Everything the company is doing screams captain shortage. If you come on now, likely you will fly a lot.

Not sure about switching reserve bases, don’t count on it

I get called a lot, but I don't actually fly much. It's a lot of deadheading around to work a flight or two then deadheading some more. Usually about 15-35 hours give or take.

That being said I'm in Dayton so deadheads are just the way of things. I could probably get more hours if I left my reserve days in bigger blocks, but I try my best to get two days on and one or two off since hot reserve goes to whoever has the most reserve days. Hot reserve is a good time to update your resume and apply outside the flow though!

Typical block per month is 40-50 hours, copious amounts of DHs to repo an airplane to somewhere. Then overnight to DH back to CLT where they have a turn waiting on you. I get used almost every single day on reserve and the months where I've come close to breaking guarantee they managed to not use me the last few days of the month so I couldn't partake in that sweet accelerated goodness. Rsv here is a nightmare, buyer beware.

That was my experience as an FO. I actually never flew based in CVG which was terrible having to commute to rot away in crash pads. How likely is it that I can call CS and ask to sit reserve in CLT?

You can always ask, but with most of our bases being hubs now, it's unlikely they'll want to approve that unless they happen to be very short-staffed in the base you're requesting to sit in. Certainly they can (and have), but I definitely wouldn't plan on it.

Yeah I get that. I live in CLT so obviously I would want to sit there as much as possible. I figured with that being the biggest hub, that’s where all the flying would be.

Dc/phl have enough flying to merit reserves

best plan would be carving your schedule into 4 day blocks to get used on trips and not miscellaneous BS

Cool. Thanks for the response. Not exactly sure if I’m ready to dive back into regional reserve life quite yet! Just debating chasing that 121 PIC time

Its hit or miss, weekends they'll probably make you sit in whatever base you're at. Very dependent on the grid and how smoothly things are running.

Yeah that’s true. Thanks for the input! I’m still on the fence about the whole thing. Would be taking a pretty significant pay cut for the 121 PIC. Also, they wouldnt tell me how soon I would be in upgrade after initial IOE