What's a typical regional bid period look like?
 

I've been curious as to what a typical regional bid period looks like. Are they mostly multi day trips, 4 days on, 3 off, something like that? Do they take you all over or are they more localized relative to the majors. How many nights roughly do you spend in your own bed? If you do a more local route, what's the usual number of turns in a day? Well, thanks.:)

All of the above, it could be anything depending on the company, aircraft, domicile, and pilot seniority.

Tell me what lifestyle you're looking for and maybe I can suggest what type of operation would be conducive to that.

Well, I'm not looking for a particular lifestyle, per se. I see what you're saying about the variety of schedules. I guess I was hoping some regional pilots would post up one of their typical schedules so I could get a feel for what they look like. From what you're saying though, I'm sure they'd look just like any major pilot's schedule. I guess I was under the impression that regional guys did more of a shuttle service almost, flying back and forth from small towns to their respective major's hub. I'm sure there are those that fly that type of schedule but I guess I was picturing it as more of a bread and butter kind schedule for regional guys.

I can tell you that I ususally get 4 days on 3 days off. It can very. I have had 5 days on and then 2 days off. Never more than 5 days on though. Sometimes 2 days on 1 day off and then 2 days on and then 2 days off.

Since I commute, I am home on my days off. Depending on show times, I may be able to by-pass my crash pad. Late shows and early finishes allow for that.

The contract at my company requires the following:

10 minimum days off
no less than 2 days off at a time
no more than 5 days on at a time
no more than 4 days to a single trip

So, what this equates to is a schedule like this (for reserve purposes)
5 days of reserve, followed by 2 days off, followed by 5 days of reserve, followed by 3 days off, followed by 5 days of reserve, followed by 2 days off... you get the idea. 2 3-day weekends and 2 2-day weekends. The weekend days may be any day of the week, and that is where bidding comes in. Senior people get saturday and sunday off, if that is what they want. Commuters often prefer conventional weekdays off since travelling can be easier on those days.

Since a bid period is 30 days, that makes 10 days off and 20 days of reserve, split into 4 blocks of 5 days each.

Our lines typically have between 10-14 days off, with trips of up to 4 days. Sometimes there are more out-and-backs, sometimes there are CDOs or highspeeds (this is where you work the last flight in to an outstation, sleep about 4 hours, then take out the originating morning flight). The beauty of the bidding system is that the company (ideally, at least) publishes several different types of schedules. For instance, some people like to have 4 day trips all the time. Some prefer to be home every day with out-and-backs. Because of the per diem calculations, being out overnight is worth about $13-$20 more on average per night. For some people that isn't worth it. For the ones who live in crashpads or pay by the night in hotels, you can imagine that they are all for it.

At my regional you can bid a line where you are home everynight or you could be gone four day in a row. Depends on what you want is what you bid for.

ONLY ON SAT REPORTS- 1232L OPERATES- MAY 27 ONLY
Base/Equipment: DFW/SFY CA01FO01FA01

SA 3211 DFW-GRK 1317 1418 101 31 SFY
SA 3212 GRK-DFW 1449 1550 101 125 SFY
SA 3247 DFW-ACT 1715 1803 48 SFY 250 0 250 0 546 ACT 1315
D-END: 1818L (NR 900) REPT: 0733L
SU 3208 ACT-DFW 0818 0913 55 133 SFY
SU 3339 DFW-TYR 1046 1136 50 34 SFY
SU 3338 TYR-DFW 1210 1301 51 230 SFY
SU 3215 DFW-ABI 1531 1633 102 30 SFY
SU 3214 ABI-DFW 1703 1810 107 25 SFY
SU 3241 DFW-CLL 1835 1938 103 SFY 548 0 548 0 1220 CLL 1129
D-END: 1953L (NR 900) REPT: 0722L
MO 3218 CLL-DFW 0807 0916 109 25 SFY
MO 3283 DFW-SPS 0941 1040 59 26 SFY
MO 3312 SPS-DFW 1106 1200 54 152 SFY
MO 3225 DFW-LFT 1352 1538 146 26 SFY
MO 3244 LFT-DFW 1604 1800 156 SFY 644 0 644 0 1053
D-END: 1815L --------------------------------------
TOTALS BLOCK 1522 T.A.F.B. 5343 SFY>15:22


Here is a typical 3 day trip in a Saab for American Eagle. 3 on, 3 off schedule all month. As you can see, this is 14 legs in three days, 15:22 flight time. This is very typical for regional turboprop pilots. I am not sure about the RJ pilots, I have been in a t-prop for the last 8 1/2 years.

ONLY ON SUN REPORTS- 0558L OPERATES- APR. 30 ONLY
Base/Equipment: DFW/EM4 CA01FO01FA01

SU 3879 DFW-DSM 0643 0831 148 25 EM4
SU 3878 DSM-DFW 0856 1051 155 25 EM
SU 3793 DFW-FWA 1116 1432 216 EM4 559 0 559 0 749 FWA 1602
D-END: 1447L (NR 900) REPT: 0649L
MO 3604 FWA-DFW 0734 0902 228 25 EM4
MO 3377 DFW-MOB 0927 1102 135 25 EM4
MO 3376 MOB-DFW 1127 1308 141 104 EM4
MO 3809 DFW-JAN 1412 1529 117 EM4 701 0 701 0 955 JAN 1344
D-END: 1544L (NR 900) REPT: 0528L
TU 3750 JAN-DFW 0613 0739 126 25 EM4
TU 3803 DFW-MKE 0804 1021 217 25 EM4
TU 3802 MKE-DFW 1046 1316 230 EM4 613 0 613 0 803
D-END: 1331L --------------------------------------
TOTALS BLOCK 1913 T.A.F.B. 5533 EM4>19:13


This is probably an average 3 day trip for an EMB-145 pilot. A little longer flight time per leg, and only 10 legs in three days, with 19:13 flight time.

I guess you could summarize by equipment type and utilization:

Turbo-props: Often are based at an outstation, start and end there, usually fly 6-10 (or maybe more :eek: ) legs between 1-3 outstations and a larger hub. I would expect 4-6 days on 2-3 days off. If you live at the outstation, you go home every night, otherwise it sucks. Some larger turboprops may operate more like an RJ.

RJ: Based at a large or medium hub. Sometimes they operate similar to a turboprop, but usually longer legs and more destinations...however an RJ on an ex-turboprop route can be a goat-rope as you attemp to do ALL the checklists in 7 minutes. Sometimes they will do mainline routes...ie between big cities. Id guess most 50 seat pilots see a mix of both. Four on three off is typical, but I've had everything 6 on/1 off to 3on/8 off. You have some control of this.

Large RJs: 80+ seats will usually operate like mainline, with few if any short legs. Days off are the same as 50 seaters, but your day may be shorter because you don't do as many ground turns, so you get your flying done in less total duty time.

These are generalities, it could vary by company and domicile. I'm some Q400 driver will yell at me because he flys LAX to Hong Kong legs. Hope this helps.

Hey, thanks very much to everyone, good info. Fartknocker, any chance you could decode one of the lines on your schedule. I see it looks like the day, FLT#, dep/dest airport, arr/dep times?, and then I'm lost. Thanks again.