offer a LCR line in ORF this month?

 

Before TallFlyer beats me to it:

CBA 25.A.8

Certainly sounds like it to me, but I'm not a lawyer...

 

Two questions:

1) Can I get a general sense from anyone who's spent time on SCR in the last year what the average call out time is? I'm not talking about the minimum (2 hours)...I want to know the frequency with which scheduling calls with that kind of notice and what is "typical" if there is such a thing.

Reason I ask is because I live 1+10 from my proposed base and am concerned that even with a foot out the door during my RAP I would have trouble making the gate. I may have an option to have a crash pad of sorts about 30 minutes to the airport, but it's costly and I'd rather not do that if I can avoid it.

2) Will these new rules have any real-world impact on QOL? For me the game changer would be very simple -- company pays in whole for hotel near airport, much as they do if they ask me to sit reserve out of base OR the SCR callout time goes to 3 or 4 hours. Anything shorter comes from ready reserve, which I have no problems doing a percentage of my time on SCR.

 

I get the general sense that right at two hours is not the majority of call outs. But even at 1:10 away from your base, if you're already showered and packed that shouldn't be very difficult. I can't speak for all bases, but in CLT you can manage just under 30 minutes from the parking lot to the gate. TYS is a very short time from your car to the gate (if you're operating the flight) but has a minimum 1 hour call out. I can't speak those times in any other base, however.

We certainly anticipate gains in QOL, but neither company paid hotels in base nor an increased call out time are on the table.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: being in a drivable distance to your base (and I'd put you solidly in that category) takes a lot of the pain out of Reserve.

Quite frankly, what takes most of the rest of the pain out of reserve is not being in the mindset that you "own" any of your flying on reserve, and chosing not to be frustrated whenever you hear from scheduling. Be like water, go with the flow, drive home when you're done. Anyone who's worked 135 gets this.

 

I do plan on being packed and ready to go so under ideal circumstances I agree that 2 hours should work. Sounds to me like min call is the exception rather than the rule, so at least for the few months I'll be on SCR I should be able to launch from home.

I assume, by the way, that so long as I'm at the airplane within 2 hours I can't be reported, but I'm curious how much time it typically takes the average FO to get settled in the airplane and ready to push. I assume ~10-15 minutes.

 

Call out time is 2 hours to your report time, which is 45 min prior to operating a flight, or 35 to a Deadhead, so you've got a little room in there, and most Captains aren't anal enough to call scheduling right at your report wondering where you are.

By the way, if you're ever the first one to an airplane, do your walkaround, then get to work. Set up everything you can and be ready to brief the CA on what's up.

And yeah, a good crew can have the flight deck ready to go from cold dark airplane all the way to push in 10-15 minutes, but that assumes no serious MX issues to address or a lot of MELs to read.

 

That's good news. Been reading here regularly for weeks and never saw anything about that. Thanks for the tip.

 

Any timeline on when these new reserve rules are getting signed? Been hearing about them since about Christmas. Not downing the process or the committee or anything, just curious how much longer.

 

I kinda put my foot in my mouth on another online venue when I mentioned we might have them for vote at the recent MEC Meeting. So that in the back of my mind, there is no precise timetable at the moment. The NC continues to work not only on the reserve rules, but other things as well. Stay tuned....