I have been on reserve and have not worked for 3 weeks.

I am just about rested enough to fly a trip, no more than 4 legs of course:p

If I can hang on to my job in the fall, I will be looking at reserve :(, the lack of pay will kill me, but the free time might be nice :)

I dread the paycheck for the 20th of next month but hanging by the pool everyday has been nice, plus IAH is too hot in the summer in a Saab.

Anyway, back on topic

Being the guy who can bid for his choice of reserve lines, I don't mind it. I expect to earn close to 300 per hour this month. In April, it was 600 ;)

(for those who cant figure that out, i bid reserve lines that never get called)

I have worked every reserve day since January except for about 5. That's 20 days a month i am either on Hot Reserve or Flying. Of course scheduling makes sure i keep below guarantee. Just.

Yea, melatonin works. Its not a drug and it is natural. It is NOT AMBIEN. There is a side affect, however, at least for me... strange dreams. I can't say melatonin is the reason... I suspect a connection based on experience/

Try it when you have a couple days off. Start off with the lowest dosage(I think it's 3mg) and see how you handle it. If you need more, you can always take two pills. Dreams will be more vivid and you may be groggy at higher dosages. That's been my experience.

BTW, I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.

Well my friend, that might be the case for the EWR flying, but here in IAH we have overnights in Mexico that are exactly 8hrs with a van ride of 45 mins each way. By the time you get into your hotel, change, brush your teeth and hit the sack you might have 5 hours of sleep if you're lucky.

Also, I thought you were ALPA, or are you not anymore? Mr Wykoff, might be a little angry at you considering that he's been pushing for reform for many years now and put out an excellent guide in the ALPA magazine a couple of months back. It should also be noted that the NTSB disagrees with your assessment, the reason why the rule needs to be changed from 8 to 10 is to assure that there are actually 8 hours available for rest, being in the van does not count, being at the airport does not count either.

You're a lot younger than the majority of us at XJT, so of course you probably can do with a lot less sleep than some of us, and still be able to operate your aircraft safely. I have to say Joe, I'm a bit disappointed to see you posting stuff like this. Safety should always be first, above all, including QOL and days off (which I also like), and clearly the NTSB and even our own union have compiled enough data to support reform.

It has nothing to do with your preferences. If you work an office job, and feel like working 16,18,20 hours straight, with a 1+ hour drive on each side, while you sleep 4-5 hours per night...that is your choice.

If you don't have a safety sensitive job, don't sleep at all, pull all nighters thats cool. Enjoy aging in dog years, and taking years off your life. But when your a 121 pilot it has nothing to do with what you want, it has everything to do with the safety of the pax in back.

Many people operate fine on 3-4 or 5 hours of sleep, i did for many years. But is it safe? It depends on the person.

People smarter than pilots (doctors) tend to think that 5 hours of sleep is not a sustainable lifestyle.
Can you get away with it for a few years? Sure. But i have seen many bright eyed 21 year old FO's looking 30+ after only 2 or 3 years in the airlines.

And that 80 year old looking mainline pilot, he's about 55.

FYI melatonin is safe, but more is not better. If you take alot of it you will have trouble getting rested. A lot of it will keep you in REM all night(and yes, strange vivid dreams), and you will feel like you haven't slept. So take the minimum, and if it doesn't work, don't take more.