Fly Navy

The responses were so helpful on my paycheck question, I figured I'd ask another. I'm sure this info is buried down deep in the archives somewhere, but I'm just wondering what is a "typical" schedule for your first year at American Eagle? As in, #days on reserve, followed by #days off, followed by #days back at work, etc. How about the schedule when you first get a line? I understand that it's all about bidding and seniority, but I'm just trying to get the general idea of the QOL.

I would be commuting from Midland, TX(MAF) to DFW, which has 1 leg flights on Eagle going back and forth all day long, so hopefully this would be an easy commute. I assume I could commute in the morning of starting reserve or a line, and commute back the night of my last day. Does this sound plausible?

Thanks in advance for the helpful replies!

rollercoaster

RSV is minimum 11 days off a month. Commuting on the first and last day would be tough. Your show time on the first day could be before the first MAF flight arrives in DFW as well as getting released on your last RSV day after the last MAF flight has departed. I don't commute but it appears most people on RSV have a crashpad.

In my opinion, your best bet is the Saab in DFW. You could hold a line in probably a month or two (length on RSV is cyclical based on # of FO's bidding for the jet at the time...some FO's get a line right after IOE and other have a to wait 2-3 months). Once holding a Saab line, most of the 4-day trips would be commutable on both ends from MAF (day 1 showtime late morning to afternoon and day 4 finish late morning to early afternoon). 4-day trips (4 on, 3 off) have anywhere from 12 to 16 days off a month with around 14 being average. Stay on the Saab until you can hold commutable trips on the jet. I think DFW Embraer FO RSV is right around a year now.

Fly Navy

Well, I'd really prefer to build the jet time, so I may have to "suck up" the lifestyle of the Embraer FO.

But, if I did take a Saab slot, what is the current policy on seat lock? Do you have to stick with the Saab for a certain length of time before switching to the jet?

You spoke of sticking with the Saab until I could hold commutable lines with the jet. I was assuming that if you started Saab, and switched to the jet, you would have to go back to RSV in the jet before holding a line. Is this not the case?

stillageek

Right now there is a 6 month seat lock on the Saab. All lines regardless of plane are based on seniority. If you are 2800 and hold a line on the Saab but the only guy who can hold a line on a jet is 2500 you would be smart to wait until whatever seniority number you are is senior enough to hold a line on the jet. Over the course of a year you might go from 2800 to 2400. Once you see a line you could hold on a jet you can bid the jet, go through training and then walk out into a line while those who go straight to a jet head to reserve. ...hope that makes sense. I am a DFW CRJ FO. I never had a chance at the Saab, CRJ day one. I am on my 2nd month of reserve. I live in Euless (6 miles from the employee parking lot) and have worked the system to be able to be home 16 days last month. Not hard at all really.

Sbaker1595

everyone i know at eagle on the saab has had at the longest 2 1/2 months of reserve.....not a bad deal

flynavyj

didn't read the post, just chiming in to say i don't like your name....that's all.

Fly Navy

So, RSV gets a minimum of 11 days off. How about lineholders? American Eagle is one of the few airlines that does not have this statistic listed on the Airline Pilot Central summary.

One reason I'm interested in flying the Embraer or CRJ is because only the jets go to MAF, my home. My thinking is, when I'm flying the line, I may end up spending the night at MAF, thus getting an extra night home. Can any current DFW jet guys speak to the likelihood of this happening?

Iowa Farm Boy

You'll be a line holder faster on the SF3 than you will on any jet. My personal opinion as a commuter is that the worst line is far better than the best reserve. You'll have more control of your life, and spend more time at home holding a line.

Personal advice, apply it as you see fit: DO NOT bid the CRJ at AE. There are too few airplanes to have any QOL, even for the senior guys. I flew the ATR and SF3 and when the numbers went down, so did QOL. Personally, I'd take the SF3 for the first year (pay is the same), then bid EMJ when you can hold a line. Eventually you'll be able to hold MAF overnights, but in eight years and three airplanes at AE, I've only held overnights at home three mths. Of course if it's only an eight hr overnight, I don't bid it because it's not worth it for me- I'll go for QOL on a different line.

When commuting from MAF, beware of a "Budha" looking pilot. He's trouble

freezingflyboy

I was gonna second Iowa Farm Boy... Go for the airframe where you can hold a line the fastest. It will improve your pay and QOL immensely. The ability to control your schedule and increased pay from breaking guarantee and not having to pay for a crashpad will more than make up for the occasional MAF overnight.

I don't commute but the commuters I know hardly ever get overnights in their hometowns. The main reason for this is that when they bid they usually look for more important things like commutability (late shows/early releases) and maximizing productivity (20+ hour 4 day trip vs. 15 hour 4 day trips) so that they can get the most days off without sacrificing pay. Same things any body looks for I guess but it becomes more important when you're a commuter. I know that when I bid (and I'm sure most commuters are the same way) overnights are a distant fourth after days off, commutability and productivity.

Also, with a route network the size of AEs you may find that the MAF overnights are few and far between. I know that here at XJT you might do an overnight and not do that same overnight for another 6-12 months unless you really hunt for it.

bruhaha

Lineholders also get a minimum of 11 days off. Most lines have anywhere from 12 (a lot) to 18 (very few) days off.

I am another unfortunate DFW based CRJ pilot - I was really hoping to get the Saab when I first started working here but ended up getting assigned the CRJ on day one - there was no other choice for DFW for my newhire class.

After a year of this DFW CRJ reserve thing, I've decided that it really isn't that bad on reserve - I think I'll still bid reserve when I can hold a line. With the official 11 days off - I really have ended up with about 16-18 days "off" with the extra 5-7 days "off" being they didn't call me out to fly on my reserve days. As a reserve CRJ pilot, I've averaged maybe 20 hours of flying a month, and I'm quite happy flying that little. And if I do have to go fly - I try to get the late show (5-6pm) one leg out to an overnight, one leg back to DFW by 10am to get released - which has happened quite frequently - it knocks out two reserve days for maybe 17 hours of being away from base. But I live in domicile so that really makes a big difference. As a commuter, the days they don't call you're stuck in Dallas and not Midland - you're still away from home.

The DFW reserve EMJ pilots really are working on all of their reserve days and flying 80-90+ hours a month.

The tack I was try to do when I got hired here at Eagle was Saab - stay on Saab as long as I could for the schedule/QOL until I could hold a line on the jet, transition for the pay and schedule. It didn't work out that way for me, but the way it worked out has been okay (again because I live in base) If I was a commuter - the way it worked out would really blow.